PER ANCLO-AUSTRALIAN PRESS TELEGRAPH AGENCY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1875, 6 January 1875, Page 2

PER ANCLO-AUSTRALIAN PRESS TELEGRAPH AGENCY.

Auckland, "This day

The Supreme Court has bee.a occupied all day with the case of the girl Cecilia Allen. The Jury returned a ycrdict_of not guilty on the first charge, but she will be tried on another charge. ..-.* Christchtjrch:, Tuesday evening. The Hon. C. 0, Bowen addressed the electors of Kaiapoi district last night. He said he only accepted a seat in the Legislative Council on the distinct understanding that he would offrr himself for the first suitable vacancy in Canterbury for the House of Representatives. It was more convenient that, as- a member of the Government, he should be in the House of Representatives, and he has not entitled to the dignified ease of the Upper House, when opportunity offered to face the- fiercer strife and bear the heavier burthens and cares of the House of Representatives. He reminded the electors that he had been identified with public matters for many years, and was a member of the Government which csnstructed the first railway a^d the first telegraph in the colony. The present was a very critical time for the colony. It was absurd that one Government should raise money and another spend it, and there; was no more fruitful source of logrolling. '1 he public works and immigration scheme deprived the Provinces ot their primary functions, namely—the opening up and populating the country. Owing to the great flush of land revenue many works independent of the great public works initiated by the colony bad been carried on in Canterbury. "Where a large legislative revolution was to be done, it was better to begin at the end where the change was most needed. The object was to secure local control of local revenues. This essentially practical question must be met #as the exigencies of the case require. Lord Duffcrin (the* Governor - General of Canada) recently congratulated the Dominicn.'on the destruction of small local prejudices and on the first throbbing of its heart of national existence, and "surely-."a State like .New Zealand was a great deal more to be congratulated on the gradual extinction of still narrower. Provincial jealousies and 'the prospect of becoming a great nation, rather ihaii a congress of parishes. The alteration could not be effected in one or two sessions. Great care was required, and legislation should be of a tentative character, but should ho doubt, in time, embrace both islands. The public works had been well carried out ia Canterbury, but not in the whole colony. The North I land provinces had conic to an end, finatjcialy, and must die of inaction or live by suction. If they hoped to become a nation, and see the public works scheme carried to a proper end, they must put the provincial houses in order, and that could not be done unless they could get rid of the present complex duplicate form of government. But great care must be used to secure local goveinment and local control over local revenues. There would be no difficulty in dividingvthe islands into counties or shires, and subdividing these again into districts, giving powers, as in municipal institutions; to make whatever bye-laws were necessary. But the difficulty which beset the present question was one which would make any measure brought forward by the Government a subject for severe criticism from all sides of the House, viz., the question of, distribution of the land revenue. There should be an absolute distinction, a broad line, drawn between the land revenue of the North island and land revenue of the South Island. The General Go-1 vernment, which will be the adminis- j tratcr of the funds for large arterial works, must retain in both islands a fair proportion of the revenue for arterial communication. Whatever sum was reserved for those' purposes in either island ought to be extended in proportion pro rata as it had been raised in the old territorial divisions of the island. The remainder of the laud fund ought to be administered locally, that is in the different districts or subdivisions of the colony. A great part of next session .would doubtless be devoted to the abolition of the Provinces, but he hoped maay social questions would be attended to. He would like to, see a consolidation of the marriage Jaws and Stomp Duties Act, and the adoption of a Police Offenders' Act applying lo the whole colony. He pointed out that over a great part of the colony no adequate provision for education was made ; also that the insolvency jaws require amending, and that no ade-'

■■■■— in ,»hii »■»«■ n»ii ii 11 «■ mw».tfyjag"*H'>yff"'* •mumwynnnnmrnm^n'"*^ quate means "of classification in gaols existed, causing what might appear astonishing leniency by judges and magistrates. He hoped next session to sec an Act passed for a central penal establishment in the colony. Mr 13owen was frequently and heartily applauded, and a unanimous vote of thanks passed for his eloquent speech. His election is regarded as a dead certainty.

Pobt Chalmebs, This day.

Thomas Bassett has been arrested on suspicion of having lniirdered his mato, George Aldridge, during a drunken spree. Both are fishermen in the harbour. An inquest will be held to-day.