TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5257, 29 January 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(mi! PRESS AGENCY.) ’Auckland, Monday. Sir George Grey goes to Waikato early on Wednesday. The City Council have received the Government subsidy. The Working Men's Club has been successfully established, and has taken premises. At a meeting of the Bay Coal Company the report referred to the improved prospects in consequence of the Union Company using its coal. A dividend of ten per cent, was deolared. ' Gisborne, Monday. finite a temperance revival is going on amongst the natives along this part of the coast. They are petitioning the Resident Magistrate to abolish licenses to publichouses near native settlements. Lawrence, Monday. A man named O’Brien has been missing from here for the last fortnight. It is surmised that he lias been drowned in tbo Molynenx, near Watson’s bush. Five tons of stone from the Unparalleled Reef at Waipnri were crushed last week at the Nil Despcrandura Company’s battery. The result is good, and the party are confident that

the reef will pay well when the machinery is erected on the ground. Christchurch, Monday. \ Mr. Eitzroy addressed his constituents at Leeston on Saturday night.' A vote of thanks for his address was carried. A motion asking him to resign was negatived by 11 to 8. The Soldene Opera Company have achieved a great success at the Theatre Royal.’ Mr. Rolleston addressed his constituents at Avon on Saturday night. He explained and defended the action of the Middle Party during the past session, and gave reasons why it was desirable to eject the Atkinson Government. Still it was never intended,—in fact the Middle Party stipulated that Sir George Grey should not be Premier. A fair trial would, however, be given to the latter. Parliament would have his measures before them next session, and then would be the time for the House to judge whether the Premier should remain in office or not. He (Mr. Rolleston) thought a good and staple Ministry could be obtained independent either of the Atkinson Ministry or the Grey Ministry. Tee speaker reviewed the Bills brought down during the past session, and referring to the Native Lands Bill said it placed the native lauds iu a much more satisfactory position than before ; but he considered the Government ought to take into its hands the survey of native land, and not allow that to be done which had been done over the North Island to a large extent, viz., the giving of liens over lands as security for cost of surveys, which had been sometimes the cause of very improper transactions in respect to drink and otherwise. He referred at length to the Premier’s remarks at Auckland respecting the terms of the renewal of the Canterbury pastoral licenses, asserting that they were incorrect and misleading to a very serious extent. While admitting that some new arrangement respecting the Land E'und had become necessary, he said tkere was no finality about the measure introduced by the present Government, and he strongly objected to the arrangement by which 20 per cent, of the Land Fund was to be given to counties in which it arose. It should be allocated to the provincial districts, to he distributed to the counties in proportion to areas and rates levied in such counties. Referring to taxation, he strongly deprecated the Premier’s suggestion of taking taxation off the necessaries of life and putting it on to property ; hut he agreed that, if further taxation was required, property should bear its share. He was strongly opposed to manhood suffrage, hut the mode of registration should be simplified. The exceptional franchise held by miners should be abolished, and he would like to see the Maoris brought under the same law as tlie Europeans. ’ Mr. Rolleston objected to the proposal for representation to be on tlie basis of population. It was important that industries should be represented, and he thought education might fairly, as at Horae, be also represented. Efforts would be made to split up the counties into small areas, but that he thought would be a mistake, as they would become little more than large road boards, and would interfere with such boards. If Otago obtained a resident Minister, Canterbury and other districts would want one, ami the result would be the creation of a bad form of autocratic superintendence. He agreed that the - Civil Service required overhauling, arrd in the i interests of the servants of the country there ought to be some sort of court of appeal to adjudicate on any grievances that might arise. There must also he some better form of local government than now existed. He was dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, and Sir George Grey was certainly not the man to be at the head of affairs. For these reasons Mr.- Rolleston did not see any prospect of being able to support the present Government. A vote of confidence iu Mr. Rolleston was carried unanimously. Westport, Monday. A highly favorable report of the Wellington Company’s coke has been received from the royal manufactory. New Plymouth, Monday. At the Harbor Board meeting to-day Ghas. C. Irvine was elected resident engineer, at a salary, for the first year, of £BOO, the question of future salary to be one of arrangement. Grahamstown, Monday. The pine disease known as oidiura has broken out in this district.