OTAGO.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 161, 6 May 1859, Page 3

OTAGO.

(From the Southern Cross, April 29.) We have been somewhat chary of expressing our views in regard to the proposed amendments of the original contract with the Xntev-Colonial Mail Company, because it is a subject on which so many of our readers, belonging to the mercantile division of the community, are qualified to form a better opinion than ourselves. We have restricted ourselves, for the most part, to supplying our readers with the necessary information,—with dry facts, whence to form their own conclusions. As to the original contract, we have not hesitated to record our opinion that the colony, more especially the northern portion of it, was at a disadvantage. That, we presume, is admitted on all sides. Even the Government have seen the necessity of amending the contract. Not that the company is to blame; for it was only a matter of course that they should make the best bargain they could, for themselves. The interests of the colony ought to have been more stoutly guarded, at the first. But what is done, is clone ; not to be bettered by complaint. It followed, of course, that any amendments of the contract would have to be paid for. Amendments have been made, and the main question is, whether the Government have paid too much. There is just now a good deal of outcry against the Postmaster-General, for Iris share in the transaction ; but the precise grounds on which it is based are not easy to discover ; unless indeed, the objection taken by ourselves—the loose wording of the agreement, be relied upon. It must bo borne in mind, that the Government have not had the chance of making a new arrangement; their task has been to botch an old one. Nothing more than a patcli work job could be expected, at the best. We have obtained the particulars of the increase of service demanded from the Steam Company, under the new arrangement, and lay them, reduced to succint form before our readers. They are as follows :— Original Contract Route. Miles. Miles. .Sydney to Nelson 10SO Nelson to 'Wellington 3?4 Kekon to Mow Plymouth 145 Wellington to Canterbury 188 N«n I'lyniouthtoManukiiu U'3 Canterbury to Otago 180 1348 472 472 — 1820 2 SfilO Miles to be performed monthly, Subsidy £24,000, or Us, Id. per mile per AN'stni. New Arrangement. Miles. Milos. Sydney to Auckland ■■ ljiis Mmukau to New-Plymouth 123 ■Sr inoy to Wls m 1030 X;-w Plymouth lo Nalso;i 145 Nelson to W.'ilinjrl.on I'M Nelson to Wellington 124 Wellington to CuMerlmry JG3 Wellinzton to Canterbury 108 Canlerlmiy to Otago " ISO Canterbury to Gtugo 180 ■2752 7« 74') . 3<02 fiO34 Milfls to be performed monthly. exe'usive of the proposed branch service between Auckland and Napier. Subsidy £3i f O9O per annum, or 7s. Bd. per mile per annum. Increase of work to bo performed, 92 per cf-nt. ~ subsidy payable, 25 ~ „ We may be in error; but do not consider the additional i>6T)O per annum an extravagant charge. The Postmaster's arrangement is certainly open to criticism ; but those who find fault should at the same time inform us what else he could have done.

(From the Colonist, April 8.) THE BLESSINGS OF A GENERAL GOVERNMENT.. An adjourned session of the District Court of Otago will be held on Tuesday, the ,19th of April next. So says Mr, Chapman, clerk of the Court, as per advertisement. Are you quite sure, this time, Mr. Chapman ? We are rather sceptical, for you told us a month ago it would be on the 15th March, and pity 'twas you had not fixed it for the Ist of April, for then the hoax would have been complete. 'Tis true there were the Judge, the clerk, and the "gentlemen of the bar,"—a "terrible shew"—that is, as! terrible as could be expected under the circumstances ; but no prosecutor, no indictments, no nothing that depended upon the locomotives of

Eighty-Act power at the North Cape—and the Court adjourned. And here we are again, Mr. Merryman ! No mail from Aucklaud! Well, what then ? Oh, nothing. Adjoxxrn again. Perhaps the White Swan may arrive in time with orders ; perhaps she may not. Her arrival or that of the necessary " ukase," is mere matter of conjecture, depending, not upon the necessities of the case, but upon the caprice or the convenience (not the duty) of the powers that be. It is only a few prisoners confined a month or two longer, whose trial may perhaps prove that they ought not to have been confined at all—or a few witnesses uselessly brought from their homes, at a waste of time and expense to the province; but of what importance is this, compared.with the national duty of shipping off a distinguished specimen of New Zealand statesmanship, for the admiration of Downing street, and the settling of his "co-ordinates" in their respective snuggeries ? But then the General Government have surely done something for us. Have they not made arrangements for taking up the census, for iustance ? They certainly have, and we advise them to make the most of it, for they may " take their davy " they will never get another in Otago, unless they despatch their own agents to collect it. Orders, it is true, were given for the performance of the work, but payment for it could only be obtained after reference to Auckland. Men have been induced to leave their occupations at a busy period of the year—those engaged in the more remote districts have suffered great hardships and privations, the life of one having been preserved only through his having fortunately secured a sheep, part of which he devoured raw; and then, after undergoing this severe toil and absolute suffering, in order to the faithful discharge of their duty, they have had to wait for months, and have yet to wait, for an edict from Auckland authorising their remuneration. Provincial bungling and provincial squabbling are bad enough; but for these we have at least some remedy in the exercise of an immediate supervision and control. It is for the admirers of Central Absolutism to shew the advantage of committing the interests of the provinces to men whose actions appear to be only obstructive, who would impose an autocracy at the North Cape upon the free energies of the people of the colony at large; and who, while they grasp at the revenue of the provinces, and would assume a tyrannical power over them, are bringing everything into inextricable confusion. Clever enough to force eighty pieces of law down the throats of the Assembly during the past session, each of which, as the attempt is made to bring it into operation, only displays more glaringly their bungling incapacity, they have not common sense enough to read the Constitution Act; and gravely inform us that although our Provincial Counoil will not be dissolved until January next, it will possibly be defunct in the previous August or September, and that we must not therefore attempt to "play at Parliament" during the interim ! Since writing the above, the White Swan has made her appearance here : but it seems that the ministers at Auckland have been so very busy in packing up the Governor for transmission to Taranaki, that they really have not found time to attend to our little matter; and as it is quite uncertain, particularly as the days are getting short, when they may be able to undertake this arduous duty, the District Judge has received the royal permission to extend his holiday, and Judge Gresson is to hold a session of the Supreme Court early in May, for the despatch of criminal business; meanwhile unfortunate suitors must comfort themselves with the hope that another mail may arrive from Auckland sometime within the next three months, which may set the machine in motion. Who pays for all tliis humbug ?