TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4426, 27 May 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Auckland, Wednesday.

A long discussion took place in the Provincial Council this afternoon on a motion; “ That in the opinion of this Council, it is against the interest of this province that the General Government should allow private individuals to make purchases of native land, .as this practice has a tendency to lock up large blocks of land and retard settlement, and is, therefore, a direct injustice to the public.” Mr. Carleton opposed the motion, and said the pre-emptive right of purchase of native lands was the principal cause of the wars with the natives. If that right had been abrogated before 1860, there would have been no Waitara war. He moved an amendment.

Mr. Buckland opposed the motion, which was ultimately amended so as to read that the General Government ought to allow private individuals to purchase laud to the exclusion of other competitors, and passed. During the debate, Mr. Rees severely attacked the General Government, and said that of 123,000 acres purchased in this province by the General Government, 50,000 acres were held under leases, many of ninety-nine years, by private persons. Other speakers charged the Government with waste. £SOO was voted for the use of the special committee appointed to inquire into the General Government land purchases in the provinces, to be expended on witnesses from all parts of the country, in order to make a case for Auckland in the. General Assembly. In reply to Mr. Lusk, Mr. Header Wood said the Superintendent had endeavored to make arrangements with the bank to enable education to be carried on, and authorised another year's rate. In reply to Mr. Cheesemau, Mr. Wood said the Superintendent was endeavoring to recover from the Colonial Government £BO,OOO claimed by the province of Auckland from the General Government, as the balance of the amount expended on railway works, during the years 1865 to 1867 inclusive. The claim was laid before the colonial authorities last year. Mr. Wood also said that no adjustment had yet been made. A resolution was carried that the province take over the balance of £50,000 for the Thames Pumping Association, in order to enable operations to be carried on. The Council is expected to adjourn early next week, Dunedin, Wednesday. To-day, McKenzie, contractor for the manure depot, was summoned by the inhabitants of the neighborhood for allowing a nuisance to exist. He was fined live shillings and strongly cautioned, and the Bench remarked that the sooner the City Council moved in the matter the better. Callaghan’s Hotel, Riverton, was burnt to the ground last night. The fire originated in a wooden chimney. Nothing was saved. He was insured for £2OO in the New Zealand Insurance Office. It has been raining heavily all day, and looks bad for Press Amateur performance tonight. Hoskins and Colville leave in the Taranaki for Wellington to-morrow. The meeting of shareholders in the Colonial Bank this afternoon was of a most satisfactory character. The debate on the want of confidence motion is expected to last this and to-morrow evening. The general impression is that the newlyelected Government will be ousted. It is considered a mistake, however, for Steward to have moved the want of confidence motion, seeing that he supported the resolution which placed the present Government in power. It is stated that a rich reef has been struck near Waipou. The Daily Times this morning trusts that before very long the time will come when the difficulties of provincial executives will be at an end, and when the word “ Finis ” will be put at the end of their names. The Guardian thinks the fact of this new want of confidence motion being brought up so soon, contributes another and most potent argument for the abolition of the petty vestries which have too long been suffered to ape representative government. 8 p.m. Mr. Steward’s motion was withdrawn, in order to give the new Government time to bring up a policy. [Peb Pbess Agency.] Auckland, Wednesday. In the Council last night, relative to the transfer of the railway to provincial control, the Treasurer said the Superintendent had received a telegram from the General Government, in which he was informed that they considered it very inconvenient to hand over any portion of line until the whole should have been completed. From this the Superintendent understands that he will be unable to take over any of these lines during the time they remain incomplete. It was not the intention of the Superintendent to take over these lines of railway in opposition to the General Government, and perhaps before the Council should urge the Superintendent in this matter, it would be as well they should ascertain the exact position of affairs in this particular, to see whether the lines paid or not. On a former occasion he (Mr. Wood) stated that from information he had received, not official information, but information he fully believed, that the Onehuuga line did not pay working expenses and maintenance by 3 per cent., and the Treasury at Wellington had to be drawn on to that extent last month. Something about 50 per cent, had to be then drawn, so that it would be well for the Council to fully inform itself before urging the Superintendent on the subject. The adjourned debate on the motion for an income-tax of one per cent, on all incomes over £3OO, to be devoted to education, resulted in the carrying of an amendment by Mr. Carleton, that in the opinion of the Council direct taxation as distinguished from rates ought to be equally distributed all over the colony.

GiiAimrsTOWtf, Wednesday.

Major Keddell opened the commission re miners’ rights to-day. At the inquiry at the courthouse to-day,, he read his commission from the Governor, authorising him to exercise powers under the Commissioners’ Powers Act. Mr. Taylor stated that lie appeared for Mr. James Mackay, against whom certain allegations or insinuations had been made, and as Mr. Mackay was absent, he would ask that the inquiry be adjourned. Major Keddell then adjourned the Court till to-morrow. The time over which the commission extends is two months.

New Plvjiouth, Wednesday.

The Supremo Court opened yesterday. Mr. Justice Gillies’s charge to the Grand Jury was short, and merely referred to the cases for trial.

Mr. Standish, Crown Prosecutor, offered the congratulations of the Bar on Mr. Gillies's elevation to the Bench, On a charge of forgery against Wright, late of the Armed Constabulary, the jury found him not guilty.

Alexandra, Wednesday.

The weather has been very bad for the last few days ; but the river is rising, so busy times may be looked for, as country produce will come in.

Measles are more prevalent than ever. There are few fatal cases.

Napier, Wednesday. The Corporation have agreed to adopt the waterworks scheme on a plan of the engineer, somewhat modified, to sink two. artesian wells on the flat, and have a reservoir, to contain 150,000 gallons, to supply the lower level of the town, at a cost of about .£7OOO, and capable of extension to the Spit, if required. The Mayor said he did not think the scheme a good one, or likely to be permanent, but as all the Council, but himself, was in favor of it, he would do all he could to assist them in carrying it out, but he did not think they would borrow money for such a scheme. He was in favor of a gravitation scheme, estimated to cost £30,000. Councillor Newton and others said, if the Corporation could not find money private enterprise would. A motion was agreed to for the adoption of the earth closet system in the borough. Councillor Swan brought forward a motion to bring under notice of the General Government the manner in which immigrants were lauded directly they arrived, and sent up country to spread disease amongst the settlers’ families and advocated sending immigrants to quarantine for a week, to wash clothes, &c. The motion was agreed to. General complaints were made that too much laxity prevails in this matter. Tauranga, Wednesday. The native children in the settlements and environs of Tauranga are dying daily from measles. There is also much sickness amongst Europeans. The weather is horrible. Christchurch, Wednesday. The Provincial Council has adopted the new Education Bill without alteration. The clause abolishing the Board of Education, and placing the whole educational department under Government, was strongly opposed, but without avail.

The cabmen are again at issue with the City Council. At a meeting of cabmen to-day, it was decided to test the legality of the City by-laws, in the Magistrate’s Court. Mainwaring Johnston, a laud broker, committed for trial this morning for assisting in fraudulently obtaining a certificate to title in certain land near Christchurch. Invercargill, Wednesday. A blacksmith’s shop in Tory-street, occupied by Brown, Anderson, and Finlay, was destroyed by fire this morning. There were no insurances.

A lad named Finuerty fell through the cap of a ballast waggon on Saturday last, and was so badly mutilated by several waggons passing over him that he died in the hospital the same evening, after one of his legs had been amputated. An inquest was held yesterday and again to-day. The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against John Tibbetts, the man who drew the catch or fastening while the train was in motion. The jury added a rider, that the contractors for railway lines should be compelled to have copies of rules and regulations posted in a conspicuous position for the guidance of workmen.