OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XV, Issue 860, 6 February 1861, Page 4

OTAGO.

By the Airedale we have papers to Saturday last, the 2nd instant. Tlie following is part of the " summary" of the " Witness" 26th January :—

Two writs have been returned, for the election of two members to represent the City of Dunedin, in the place of the one member hitherto returned. The election was of the usual quiet character with all such proceedings in Otago, and two new membersMessrs. E. M'Glashan and Thomas Dick—have been returned. Mr. James Macandrew, the former member, did not offer himself. There was, however, a contest and a poll. Mr. Dyer, late of Sydney, having stood, he was defeated by a considerable majority, not apparently upon political grounds—the opinions of the candidates presenting little or no difference, but the electors preferred the older colonists. As neither Mr. Dick nor Mr. M'Glashan have before served as members of the Assembly, their opinions are but imperfectly known ; it is, however, understood that, whilst forming no portion of the organised opposition to the Stafford Ministry, they are prepared to check, as far as possible,- the centralizing policy of the General Government; but, at the same time, they will give no support to a factious opposition to the Government policy on the Maori war. Five other members have to be returned for the Province of Otago, but only three writs have as yet been received. With the exception of the extreme south (the County of Wallace, which returns two members), we may safely predict that the political opinions ot the members returned from all parts of Otago will be in the main the same—the people being pretty well unanimous upon the leading principle of maintaining Provincial control in Provincial matters, being to that extent in opposition to the existing ministry, but holding the necessity of prosecuting the Maori war vigorously and to a successful termination. In Wallace County, political subjects are mixed up with the local question of separation, and possibly tho members may give a more unqualified support to the views of the existing Ministry. The change in our land regulations by raising the price of crown lands from 10s.' to £1 per acre, has had scarcely a fair trial, and the revenue derived from this source has not yet recovered from the depression consequent on- the stoppage of sales. Three new hundreds have been proclaimed in the northern portion of the province, viz.: the Hawkcsbury hundred, 26,520 acres; the Moeraki hundred, 15,360 acres; and the Oamaru hundred, 24,960 acres. The land comprised iii these hundreds it is believed will meet with a ready sale immediately

£rd open for ?Oamaru has been open SiiP attached; that ot lmi GovC rnmciit sale %S «*» "rfion s tr£loo, and the „ nuarter-ncro section su ( he , a r rate -'l«!-t Shf ow/d a Ung, off. the iHiin the last monui, » As, however, SSe price per-ochojU, onig ± g .„ v 5 c last sold micnor ' J satisfactory. £>«'?• tirpSto" of thta township, or that T he most valuab it por b rescrvt!( i from ihichi-,?" 'X\l c "ion o a dispute between the appending tho dt «>«. mi Government an » n X )cn for sa le. highi prices the land so m. g* , ! rhe huiulrod of Moeraki il,uo(lr!.n hi's-a capital town atul a sea-port has two to vn hil .s * H , en is „ ow open or being ndvortisod to take SS^^^ of this town, and the *ron\ thCnvol'S "its neighbourhood and plentiful inppjr of JJ" douM it wH i become a on the sections, J e £. d c for t i ie adjoining stockfavourite p ace oil maisket for the prodHce Qf owners, and « U»"? farms which will spring up the dairy and smaU_ »n te around it. J. »c n sesses the best shelter about four m»cß j towns on the northern coast for vessels o«m impo rtaut rival toOamarulinc, and will !* ' having the start, may for »'llich "'^M the cad The Hundred of Wai•omo.,.,n,0 I ,irilJTtwofowns-one laid out by the kouaiti con iii istj by private enterprise. Governmen .the c huiKl / ed _ wh i G h contains This township, mm '" d ht t0 be open for ! ttC"lT^^^m^ and all these j selection w^tli^ne opportnnit|M for I northern iv»»" 'CSSwuKSSerable progress has been made 111. *iVIMt few months, and a large Govern*Te^re "m. been 'going on there. The ment f l"" t is from the nature of the country, there more rapidly than in mflkingf7the province; but the vexed question of miy part of tne F , ri rtainty t0 the sepiiratl? hf so th A new township, Wallacetown, *W It peons predict will rival Invercargill, W,T J oeSede it-has been laid off, and is open perhaps stiperseae ICSenco tJ our loci political matters,21i material has occurred. The request made ," P ovincial Council that his Excellency would v,leased to remove theSuperintendent-the whole M IsV which proceedings were noticed in our w Viinimary-has not as. yet resulted in any She S being taken. The Speaker of the Provincial Council has returned, and by the same J, Sy l,as arrived Dr. Knight, the Auditor--55 who was appointed by the Governor to Eti«nite the matter. The Auditor-general's inauiry has not been concluded and the matter T mains undecided. The Provincial Council closed Z sitting on the 4th instant, after a session of twenty-three days. Under the peculiar circumSances of the affairs of the province, no legislation ,ris attempted. The Appropriation Act appropriated the salaries for six months. £66,122 were voted for public works. Our progress in road making has been considerable but presents no particular point for comment. About 400 men have been and are still engaged in this necessary work; and before the ensuing winter we shall in that matter be in far greater comfort than we have been. As a sign of the improvement, we may notice that we have now a mail coach running from Dunedin to the Clutha, a distance of sixty miles, starting on Monday and returning during the week, affording great accommodation to country settlers and others coming to or leaving town, they being no longer under the necessity of incurring the inconvenience and expense of performing the journey on horseback: that is, however, still the usual means of locomotion, although the coastal steamers carry large numbers of passengers. We on a previous occasion noticed the formation of a company to work the coal at Tokomairiro as fuel for the district, but it is not yet in working order. Many other applications to be allowed to work coal on Government lands have been made, and a new seam, or rather the old seam in another direction, has been found at Saddle-hill, on the ; private property of Mr. Jeffreys, who is having it' worked, and is supplying the settlers of the Taieri with an excellent fuel at 12s. per ton at the pit's mouth.

Harvest has scarcely commenced, though some barley was reaped, by Mr. Todd, a settler in the Taieri plain, as early as the 27th December; and Mr. Kennie, of the West Taieri, has reaped and thrashed a crop of oats, which, in the course of the past week, was despatched to the mill, and may; possibly by this time be in Dunedin in the shape of oatmeal. The harvest will, however, not be general for another fortnight: by that time all hands will be. busy at the most gratifying works of the farmer. The crops throughout the country look well and promise an abundant harvest, though in some places: rather short in the straw. COMMERCIAL. Trade generally on the increase; but, from the additional number of persons engaged in business,: complaints are general that trade is dull and money scarce. The returns for the last quarter give the: imports at £80,824; exports, £5066; revenue, £8212 • 19s. Wool.—This year's clip has not yet generally;' come to hand; but, from the high price offered in the province, most of the runholders have taken the opportunity of parting with their wool, and the most of this year's clip has changed hands at Is. 7d. to Is. Bd. for ordinary qualities, and Is. ,9d. for superior samples. Two ships—the Chile and Lizzie bpalding—are loading for London. Of agricultural produce there is little on hand. <Jf oats and wheat the price is nominal, there being none in the market; but with the new crops prices are expected to rule high. Our flour is chiefly toreign, and is worth £24 per ton. Hie returns of immigration and emigration show a balance of 800 souls added to our population. wages however, have an upward tendency, and the Zli- , t! ie Lady Egidia, now overdue, with 400 SJma'n'? J°°^ for with interest t0 au VV]y the extra uemand for harvest work.

of PebruM Wing paragraphs are frora the ' Colonist' P.mif GovB?NMENT AND THE FUTURE OP THE muni f o ? t 'r. ' c elections. which in most comRenerSv iT Bov, erned u"der free institutions, eSfJ.f d *? adisplay of party s Pirifc t0 a« brinff Jl°- mi? f, irablf' only serve in this Provi»ce in E,W ]" b°Wer relief fche a Pat,,y of the electors !"pnt2 Z lwrp. of J h«>Portalt duties devolving the dai „?; ■ 1S °f ut? lversal occurrence that up to ato tllP nn natr, ,t remalnS a matter 0f doubt forward Si" °V^ candidates .to'bo'brought' into tt r "" r rfide f r. ing a^ intelligent inquiry; wsulth t ,.n?? ficatlonß im P°ssiblc ; and the (by a m .l n f . 80,ne, caf s members are returned MtolyS„W0 1 n 0f I the constituency) who are °ne ?«W aud t0 "»">m, as well as to every flndt& lll flatter of no small surprise to «nt n omen,ti ** a, 9 "legislators.» At the pretW M totß2 ero 1 a A rethreo writ 9 for represeitaof tl.e Provine "] oi AsSr, b,y'and one for a member awar„ av p\S"T ' bUt •°, StePs' s0 lar as we norany^anS,ieen tak, en *ith re Bard to either, T- B. Gis£ tIZ ST 1,wlth tbe cxce Ption of Mr' County.i ltho u r C t S the r?P re«entatives for Bruce talcesJC? XJ? 6 m,T^ on for Tokomairiro We Cbet^,X« ,an( f°r I Brucoonthellthinst. c°nsid e ratio'ofl ornake*h. e? e remarks fro™ a Pr°vincc,andof in preßentcnticalP°Bition of the llav* an Sol ? hl UrP nt necesßit-v that aH who Put their shofii ! character and welfare should tlle gove nital' 1! 10,- 116 .Wheel in or(ler t0 tl'inglikeTleveftraof"t,"l ™tion upon sorae" Pres ent position on! m" .rile contrast between our S«««Co^t^?tSi,,pealea by '. h0 province *he contemnlation nf L? • ? h? las,^ year 'is one from "livable Pa i 00 ™1?? Ut ItUe gratification is ministration l,nil and *} l? 8 ho Pe(l vigorous ad--abalaS orlX^L^ rei" B °f Government, -«>eel,aracteJ A« °'°0? Waß at their dis Poßa vi "cc were such /' and P™SP«*» of «* P«>With whom it w™ * ° Becure the confidence of all ™°w it was connected-and the sunshine of

prosperity appeared to gild our onward course for many .future, years. Our hopes have proved but waking dreams. What has one short 12 month done? Public and private confidence has been shaken—tho Government is miserably disorganized, and is in, fact only a mockery—and tho cash balance has been reduced from £40,000 at tho commencement of the your to £5,000 at its termination. This latter sum, with about £5,000 from the land and customs revenues, during the present month, will not much more than cover the current expenditure, including £2000 due for the Lady Egidia. What is to be done for the future? The land sales are not likely to be immediately very productive, although we have little doubt tho rise in the price will ultimately prove to be advantageous. Are the public works to be stopped? or are we to have recourse to loans or taxation? It is worth while to ask ourselves these questions, however they may be pooh-poohed by those whoso policy it is to put off the evil day. No doubt the stoppage of the land sales furnishes an explanation to some extent of our financial position; but this was no unforeseen contingency, and assuredly under such circumstances the manner in which the public funds have been expended is most reprehensible. New Gaol. —Extraordinary Procedure.— Considerable surprise was excited in town on Tuesday morning by the information that Carisbrook, the residence of Mr. Macandrew, had been proclaimed by the Superintendent a public gaol. Before narating the. circumstances, it may be necessary to put our readers in possession of the law under which this proceeding was adopted. By the second clause of the Prisons Act, the Governor is authorised to proclaim any building a public gaol, and by another clause of the same Act, the Visiting Justices are empowered to order" the removal of any prisoner from one gaol to another. By the Empowering Ordinance passed by the Provincial Council, the powers exercised by the Governor under the firstnamed Act are delegated to the Superintendent. It appears that Mr. Macandrew was arrested on Monday evening at the suit of Mr. N.Chalmers, for a debt amounting to between £3000 and £4000. He soon afterwards drew up a proclamation (not yet published) declaring Carisbrook a public gaol ; and also a letter, signed by himself as a Visiting Justice (which he is.hot, except he appointed himself such at the moment), ordering his own removal to Carisbrook, which was handed to the gaoler, and immediately carried into effect; and there he still remains, under the charge of a turnkey. How and when is all this to end ? REV. THOMAS BURNS, D.D. We have great pleasure in announcing to our readers that the University of Edinburgh has conferred the degree of D.D. on the Key. Thomas Burns. This is a well-merited honour. As a theologian, Mr. Burns' discourses are more likely to be expected in the Divinity Halls of the Universities of Britain than in the quiet obscurity of an Otago congregation. The closeness of reasoning with which Mr. Burns supports Christian truths—the caution with which he treads on disputed ground— and the candour with which he gives both sides of a question, have placed him in the highest rank as a divine, Mr, Burns lias now readied tlie 65th year of his age; the best 34 years of his life have been devoted to the Christian ministry. Dr. Burns, as we may now call him, was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Otago. Thirteen years ago he commenced the work single-handed, and has been spared to see the day when the Church has seven labourers in the same field besides himself, and • about seven thousand adherents. Burns is an historical and honoured name in Scotland, and we rejoice that this reverend member of the poet's family has recived such a high acknowledgment of his attainments as a divine; the honour, we conceive, will sit well upon the head of one who has grown grey in his Master's service, and in the constant study of those mysteries that are concealed in the volume of Inspired Truths. May he long be spared to enjoy the honour that has been conferred upon :| him. The following is a copy of the letter addressed to the Eev. Thomas Burns from the Rev. Dr. Bonar, Convener of the Colonial Committee of the Eree Church of Scotland :— Edinburgh, November 19,1860. Rev. Thomas Burns, D.D. Mr dear Dr. Burns,—lt gives me the greatest; pleasure to address you by a title which has only been toolong delayed. We have all along desired to see this well-merited honour conferred on you, and it is peculiarly gratifying that now it comes, from the Metropolitan University of our native country. In Conferring this degree, the University of Edinburgh has not only conferred an honour justly due to you, but has through you done an honour to a colony with which your name must ever be: associated. May you be long spared 'to wear your new honors, and may you be permitted to see the Presbyterian Church of Otago, which, single-handed you went forth to plant, and which, with God's; gracious blessing on' the efforts of yourself and others, has so rapidly increased, becoming day by day an increasing, blessing to the interesting and important colony to which you have consecrated your ministry, and where so many of our countrymen have found a distant, but a comfortable and happy i home. Cordially congratulating you, your family, and the. colony on this auspicious occasion, I am, with great affection, Yours most truly John Bonar, d.d.