THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, 18 May 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1870.

Feeling their way, the Provincial Coilncil of Otago have been dealing with the sibject of representation in various ways, hut all leading up to the subject which the Assembly is—or is supposed to be-fpledgfid to deal with. Before commenting upon the doings in the Provincial Council, it may just be as well to sketch the position of affairs from the colonial point of view, for no changes in the system without the concurrence of the Assembly ca/i lie made. It was recognised at the last' session of the Assembly that a now adjustment of the representation was necessary. Many I who take a superficial, view of the aspect of any change, condemn changes, and poohpooh thens They little undeistam! the requirements of new colo ,ie f) and that Imriodiuabuljrhtmcnts are Even in/the old co we see fresn adjustme^ii, e j n g ! roadeHH o fuct, feessicfjMr a ’■ill

equal iso the voting. 'Fifty voters in pne ‘ district returned one member, "while 24,00{ electors returned only two. The following resolution was passed ;—“ That this House ' is of opinion that it is imperatively neces- 4 sary that previous to the next general eleo-f tion tire admitted defects in the existing distribution of the representation of thw~ people be remedied, and the for a fair expression of theyr Parliamei.t.” This was Stafford, sifter Mr Fox had The ministry (Fox’s) accepted k fore, in a!l honour, the House ' is pledged" to deal with it. A rumour is afloat that 4 Mr Fox, if defeated by the supposed new on coalition forces, will appeal to the country ; >aa upon the present rolls, and thato therfoiiß,tg«d “ a fair expression” of public*B c iinion will pfj not be obtained. Of course thcßresent roll gives the party called the prwprialists an effective vote in the elections, and es- | pecially so since the ballot is in force. If ! the ballet had not been lost by a mere ao i cident ov error last session, the difficulty j would lave been lessened. Thus it will I j be percqved that the Provincial Council, ‘ in payirg so much attention to the matter, really understand, what the public is only cursorily aware of, that tliey are skirmishing for the grand encounter. Bo much,. „ then, fo; the broader view of the question, i only brhfly put, and not fully enough to make otler by-play or defects sufficiently palpable; Now Lt us see the cause of the proceedings in fhe Council. Mr Shepherd, who -% * is stated to be one of tbe future candidates for Assenbly honours, by taking the placs of eitherVogel or O’Neill, got alarmed at a proposition made generally at the last meeting of parliament, that, in the proposed adjustment mentioned above, the special jold-mining franchise should be dispensed with, or left out. Mr Shepherd has a viry strong opinion that the miners will return him, and has not forgotten to mate, his opinion known both in and out - of tbe Council. They might do this, or not. If not a politic or tacticial member, * he is sincere and determined enough. He was determined enough in the Council, as many of our readers will have noticed by the reports published in this joyrnaj i ani others. He objected to the mineiflJL-. bang deprived of their special franchise* Hs sought the recommendation of the™ Cmncil that it should be continued, so as this to anticipate the General Assembly i decision. He managed to make a mess of | it through sheer obstinacy. Had his pro- j posai been dealt with after the rejection of A Baughton’s motion, it would have shared iy* a better fate—at least, probably have gone to" the di™n Mr Shepherd so anxiously pazi.led. "Hie Mil Scotch sttwsure do I tennined to hold the reins o power as long j 'iis they can, and they jan and do exert | powerful influence. ?hei we had the; Question of representatnn again brought *• * ip in a proposed re-adjuiiment of the electoral boundaries of ilistrisg, and Mr Head’s motion that the Council qould be reduced from thirty-eight to twentr-four members. This would have rcade thigs pretty easy, and accommodate difficulies with the Su-; nierintemlent. J 'embers were in moat' u » leases indignant as the poposal, but favorable to the committal o. the bill, so as to secure a re-adjustment >f districts’ representative power. We rgree with the members who objected to tie proposal to reduce the number of representatives to twenty-four, and tlink the present nunpu-K ter fairly fixed. We objeetto an increase 9 in the number, because it is not required. B We do not believe the Housi will pass the K present arbitrary schedule. Then we come Be to Mr Haughton’s manhood suffVage pro- 9 posai, rejected like Mr Shepherd’s. Had S this been accepted, it would have given I ; the Asseraby and the Council the right to 4 *19 abolish the special miner’s right franchise. ■ The miners would have hailed the subsbitu- ■ : tion of electoral rights for that of miners' ■ o B I rights, leasehold, and business license ■ I qualifications, with the six months’ hold- S j ing clause, is a preferable voting power. B It was pointed out that in Yictoria the , ,B division of electoral power and the recog- j M* nition of the value of the gold fields had j HI effected much good, and materially ad* sH vuiced tie prosperity of that colony. | Tie revenue, since the change had been made, had been distributed over the colony. Melbourne is no longer the pampered city, and the outlying districts haw; justice clone them. Dunedin and its t ( however, proved too strong when al!PymT{s%B old prejudices. A day will come when H the electoral right, based upon manhood 9 suffrage, will be law, anil then our political 9 savans will wonder why they rejected so 9 excellent a means of making self-gorern- 9 raent work smoothly. A good deal can b< i JH said on the subject by both sides, but w< I In/ have only tried to put the matter fairl/ W, tetbre our readers, and, as to our couch ( Kq dons, they are certain to be believed nltj 9tv mately. The present proceedings in ■’w Council are not without their use, and tW B\ ie help to educate peopm. 44

A telegram received yesterday by Mr Bookie, postmaster, and which has been placed , «t our disposal, states that the British mails via San i'rauclaoo will leave here on the 3ist inst., and not on the 29th as previously notified. The shaft in the Elizabeth Reef, Garrick Ranges, is now sunk to a depth of 90ft, following the reef from the surface. The reef at this level is 3ft Gin wide) and gold is visible in the "alone. At a meeting of the shareholders on the 14th inst., it was resolved that the contract for ■ sinking the additional 50ft should not bo considered complete until the contractors had retrimmed the shaft. The company have resolved to put up machinery ai soon as possible. We need not look for anything like’ . im ple supplies of farm produce from the Lake / ■•patriot, for we hear it is very doubtful whether w Knore produce has beengrown, except of wheat, 1 han will meet local requirements. A very severe gale of wind broke over Cromwell and its neighborhood on Sunday morn- ■ ing last, between two aid three o’clock. While it lasted, it raged with terrific fury, rendering I sleep—in iron houses, atleast—an impossibility. \ The main street was gidatly sheltered by the terrace which runs above t, but on the houses in the outskirts of the tavn the wind had full play. However, we hav. heard of no more serious damage occurring tlan the overturning o* outhouses, and accidents of a like kind. Sergeant Cassels, with his usnl alacrity, rose, and went through the town, ij readiness to render assistance in case of accidiht. The miners at Kawmi Gorge continue steadily at work, and all c them are believed to X be doing well. In Mulhoiaud and party’s claim a one-third share changedhands the other day for £l5O. Mr Michael Connellai, one of the owners I „ of the Cromwell Eace, ad a claimholder on the banks of the Kawarau, ook his departure for Victoria during the preset week. On Saturday evening, Mr Connellan’S rieuds invited him to a farewell supper at the Gtden Age Hotel, where a large party assembled tdo him honour. We \ understand that Mr Connllan intends returning hither shortly. Oh Thursday last,* Mr John Woods, manager of Messrs Sliauijs store at Logantown, | fell from his horse, and sistained a compound I ’raoture of the collar-bone. Mr J. P. Armstrong, \ 'waiat "Sand, rendefcd timely assistance, j i and han god Mr Wold’s irm, so that he was L 1 enabled i proceed M'ronwell for medical asfl sistauce On his arijal Dr Corse set the B\ limb, ai the patiet jis rajidly recovering. He I was abl o retu.n t jogaitown on Sunday. H We j'C iuformd tha; the Aurora Com--pany’s rjehinery ws itoppicd yesterday in conff 1 oequouctf one of te cogs of the pinion-wheel ■J : lining biUm Thelmage, however, will be B’i .pibuabljepaired tew, as the manager forpto | the damaged one. opening of Me-a Boyes’ Kawarau | run seems, according to .information, to have been as great a surprise tche Lake fanners as others. These latter, inlialled by a gentleI man said to be connected th the Clyde papier, had got upj a petition pi.-iug that no more - lands might be opened for o years. The petition was only shown to tin of correct pirinciples—duly sounded first, t was, we are int formed, very numerously sied by the farmers, and by even a mill-ownei The object was piartly a selfish one, as i piresent farmers thereby sought to establish monopoly of interest. Some of them thouit their land would be damaged to the extent o' 1 pgr acre. The general value is £3 ohtainedin 2s 6d per acre j Vent per annum, and piurchasblo without competition at £1 per acre. Theeopde in the Lake district are now well off for Id. We have been requesteby the proprietors of the Cromwell Coal-pitS) state that there is no foundation for the rumor circulated here during the last few days to thsffcct that thej have raised the price of lignite The rates re main as formerly, viz., 20s per on at the pit, or 32s delivered.

Wild game is reported a. very scarce ftt the Lakes. Every one shot i them. The farmers and others have driven tl> birds away for a time at least. , NMr Keid, the Provincial Secretary, •ught before the Provincial Counci on the 6th t., a motion recommending that 50,090 acres, re _pr less, comprising Runs 33/ 324, 330, ), 331, 403, 391, 420, and 235, raayie reserved an endowment for hospitals j,n tin province of Otago. The motion was carried On the I same day, Mr Reid proposed a motion, which | was superseded by an amendment moved by * ■ fcr Shepherd and carried, recommending that 1 acref be reserved as an endowment I / the establishment and maintenance of High, (Irammar, and District Schools in tie province of Otago. i 1 i The news from Martin’s Bay ij not enii raging from a-gold point of viev. Fox’s ftj Ire reported to have found gold between keMaekerrow and the Wakatip. One person to Queenstown says the gold but until such time as stores can be is almost impossible to work it. The , to its supplies of wood, is ropreinhospitable at this period of the g° ne 011 to Martin’s Bay for the few results of a favorable character before spffrgT of 'tly/ Shotover bridge is r 24th May. The proa free lunch at the bridge, grand dinner party at the