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Southland Times, Issue 1755, 17 June 1873, Page 2

The polling for the return of a member to represent the Oteramika district in the Provincial Council took place on Friday, and resulted as follows : —

Majority for Kinross, 7. The land sold ia the late Province of Southland, during the month of April last, amounted to 25,366 acres, aud in the month of May, to 20,255 aores, and up to 10th June, 14,797 aores, The pastoral rents collected in May were, in round numbers, £7300. Margaret M'Chesney, charged by the polica with infanticide, was yesterday further remanded for eight days for the production of evidence, by T. Daniel, Esq., J.P. Tiie nomination of candidates for tho representation of the Oreti distriot in the Provincial Council took place on Friday, 13th inst., at the residence of Mr Cuthbsrt Cowan, Okaiteru, when Mr Joseph Rogers was proposed by Mr C. Cowan and seconded by Mr Gaorge Webster ; aud Mr Mathew Holmes waß proposed by Mr E. Jowett and seconded by Mr Daniels The show of hands being in favor of Mr Rogers, a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Holmes. We have been informed, however, on good authority, that Mr Holmes has since forwarded notice of his withdrawal fro.n the* contest to the Returning Officer. Mr N. J. Burrows was duly elected on Thursday, 12th June, as the representative of the Campbeiltown Subdivision ofthe Invercargill Road Board, there being no other candidate. At the meeting of the Land Board on Friday, 13th June, there weie present Messrs Pearson, Baker, and M'Arthur. The following telegrams from His Honor the Superintendent were read : —"Dunedin, June 12. To D. M'Arthur, Invercargill. As you are aware Provincial Solicitor stateß that, I have ho power legally to suspend operations of Land Act, although I see necessity; for bo doing as much as you can. Have requested opinion of Attorney-General on question. Cannot the Waste Land Board exercise its discretion in the way indicated, as it has done in the case of land contiguous to Kingston Railway line. Show thiß to Poarson. J. Macandbew." " Dunedin, June 12. To D. M'Arthur, InvercargiU. I have telegraphed for Attorney-General's opinion. It is clear to me, however, that the Waste Lands Board, under section 29, Amendment; Act, 1867, has full power to conservate publio interest, and ought to exercise it. Show this to Pearson. J. Macandeew." The Board reßolved — " That pending the decision of the Judge on the case of appeal, Webster and Gibbs against the Was'e Lands Board for refusing to grant their application, and the opinion of tho Attorney- General asked for by His Honor the Superintendent in above telegram, the Board will not grant any further applications, but receive and record them iv the order of application." The following applications were opened aad filed, to be dealt with when the Board's powers of refusal are determined as above: — J. R, Tarnbull, 105 acres, Jacob's River hundred, Alexander Ross, 55 acreß, and 105 aores, Forest Hill hundred; William Martin, 1200 acres, and 80 acreß, Aparima hundred ; William Johnston, 350 acres, 280 acres, and 70 acreß, Aparima hundred ; Andrew Cowie, 500 acres, Winton hundred j William Baird, 30 acres, Forest Hill hundred ; John Morison, 600 acres, Taringatura district ; Charles Thomas Howard, 410 acres, Forest Hill huudrod j George Langlands,. 79 aores, New River hundred; William Martin, 250 acreß, Aparima hundred ; William Johnston, 250 aores, Aparima hundred ; David Doull, 560 acres, Oteramika hundred. The application of James Angus, for a site for a sawmill in Roslyn Busi 1 , of 300 acres, was refused, the Board resolving that no licenses for steam saw-mills will be granted in small bushes. It was resolved'that the Superintendent be requested to withdraw from Bale section 5, Heddon Bush, advertised for sale on the 28th inßt.

Messrs Reid, Shand, and Allah have been reelected to the Provincial Council as members for tho Taieri distriot.

In the course of a speech made by Mr Tolmie the other day, that gentleman throws a little more light onthe disgraceful action ofthe Speaker of the late Provinciil Council, Mr John L. Gillies, in the matter of His Honor's message containing the proclamation of prorogation . Mr Tolmie said : — The Superintendent thought it not advisable to appear in persou at the prorogation, as it would have only added another feature to the unseemly scenes which had been enacted, consequently tho House was prorogued by proclamation. That proclamation was handed to the Speaker, and at the same time copies of it were read and handed round the House. The Speaker first announced having received a message from His Honor, but immediately added, that he had redeived not a message but a private letter. He (Mr Tolmie) told the Speaker that the House waß prorogued, but he simply snubbed him, and told him that he knew his business better than he did. He (Mr Tolmie) then put on his hat and walked out. At that time the memberfor the Taieri was having a long harangue, during whioh he moved the adjournment of the House. One of the members on the other Bide of the House, he thought it was Mr Fish, rose to Becond the motion pro forma. No sooner, however, had he risen, than the Speaker intimated that the House had been prorogued, and he was not aUowed to say a word. While this little "stone waa being enacted inside tho House, he would tell them whit transpired iv the Speaker's room. He had the statement upon the word of one of the most honorable and independent members in that House. That member rose to ask a question. The Speaker made no reply, but immediately disappeared into his room. The question he wa3 going to ask was this : — " Why did you not read that proclamation when the member for Taieri was about to speak ? " The menber in question followed the Speaker into his norn, and said, " GUlies, how was it that you did rot wait to hear my question? 1 ' The Speaker replied, " I knew very well what you were going to ask. The whole affair was a game at chess, and as it waß my move, I played it." This account is Bomewhat different from that which Mr Gillies gave iv the Exchange Hall, and shows that thfe would be apostle of " liberty versus despotißn" is, when unmasked, after aU nothing but a miserable and contemptible trickster.

According to the Alexandra correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, the Maori Ring " devotes himself more devoutly to the service of Bacchus than to the interests of his own loyal subjects."

The following appears in a contemporary &s a telegram from Wellington : — Mr Yogel has written a memorandum to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, explaining the reasons which induced the New Zealand delegates to vote for the removal of the Suez moil service terminus from Sydney to Melbourne. In the last paragraph he says.: — " Ministers respectfully urge the claim of the Colony to payihant during the last three and a half years for the San Francisco service, on the principle now conceded. That on the principle embodied in the late proposals of the Home Government, with respect to mail services, it- is regretted that only by reason of quarrelß with other Colonies can New Zaaland obtain assent to its modest requests."

" Anglo-Au3tralian" writes in the ; European Mail as follows :— " I am glad to find that emigration to New Zealand is on the increase. Dr Featherston has made arrangements for a continuous line of ships to the various ports, and the number of apphcations from intending emigrants are increasing every day. During the month of May three ships will be despatched with about 300 emigrants each, and in the month following five ships with a complement of from 250 to 300 each. The alteration iv the regulations, by which larger facilities are given to the poorer classes, appears to be working very well, and I understand that the Agent-General is sanguine that within the next eight months he will be able to despatch to New Zealand from 8000 to 10.00 C Belected emigrants."

In addressing the electors of the Peninsula as a candidate for re election to the Provincial Council, Mr Tolmie, the head of the present Executive, said : — A great deal of capital had been made out of that everlasting land question. That waß the bugboar of every Administration that goes into office. They had a Laud L-iw in operation since the Ist January last, and objections had been already made to it. Referring to the measure itself, he would tell them that it would take Borne twenty-five Philadelphia lawyers to decipher it. A groat deal of capital had lately been attempted to be made out of the fact that the Government had only thrown 30,000 acres open for sale upon the deferred payment principle. If those objectors would just take the trouble' to read the Act through before they spoke, they would find the Government could do no other thing. The Act distinctly provides that not more than 30,000 acres are to be thrown open for selection ia the year. The Government did the best it could under the circumstances, and made a distribution of those lands all over the country. As a member of the Waste Land Board, he had been accused of being partial to the squatters. It was not a fact that he had been partial to the squatters : on the contrary, he had all along been harder upon squatters than upon auy other section of the community. He had told them over and over again that he was a freeholder, and his interests were in that direction. All he had in the shape of Crown land was one hill, and that he was perfectly ready to give up to the Government.

A special Provincial Government Gazette has been issued, fixing the thirty-third session of the Provincial Council to meet on the 30th instant.

It is Baid that the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh will not take place.till next March, and that before it does the Queen will pay a visit to St. Petersburg.

Writing of the rival candidates for the Superintendency, the Cromwell Argus says : — Mr Macandrew is likely to do more for the Province than Mr Gillies. Hiß influence abroad is greater. He possesses tho power of Beeing farther. He knows the wants of the country more intimately, and is far more competent to foster itß industries. Of course, Mr Gillies is an untried man in comparison, but still he ha? never given any evidence that he approaches hiß opponent's level in the matter of Buoh qualifications.

On Saturday last, Miss Aitken gave a forenoon entertainment for the benefit of the juvenUe portion of the community, which was largely attended and very successful, and we doubt not the examples given of perfect and beautiful reading wUI prove of much benefit to the young people who were present.

At Christchurch, thirty gentleman havo subscribed £593 towards the establishment of a free library. The respective debtß of the Provinces, in the order of thoir amounts, are : — Otago, £1,332,425 j Canterbury, £683,319 ; Auckland, £6^1,750 ', Wellington, £336,706; Westlaud, £207,343.; Hawke's Bay, £133,313; Nelson, £^1,372; Taranaki, % £31,000; Marlborough, £13,527 ; total, £3,480,872. Counting three Natives as equal, in the average of tax-bearing powers, to one European, wa may Btale the Provincial debts at per.head of population, in round numbers :— Otago, £18 ; Canterbury*. £14 ; Auckland, £9 10s: Wellington, £12 10s, • Westland, £13 10s; Hawke's Bay, £15 10s ; Nehon, £3 10s ; Taranaki, £6 ; Marlborough, £2 10i. A statement showing the amount of business transacted by the Post-office sayings' banks, during the quarter ended on March 31, together with, for purposes of comparison, a statement of the business done in the corresponding quarter of 1872, is published in a New Zealand Gazette dated June 5. The foUowing are the totals *. — Number of banks open first quarter 1872, 17-14 ; do, 1873, 1805 ; accounts closed, 1872, 823; 1873, 961 ; amount of deposits, 1872, £103,896 18s 7d ; 1873, £136,415 9s Id ; withdrawals of principal, 1872, £81,205 19s 8d ; 1873, £101,069 3s 6i ; excess of deposits over withdrawals, 1872, £26,066 10s 4d ; 1873, £37,950 19s 2d , excess of withdrawals over deposits, 1872, £3375 lis 5J ; 1873, £2603 18s 7d ; balance left in deposit, 1872, £22,090 18s lid; 1873, £35,346 0s 7d. In a letter addressed to the New York Herald, Brigham Young Bays : — ' For over 40 years I have served my people, laboring incessantly. I am now nearly 72 years of age, and I need relaxation. My resignation as trustee of the church, president of the Zion Co-operative Mercantile Institution, and President of the Deßeret National Bank, is made solely from secular cares, and does not affect mv position as President of the Church. We intend to establish a settlement iv Arizona, in the country of the Apaches, persuaded that if wo become acquainted with them we can influence them beneficially. Wa hope to assist in the construction of the raUway which is to cross that country, and bring a large portion of our emigration that way." . A lecture wiU be given in the Temperance Hall to morrow evening by the Rev R. Morton, of Christchurch, the subject being " John Kitto, the deaf author." A coUection is to be made in aid of the funds of the Temperance Hall.

Kinross. Hamilton. Mavis Buah 50 34 Dacre ... ... ... 11 18 Mutaura ... ... 3 5 64 57