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Otago Daily Times, Issue 314, 22 December 1862, Page 4

The Provincial Secretary Mr. Dick, was pleased to bring before the House, on Saturday, the fact that this journal had commented on two reports ot select Committees before they were printed. It is quite true that we adopted this course both in regard io the Immigration Report and the Land Report, but both documents were laid on the table, they were both properly accessible to the public, and we applied for and obtained the necessary permission to have access to them. We were anxious in both cases to do so, because the Government had given notice of pushing on their discussion as soon as they were iv tae hands of the members, and thus no opportunity of public comment would have been afforded. We are quite aware that Mr. Dick and his collegues adopt every means of pushing on the business of the Council before the members have time to study it, and that they especially dread the comment of the press, and endeavor by hurriedly rushing on with the work to avoid them. But we doubt whether the independent members of Council are not rather grateful to us than otherwise, for the attempts we make to dive into the "little games" of the Government, and expose them.. An instance which occurred on Friday night, shows that whilst we cannot be always successful in exposing the tricks of the Executive, the necessity of doing so is in the last degree important. The Council has, in fact, to deal with men who scruple at no dodge or device, however pitiful or paltry, to gain their own ends. In this instance they only went in for a paltry hundred and fifty pounds, to be divided between three of their number; but if they are to be allowed immunity for such proceedings, their next attempt may be to the tune of thousands. On the Estimates, as

originally brought down, was the item of

£300, for the half-year's salary of the three nou-official members of the Executive—being an increase of a hundred per cent, oa the previous rate. Mr. Cutten moved an amendment in favor of the old rate being preserved; Mr. Reynolds rose in defence, as he admitted of his own salary; but the' House, deaf to his eloquence, and blind to his value, concurred in the amendment, and the item was reduced by one-half. On Friday a message was brought down from the Superintendent, recommending sundry appropriations. The last item, was stated in these vague terms ; — 15. Executive Council Reconsideration of Vote expenses of Non-Officjal Members—three, at £100 per annum, each £150; three at £200 each 300 0 0 Members would scarcely recognise in this way of putting it, that the Executive was restoring by means of thia Message the inI crease to the salary of the non-official memibers which the Council had previously rejected. But even if they had recognised it, jit would have made very little matter, for the I Message was smuggled through the Council when there was absolutely not a quorum of members present. At half an hour past midnight, when members, wearied with the protracted debate on the land question, rushed off to their homes, the Executive brought on this Message with about half-a-dozen members present, and carried it without the slightest explanation that it contained a provision directly opposed to a previous vote of the Council. "We have no words to sufficiently stigmatise a transaction that in private life would be very simply characterised, and effectually punished. We pass over all considerations of: disrespect to the Council, and of the danger of allowing a small section of the members'to reverse its previously declared decisions ;: in the present instance we have.only to remember that the question was personal to the Executive itself. That, in fact, by a manoeuvre to which the laws of libel will not allow us to affix a proper adjective, a sum of ,£l5O was secured to three members of the Executive. It is quite true that the same penalties do not attach to dishonesty in public as in private life, but although legal tribunals can take no cognizance of it, the deed cannot fail:to excite unmitigated contempt and disgust. Doubtless these are no punishment to the exemplary Executive. Mm who can act as these men act, are not apt to be thin skinned; and, besides, have they not the consolation. If any of them have ever read Tennyson, perhaps they will remember the line — " But the jingrliog of the guinea helps the hurt that honour feels." The inefficiency and incapacity of the Government make Otago's- position at the present moment a very critical one. The Estimates just passed are in excess of the anticipated Revenue by about 4200,000, and the Government have not shown at all '-how they propose to make up the, deficiency/ It is true they ask for power to raise a loan of half a -" million, hut' they do not say how tliey mean to; realise ifc within the period of six months^ over r^liick the^^ Estuflateßr€xt«fend. , tefonf

the <£ 10,000 worth o¥ debentures 'already sent home, we have no statement of "how the £200,000 is to be made up. We presume it is meant to borrow irom the Banks on the security of the debentures; but, if so, Council should be informed of the intention. The question naturally suggests itself, will I the Banks advance on the debentures; and this brings us to the consideration, what will they be worth at home? We very much fear that they will, be entirely unnegotiable, owing to the strange conditions on which they are to be issued. The Ordinance empowering the Loan is to be read a second time to-day, and we do entreatthe attention of members to its provisions. We believe that it will not satisfy any English capitalist, and that the money will either be totally unprocurable under it, or else that the Province will only get it at great disadvantage. The chief fault is one that has evidently been adopted from Canterbury. Instead of reducing the loan by gradually taking up a portion of it, the proposal is to invest one per cent annually as a sinking fuad with a view to pay the loan off in fifty years. This sinking fund is to be invested in New Zealand securities or otherwise as the Government may direct. We are convinced that the plan will be considered most unsatisfactory at home. Everyone knows hew in times of depression sinking funds are infringed upon; so that leaving the money in the hands of the borrower is at all times unsatisfactory. But this proposal does more than leaving the sinking fund in the hands of the borrower, it actually proposes to re-invest i,t in similar securities to those it is intended to redeem. What difference, the English capitalists will say, is there between the General Government and Provincial securities, the money to repay us will simply be reinvested in renewed bonds, at the end of the period we will only have the same securities to pay us as those we started off with. The fact is, if there is to be a sinking fund, the money should be invested in English securities. But inasmuch as the English rate of interest is so small, and that the full rate of interest continues to be due on the debentures, the course is universally pursued of redeeming portions of the loan itself from time to time. We know of no exception to this practice, excepting Canterbury, and it is yet to be seen whether the large loan this Province requires will be assented to, and if so, whether it will prove negotiable. The process of redeeming, from time to time, does not cost, in the long run, a sixpence more than that of employing a sinking fund. It is to be remembered that besides the sinking fund, the interest has to be continued on the debentures, which with a redemption process would be taken out of circulation. The only thing is, that with a process of redemption the payments are equalised, whilst "in the sinking fund, the cost becomes every year greater, as the fullinteresthastobe continued on the debentures which the fund redeems. In other respects the Ordinance is most unsatisfactorily put together. The purposes to which the money is to be devoted are only stated in the preamble, not in the body of the Act, and the whole ia altogether too hastily framed to be kindly regarded by the scrutinising eyes of experienced capitalists. Five hundred thousand pounds is a large sum for a Province to ask, whose last debenture sold, of £500, was hawked about Edinburgh for two months. That debenture, bearing interest of ten per cent, fetched only oue quarter per cent, premium. As the new loan is only to bear six per cent, interest, it would at the same proportionate rate, sell far under par, but fortunately there is a clause to prevent the debentures being sold under par, so that they will only remain unsaleable in the hands of the Scotch agents. Properly issued in England they would be worth five per cent, premium, but under the terms the Ordinance proposes, we doubt whether they would be taken at all. If the Council do not amend the proposed Ordinance we foresee very clearly that the loan will, if not quite unnegotiable be only available at an enormous loss. It is noticeable that the Ordinance for the Panama subsidy is not announced to have received his Honor's assent, although several other Ordinances have passed through that formula. We trust the Council will not permit any juggling with the measure, by its postponmeut for the Governor's assent, or for any other purpose. The Ordinance ought to have been assented to "before the departure of the last mail, and have been sent on to Mr Crosbie "Ward, who, we find took his departure for England by the November mail. Mr Ward will have heard of the passage of the Ordinance the Council by the mail which left this month, and the same mail should have borne the official information of its having passed. Notwithstanding the hostility of the Superintendent to the measure, it was thought that if it ever passed the Council he would make do further opposition to it. It is strange, therefore, that it should have been omitted from the list of Ordinances assented' to. We trust that before the Appropriation Ordinance is passed members will insist on knowing the intentions of the Government in respect to the Panama Ordinance. To-day the new Vatixhall Gardens, across the Bay, will bo opened for the first time for the inspection of the public, and to-morrow evening } they will be formally opened, on which occasion the first balloon in Otago will make its ascent. We have received a letter respecting the loss o* the Mount Alexander, schooner, on the 9th inst : at the mouth of the Molyneux. We musfc decline to insert it, as it contains imputations which, if true, should find expression in another way than through the columns of a newspaper. We were" told yesterday, by a gentleman who has just returned from the neighborhood of Lake Wakatip, that a person, who was named to us, got 24 lbs. of gold from that district, and has sold it in Melbourne as the yield of Ballarat, getting .the highest price paid for gold thence. Our informant was lond in his praise of the climate of the district, and says that it is richly auriferous to an extent that is indescribable. We understand that a midnight mass will be held at the Roman Catholic Chapel on Wednesday night. Service to commence at 11 o'clock. At the close of the Resident Magistrate's ' Court on Saturday, Mr Jenkinson stated the folowing case to his Worship .—.« A person occupying a tolerably good position, earning it is said 10s per day is in the habit of systematically turning his wife and three young children out of the house, and refusing them either food or shelter. The poor children, Avhose ages range from six to thirteen, have been sleeping ia stables or other *>■ outhouses, and their sustenance has only been ■what neighbors kindly supplied.*' Tha magistrate tqok a note of the facts, and promised that the matter would be looked after*

We have to acknowledge the receipt of £1 from ." Sympathise?," as a contribution.-to -the^&anqa--shire Relief Fund. , . .. » rf :^,- - " A thin house" is fast becoming a stereotyped phrase in reference to the ,attendance at the Theatre Royal. On Saturday night, three excellent prices were presented yet they totally failed to draw anything like au audience. In the half humorous, half serious drama of "Jesse Vere, or the return of the Wanderer" Mr Wolfe and Miss Ada Hart sustained the leading characters, and were ably supported by the rest of the company.. Love in humble Life, the Irish Tutor, and a dance by Miss Ada Hart, made up the programme for the evening. "Macbeth" was the piece de residence at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night. It was on the whole capitally put upon the stage, and went off with excellent effect. The part of the usurping Thane was taken by Mr Clarance Holt, who played with the care and attention to effect, that mark his acting. He was particularly good in the banquet scene, where the ghost of Banquo occupies his seat. In some other parts we thought a little less violence would have been better, and by contrast, given effect to the declamation necessary in the most passionate scenes. We give the hint to Mr Holt for what it is worth. Mrs Holt, as Lady Macbeth, was very effective in the sleepwalking scene. Mr Tom Fawcett made an excellent Macduff; and the other characters were well sustained. We must not omit to notice Locke's music, which is now regarded as a necessary accompaniment to the tragedy, and which, with Mr George Loder as Hecate, was very fairly rendered. The screaming farce of " Wagtail and Bobtail" followed, with Mr K. B. Dale as Bobtail, and was received with roars of laughter # To-night, Mr Harry Jackson is to make his first appearance as Botcherby, in the " Unequal Match." We notice that Captain Peter Oacroft, who as commander of H.M.S. Niger, earned for himself aaad vessel so much popularity in this colony during the late Maori War, has been appointed to the line-of-battle ship Aboukir, 86 guns, Guard Ship at Port Royal, Jamaica. It is probable that H.M.S Harrier, with General Cameron on board, may make her appearance at Port Otago shortly, that vessel having left Wellington southernwards a day or two ago. At a meeting of the Dunedin Rifle Association, held at the Shamrock Hotel, on Saturday evening last. The following gentlemen were elected a committee:—Messrs Hogg, Stephens, Jenkinson, Macilwain, Vercol, Devore, Macdonnell, and M l Nelly. By an advertisement, which appears this morning, we notice that the committee meet to-morrow evening, when gentlemen wishing to join the Association are invited to atteud. The Fancy Bazaar and Industrial Exhibition in aid of the fund for building St. Paul's Churchy was closed on Saturday evening. During the afternoon, there was a .promenade concert, the vocalists being Madame Carandini and Mr Sherwin. Among the lady's songs were " Sweet spirit, hear my prayer," and " Annie Laurie." both given with fine effect; and she took part in the duet, "I've wandered in dreams." Mr Sherwin was most effective in " The happy days of yore;" and Mr Kohler's band played a capital selection, including a cornet solo by the talented leader. Daring the intervals, the sale of goods was vigorously curried on by the fair vendors in charge of or attracted to the several stalls, most of which now had a consolingly bare look. In the evening, there was a good deal of interest, and of fun caused by the amateur auctioneers (members of the Committee) who were earnestly busy in ■selling the remaining goods at " alarming sacrifices," in many cases, while in others piices were rapidly run up. Mr Martin—whose lot it fell to to knock down the " fortune teller," with which so many of the visitors to the Bazaar were so pleasantly made acquainted, said that it had been so well managed by the lady to whom it was confided, that £50 had been realised from that source alone. The sale was concluded by ten o'clock. The admission money taken at the Bazaar during the day amounted to nearly £25 ; while at the Exhibition door £13 was taken, making the total for that department, for the four days, nearly L 65. The accounts .were not made up on Saturday evening, so that we are unable to state the gross proceeds of the Bazaar and Exhibition ; but we heard it hinted that the committee would feel well satisfied if the receipts reached £ 1,000 } and the expenses did not exceed £200, thus leaving LBOO for the fund. Of this, we are certain, that the ladies have done their utmost towards the good work ; and that the members of the two committees have labored untiringly. With fine weather, much more would certainly have been realised, especially by the Exhibition, which had to be closed nearly the whole of Wednesday ; and there is cause for thankfulness that the Club House and grounds became the locale for both, seeing jthat in the open grounds of the Grange everything and everybody must have been frequently drenched, even if it had not been found necessary to stop altogether, after the torrents of rain which fell on Wednesday. We have been requested to notice a little Handbook to the Perns of New Zealand, one of a number of copies sent down from Auckland for sale for the benefit of the Bazaar. The proceeds of the original publication were devoted to the fund for the erection of St. Mary's Church, at Parnell. It is understood to be the production of Mrs Jones, a daughter of Dr Buchanan. | Whilst it is admittedly chiefly compiled from the j works of Dr Hooker and Sir W. J. Hooker, the authoress has evidently a competent knowledge of her subject, and has exercised a discretion in her adoption from the works named that practised compilers might envy. In the introductory remarks it is stated that the little work is meant to provide for a want hitherto unsupplied—a concise and complete handbook to the beautiful ferns of the New Zealand Islands, to enable those who take a pleasure in their collection to systematically arrange them. It is contended that every fern hitherto found in the islands is included in the descriptions that follow the preliminary remarks. The descriptive analysis is divided into three chapters. In the first the different tribes are dealt with; in the second, the genera ; and in the third, the species. The work, as is stated, is as little technical as the subject permitSj and should be useful in the hands of those who are collecting, the beautiful ferns of New Zealand—nay, it should even inspire a taste for their collection. We put it to the many young ladies and gentlemen of Otago, whose " time hangs heavy on their hands," can they find a more charming pursuit with which to occupy their leisure hours, than roving the beautiful solitudes of the Province in search of the exquisite ferns with which they abound ? It is to be regretted that in the little work before us more stress is not laid on the pleasure of the pursuit. The fair authoress might have told how, in the study of the works of nature, the purest delights are found— " To sit on rocks, to muse o'er flood and fell, To slowly trace the forest's shady scene, Where things that own not man's dominion dwell, And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been; To climb the trackless mountain all unseen, With the, wild flock that never needs a fold ; , • Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean— This is not solitude; 'tis but to hold ; Converse with Nature's charms, and view het gtoretuioolM."1 /

jr.KTO'fTiW

The complimentary ball to* the ladies who have the -so effectually exerted themselves w behalf of the mti. Bazaar is to take place to-morrow evening, in the \ m building where the Bazaar was held. Tile stal's To will all be removed, so as to afford the greatest *"' available spaca for dancing and promenading. au The committee have invited all the ladies who were at the Bazaar on Saturday, all of whom have accepted, and they have requested us to state that those who were not then present must consider themselves invited. The committee, who will be at the buildiug all day on Monday and Tuesday, will be glad to receive any gentlemen- requiring information about the ball. Kohler's band will be in attendance. m: ; he The work of raising the Flying Mist, lately wrecked at the Bluff, is shortly to be commenced. The Southland- News says that the divers, Messrs L m Kendall and Mills, are still engaged in raising the o f cargo; and, as soon as the discharge is finished, ai ' they will commence operations for raising the nc ' vessel. I | The following item of Naval Intelligence is m from the Wellington Independent -.—« H.M.S. ™ [ Orpheus now in Australia is shortly expected on w the New Zealand Coast. The Pioneer may be C{ looked for any hour to relieve the Harrier. The 3Tawn is ordered home, in consequence of repre- I h ' sentations having been made by the late commo- 11* dore, very much to the disparagement of her com- I mander." Ever since the arrival of the Pawn on n this station her crew have been continually in a d state of insubordination,, and the .unsatisfactory. - feeling existing between the Commander and his c ' subordinates, resulted in one officer deserting the a j ship when in Wellington, some twelve months or x so back. I f A gentleman in Wellington appears to have M !t discovered a simple process of converting the , H phormium tenax in New Zealand flax into a 1 marketable commodity. The Independent says : | s —" Mr Win. Mason, of Lambton Quay, showed I P us a specimen yesterday of dressed flax, prepared : by a process of his own invention. It is dressed fit for market by simply soaking and wringing— j I without the aid of any machinery whatever. In what solution the leaf is soaked, of coarse we do I not know, but the cleansing it in the manner Mr J b- Mason does, is certainly a vast improvement on c anything heretofore done towards producing that ft great export, which will some day or other, spring. nto existence." n, The Wellington Independent, commenting upon lg a statement that one of the directors of the Bank a of New Zealand had been using his position to n, further the interests of Mr Graham, one of the id candidates for the Auckland Superintendency, by ,rs applying certain restrictions on the commercial set dealings of Mr Graham's opponents, says : — to "'The Hon. ———' is supposed to mean Mr Thomas Russell, a member of the present Government, and therefore most intimately inte- ™ rested in Auckland, pronouncing a verdict in ' * favor of the representative of the policy of that c Government and against Mr Williamson. Whether the charge is true or not, of course we cau--3 not say; 'but the implication is of so gave a Je^ character that, if untrue, the charge ought to be 5* publicly denied. The influence of this Bank m director, if it can be used for political purposes in one Province, is just as capable of being used '^s for the same purposes in any other ; and it is due a alike to shareholders and customers that any such impression should be nipped in the bud,—an impression which, if not so nipped, must tend to on mar the success of an institution possessing the or best wishes of the whole colony. We trust we shall not be misunderstood as expressing a belief fcne that the Auckland Directory have turned th*e °f Bank into a political engine ; all we presume is ef s intended by the writer above quoted is, that the .m Hon ——, whoever he may be, has used his influence as a director in a manner which no ere director of a public company ought to do for the ,to furtherance of his political ends, and as no director ought to be allowed to do, by those with so whom he is associated, for the benefits' of constiBen tuents of all classes and shades of opinion."