TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4817, 30 August 1876, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Alexandra, Tuesday. Takerei Te Bau arrived here to-day. All the Kingites, with Tawhiao, proceed to Aoteroa to hold a large meeting. Manuhiri is about to leave Te Kuiti to form a new settlement near here. Napier, Tuesday. The railway will be opehed to Waipukurau on Friday. The banks will be closed, and the Superintendent has been requested to close the Provincial Government offices, A general holiday is to be kept. A very fine red deer stag was seen on a run near here, and has taken up his quarters there. He is the first of his kind in that locality. The settlers are anxious to keep him there and take measures to increase the breed. New Plymouth, Tuesday. A meeting of shareholders in the Titanic Ironsaud Company was held yesterday, when they agreed to become sureties for Smith, and that the furnace be left in the same condition as taken over. A bond of agreement was signed to-day at noon, and the furnace was handed over for a new trial. Chilman will be the representative of the company during the trial. The public and press will be admitted. Christchurch, Tuesday.

At a conference of the chairmen of road boards this afternoon the Counties Bill was discussed and resolutions to the following effect adopted :—That the Government proposals are unsatisfactory. That Canterbury be divided into three counties—l. North of Kakaia. 2. Bakaia to Rangitata. 3. Bangitata to Waitaki. That each road board return one member to the County Council ; the county rate roll to be made up from the road hoard rate roll by the road board machinery. That the chairman of the county councils be elected by the members. That rates not county rates, tolls, and fees, go to road boards; counties to distribute the residue of the land fund and the special grant. That the counties have power to raise loans, with annual sinking fund. That the road boards have control of all roads ; that recreation reserves be vested in trustees ; that gravel reserves be handed over to road boards ; that slaughterhouses and pounds be handed over to road boards. That 25 per cent, of the land revenue be secured to road district in which it arises. That the residue of the land fund be expended in accordance with sub-section 7 clause 9 of the Provincial Abolition Financial Arrangements Bill. That the present balance in the province bo apportioned to the road districts in proportion to their area and the rates collected during the past twelvemonths. That the river boundaries of counties be from the bank instead of from the centre of the river.

The police havt not yet succeeded in catchiog Doctor Turner. The City Council have decided to order a steam road-roller, to cost £BOO. Dunedin, Tuesday. *

The political meeting last night was most enthusiastic. It was unanimously and thoroughly provincialistic j 800 present. The following resolutions wore unanimously carried:—(l.) That this meeting desires to accord its hearty thanks to the large majority of the Otago members of the House who have endeavored, during the present session, to secure justice for the province and to conserve the political rights of the people, both of which we believe to be endangered by the proposals of the Government. This meeting pledges itself to give its best support to the Otago representatives in any combined action they may take for the interest of the province. (2.) That this meeting, while desiring to see tho provincial form of government simplified in

many of its details, is yet strongly of belief that it isthe form of government' best suited to Otago under existing circumstances, 'and feels assured it is also the form of government which best enables the whole body of the people to closely watch and take intelligent interest in the administration of theirown affairs. (3.) That in the opinion of this meeting the county system proposals of the Government are unsuited to requirements of the people of this portion of New Zealand ; that they would be expensive and cumbrous if not unworkable, and the result would be a dwarfing and deadening of that political life which should animate a free people. (4.) That in the opinion of this meeting, should the representatives of Otago fail in securing for the province the administration of its own land revenue and a satisfactory measure of local self-government, it will become their duty to leave the Assembly en masse in order that the political situation may be considered-by the Provincial Council. (5.) That these resolutions (which were carried) be forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Assembly in order that the members may know our feelings in the matter of abolition. As an amendment on the first resolution, Mr. Fish proposed the following ; but it found no seconder; —That whilst thanking our representatives in the Assembly for their action in the interests of the province, this meeting deprecates any further attempt to resuscitate provincialism as in the past. (Hisses and groans and cries of “ Give him a hearing.”)