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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4781, 19 July 1876, Page 2

In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon the following notices were given ; Mr. Whitaker, when in committee on the Provincial Abolition Financial Arrangements Bill, to move, —“ That clauses 6,7, 8,9, and 10 be omitted, and in lieu thereof that the following clauses, to come into operation on the 29th September next, bo inserted : —‘ 1. All revenue arising from the Waste Lands of the Crown is part of her Majesty’s Consolidated Revenue of the colony. 2. All sums of money and expenditure heretofore charged on revenue arising from waste lands; of the Crown are hereby charged on and made payable put of her Majesty’s Consolidated Revenue. 3. All assets and liabilities of the several provinces are assets and liabilities of the colony. Provided that cash in hand, on the 29th day of

September,; 1876, received from waste lands of the Croyu, shall be expended in the province inwhich. it bas;been received, on such public works (not. otherwise provided for) as' the General 'Asgeimbly shall 'determine.’ ”\ Mr. Wakefield ‘to 'move, on the'motion for going into Committee of Supply,—“ That this Mouse .doregolve itself into .committee of the whole, to consider the following resolutions :—‘ 1. The gross proceeds of all land sales or leases, either for pastoral or mineral purposes (except with -respect to goldfields'), to be chargeable with ) the expenses of the Land and Survey departments.—2. After such deduction, one-half of the net revenue from these sources to be colonial revenue, the other half to be paid to the local governing bodies of the district within which such revenue is raised.—3. The coat and expenses of the following services to be defrayed from colonial revenue, viz.: — (1.) AU existing Legislative and Executive departments of the Government, including the Civil List, (2.) The interest and sinking fund of all loans, whether colonial or provincial. (3.) Primary education. (1.) Her Majesty’s gaols throughout the colony. (5.) Police. (6.) Lunatic asylums. (7.) All public railways whether constructed by the colony or provinces. (8.) Arterial roads and bridges. (9.) Subsidies to Hoad Districts and Municipalities in the proportion of £ to £1 raised by rates or tolls.—4. All annual surplus of colonial revenue over appropriations to be applied to reducing any unfunded debt of the colony ;, or, if there be no such debt, then towards the extinction of the funded debt.— 6. The cost and expenses of the following services to be defrayed by local governing bodies, viz., —(1.) Koads, bridges, and other local public works, other than arterial. (2.) Hospitals and charitable institutions. (3.) Penitentiaries and reformatories not being public gaols.—-6. The ordinary .revenue from goldfields, including the export duty, to be paid to the local governing bodies of the districts within which such revenue arises, and to be expended on local public works therein.—7. Harbors to be administered by Local Boards, who shall receive and expend all moneys levied on account of or appropriated to the purposes of such harbors.’ ” It is only necessary to read the foregoing to become impressed with, the important bearing each has upon the present situation, Underthese circumstances the Government have a right to take full and proper time to consider the course they should pursue in regard to the period at which either or both resolutions should come on for discussion.

It is pretty plain that the Government made a mistake (unintentional we have no doubt) in the matter of the sum proposed by them yesterday to be appropriated for the unmarried children of the late Dr. Eeatherston. The wish of the House was so clearly expressed that a larger sum than £3OOO should have been proposed, that it is the. duty of the Government, now that their proposal to appropriate that sum has become law, to bring down a proposition for setting aside a further amount. It would be mere persiflage in this connection to eulogise the man who is now beyond earthly care. The sincere and feeling testimony of political veterans on all sides of the House yesterday was worth a page of written eulogium. On the claims of Dr. Eeatherston’s family on the State we shall therefore say nothing, but without being: indiscreetly particular, it may be pointed out that he has left five unmarried daughters unprovided for, and that a portion of a thousand pounds for each of them will, after all, be but a poor testimony to the public worth of the man who, as the Nestor of the House most fittingly put it, served the colony all his life and died poor.

A TELEGRAM in another column gives some important information as to an alleged intention on the part of the Pacific Mail Company to get the New Zealand coastal service done away with, and a rumor of the contract being thrown up in the event of non-compliance with the demand. Apart from the dissatisfaction expressed by the commanders of several of the steamers, there have been hints of a positive intention to abandon the contract if not relieved of the coastal service ; and this telegram seems to confirm what has been announced since the last trip of the City of San Francisco. It is understood that Captain Caverly has great objections to enter Port Chalmers at all ; at any rate, he waited on the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel yesterday, and asked permission to leave that port a day before contract time, so that he might coal at Wellington instead of Dunedin. Sir Julius Vogel replied that the Government must decline to allow any deviation from the terms of the contract.

The City Surveyor, and Messrs. Clayton, Turnbull,- Toxward, and Tringham, architects, have for some time past been conferring as to the desirableness of a Wellington Building Act being prepared. The result is, we learn, that they will recommend the Corporation to get an Act prepared, providing, amongst other things, that none but brick buildings shall be erected where a business street forms the frontage, and that in future shingled roofs give place to slate. These are the principal recommendations. It is understood that the question of enforcing some definite plan as to laying out streets has not been considered, or if considered, no recommendations upon it will be made. This is rather to be regretted, for there is sad need in Wellington of some kind of regulation in, respect of the formation of streets. Barge numbers of private streets, as they are by courtesy called, for lanes would be, the correct term to use, are being laid without the slightest regard for appearance, and in perfect obliviousness of the certainty of future inconvenience. All these streets must sooner or later come under the management of the Corporation, on whom will fall the task of devising means to drain and render healthful streets which were formed apparently for the express purpose of becoming gardens in which fevers may be implanted and carefully nursed until strong enough to move about and decimate the population of the city. Last session Mr. O’Neill introduced a Bill intended to apply to the colony generally, which would have fully met such cases, but Parliament in its wisdom saw fit to reject it.

'A telegram by cable informs us that a native of New South Wales has won the championship of the Thames. The following preliminary particulars as to the match, the result of which we have just had telegraphed, will be read with interest. They are from the Home News: —“That a rower on the waters of Sydney harbor should come all the way to England to contest for the championship of the Thames evidences no small amount of pluck, and the arrival, therefore, in the old country of Mr. James Punch, the champion oarsman , of Sydney, bringing with him a native youth, Mr. Edward Trickett, the champion puller, to contest for the great aquatic prize with the champion of England, must be hailed with a well-merited reception by every true-hearted Briton. Messrs. Punch and Trickett, it appears, took their passages from Sydney to Southampton by the P. and O. steamer, but finding when they arrived at Brindisi that if they continued their journey in the steamer they would not be in time for the Oxford and Cambridge boat race, they forfeited their passage money and left the vessel, hurrying on by the shorter route, arriving in London on Saturday, the Bth April, the morning of the race. In order that no time should be lost, Mr. Punch immediately after the race sent a challenge to the English champion, Joseph Sadler, which was at once accepted, for £2OO a side (a deposit of £SO having been put down), the race to come off on the Thames on the 27th June, from Putney to Mortlake. Subsequently a match was made between Sadler and J. Higgins to scull from Putney to Mortlake for £2OO a side, tho contest to take place riot later than August 27. Sadler was to name the day before this date (June 1.) Indeed, this match was on the eve of being •arranged for, and only intercepted by the rapidity of Mr. Punch’s movements. Mr. Punch then took up his quarters at the Bells, Putney, where, under the training of himself and Henry Kelley, the ex-champion of the Thames, Trickett is preparing for tho forthcoming contest. A now boat has been built for him by Swaddle and Winship, of New--1 castle-ou-Tyne, who built tho boat in which the Cambridge crew last rowed, and Mr. Punch is well pleased with its struo-

ture —Trickett rowing in the sliding seat. The Australian has much in his favor, being only twenty-five years of age, and' 12st. :21b. in condition, measuring 6ft. Sin. in height, and with a grand physique/ Messrs. Punch and Trickett, since their arrival here, lave met with every kindness. Mr.- John' Walker, of Cornhill, in happy remembrance' of the many pleasant years of his sojourn at Sydney, is rendering his most cheerful assistance to further the efforts of the young Australian to win, and Mr. Christopher Pond, also a returned colonist, takes the greatest interest in the race, and will do all in his power for his fellow-colonists. The London Rowing Club has also afforded the Australians all the privileges of membership. Mr. Richard Driver, Mr. William Dind, Mr. Benjamin Palmer, with Mr. Brewer, Mr. Cooke, and the other promoters at Sydney of this great Australian contest, may depend on their champion receiving every fair play at the hands of the English people.”