The Sonthland Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1866.

Southland Times, Issue 586, 2 November 1866, Page 2

The Sonthland Times. FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 2, 1866.

Th& following is the state of H. M.'a Gaol for the week ending Tuesday, the 30th mat . : — Sentenced to pen&l servitude, 6 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 3 males j debtors, 1 male ; committed for trial, 1 male ; total, 11 males. Received during the week, 1 male. Discharged during the week, 2 males. Deorease for the week, 1 male. The East Eoad Committee held a meeting at Waihopai, on Monday, the 29th of October. The Chairman (Mr P. Dalrymple) read a statement of the condition of the funds of the committee, from which it appeared that there was a balance to the credit of the committee, Mr Kinross gave a- detailed account of the proceedings of the public meeting recently held in Invercargill. The chairman then stated that the deputation appointed at the meeting waited upon his Honor the Superintendent with reference to the subject of calling the Council together at an early date. The reply received was to the effect that it was thought inexpedient to call a meeting of the Council in the absence of five of its members ; taking this for an answer, he waited until the members alluded to had returned, when he addressed a communication to his Honor, respectfully requesting information aa to the precise date when it was proposed to summon a meeting of the Provincial Council, to consider the business brought before his Honor by the deputation of the Eastern settlers on the 27th August. The letter under date 6th October was read, and also the answer, under date 9th October, which was to the effect that the letter had only just been received, and in reply to it the Superintendent stated that he would lay the request before the Executive Council at their next meeting and communicated their decision. He then read another he had forwarded to the Superintendent on the 19th October, and the reply received under the same date. -The letter from the committee pointed out the promises that had been made to the chairman of the committee that the subject of the previous communication should be brought forward at the Executive's next meeting, and their decision communicated, and enquiring if such meeting had taken place, and if so that the promised reply might be forwarded. The reply to this letter was that no meeting of the Executive Council had been held since the communication forwarded on the 9th inst., and that there would not be one until the next week. The chairman further stated that he had a verbal communication from his Honor to tbe effect that he was expecting word from the North, and that after receiving it he would be able to say when the Council would meet. The speaker then commented upon the correspondance, remarking that it showed the way in which the Eastern settles were treated by the Government. That they were told [there was no money, but he (Mr Dalrymple) stated that there would be plenty of money if the revenue was well farmed, that £20,000 a year was found for salaries to pay for the local Government of & population numbering, according to the latest returns, only 7046. He was satisfied that by retrenchment a large sum might be devoted to public works. He then in a long speech pointed out the heavy taxation the Province was subject to quoting from Smith's Wealth of Nations to prove that the people of Southland had to pay £3 5s per head, while in another colony of people of the same race had the work done for something less than 6d per head. He condemned the whole system, and strongly condemned the conduct of many of the officials, affirming that the Gazette, 10th of October, 1866, as a production of book-keeping, would be a disgrace to a Glasgow washerwoman, and strongly advocated retrenchment. Mr Kinross considered that a thorougher change in the government afforded the only likelihood of improvement, advocated thejcontinuation of the agitation, and considered that the settlers of all parts of the province were deeply interested in the movement, and Invercargill being the most central for another gathering from all quarters, he would propose : — " That the Chairman of this Committee be authorised to call a public meeting to be held at the Theatre Royal, Invercargill, on Monday, sth Nov., at 7 p.m., to consider how the necessary funds for making roads can be saved out of the ordinary revenue of the province, as the General Government have decided not to ap- -\ propriate any of the land fund for that purpose. ! And that the chairman be empowered to give due publicity to such meeting through the press, and otherwise as he may think fit." The resolution was carried, and the preliminaries for the holding of a public demonstration at Invercargill, on Monday.next, being arranged, the meeting terminated.