DUNEDIN.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1975, 4 May 1875, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

Monday.

The thirty-fourth session of the Provincial Council was opened by the Superintendent at noon. About 26 members were present, and all the Executive, with the exception of Mr Stout, the Provincial solicitor. The Superintendent's address was very lengthy. It stated ;that 12,311 immigrants hf.d arrived during the 7 year, The great drawback was the want of house'room. £12,000 had been borrowed from the Colonial .Government to erect cottages,.repayable in four years. .The amount in deposit in the Savings' Bank for the year was £244,766;. The traffic receipts on railways was £57,003,! compared with £35,000 last'year.. The; Clutha line would be opened in.July, on the completion of the Chain Hill tunnel. He considered the Government question-of education: would become imperative. £21,000 was spent oh school buildings; during the past year. He hailed with; very great pleasure the construction of branch railways by public enterprise with private capital. He alluded with regret to Mr. Conyer's retirement as; Manager: of Railways, and stated that to his; exertions the improvement in. the trafficreceipts was mainly due. He paid a; tribute of respect to the late Mr Auld, agent for the province, and stated that the province had lost a valuable public

servant. He intimated tliat a School of Mines would be established. The Superintendent, in concluding, alluded to the proposed abolition of the provinces. He admitted that a change oi the present Constitution was necessary, but was altogether opposed to the modus oporandi proposed. He instanced that Otago and Canterbury contributed more than half the consolidated revenue of the entire colony, and averred that, by abolition, theirj resources would be still more drawn upon. He expressed himself favorable to the unity of the colony, but submitted that the surest course to obtain that end would be by erery. province being dependent on itself, contributing a fair share., towards the support of -the federal Government at Wellington," and.also a fair share of tha ; debt already incurred by the colony. By consistent^ pursuing this course, the provinces would draw together, as in the case of Otago and Southland, and so the unity aimed at would eventually be brought about, and yet the financial separation of tie North and South would be practically accomi plished. . i The Middle District school is in danger of falling, through %Je heavytrain pausing a slip in the bank on which it is built! The scholars have beea dismissed, and arrangements made for a new school. i

.-.. Inthe Provincial; Council, jtheiSpeaker stated-that -as it was held 'by some tdbe incompatible with his holding the office of Speaker that he should be at the same time secretary to the Harbour Board, and ex oiEcio member of that body^he intended resignation to the iSoveWmeht this evening. The Council would thus. I have an early opportunity of expressing its opinion on the matter. „, , - „ ,-, :< At the inquest onl Jute's Lanseignej the. jury returned a verdict of "Temporary Insanity." \

Thisday. | Mr.JGe6rge-McLean has been'returned! for Waikouaiti with a majority of 52. ;