DUNEDIN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 241, 7 December 1866, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

3rd Dec. That very eccentric individual, Mr J. 0. S. Giant, has at last resigned a position, which nature most decidedly never ordained him to fill, and if anything could have conferred a lasting disgrace upon the people of Dunedin, it was the election of Mr J. G. S. Grant as one of their representatives ; however, his day is gone bye, and never more, it is to be hoped, will members I who car not talk anything but iumier.se, raise | the question of privilege and cause the House | to be clcaredofstiangers, ostensibly to procure the e elusion of thefourih t sti.fe. The Goldiields' in[threats have the ascendency this time, but I am 'very sorry to say'that your flourishing district ■ is very poorly Tuapefca, as be'ore, has its interests well looked alter, but the l)uus an and Lakes :.ie po-iti\e'y nowhere. The road to the Yvakatip, notwithstanding its vast imi or anee, not alone considering tho loss tie prolinej must susta'n by Invorcargill appropriate g to itself customs'-revenues which do not belong to it; but tho severe drawback to your prosperity consequent upon the want of means of communication to your timber-grow-ing and corn-prrducing districts have scarcely been by your representative, although the works Lave been for seine time- suspended. It is to be hoped hoped, .that at the ensuing elections, you will repair the damage and return no more M'Pherson's, who, like the sailor's parrot, thougLtmuch but said nothing. It must bo a great source of mortification to you to read in the newspapers the elaborate speeches made by the man whom you rejected, Mr Dillon Bell ; when the sweet voice (that is, if he has one) of Mr M'Pkcrsem, no • more disturbs the House than did the storms of the Atlantic, liu telegraph cabcl. Then, you have the inattentive Isaacs, who looks after your interests when he has time, and Air C. S. Haughton, who n.iiil.t as well represent Kamsi hatka for all the good he will ilo yon. I am positive that- were it not for your local journal, that tho Dunstan would bo scarcely known. ' ■ • f.» Mr G. Broelie's motion that " Assistance be given to parties prospecting between the Lakes and the West Coast/' if carried, ought to do much good, and if the rapacity of the Dunedin interests is not too great, there is a chance of money being granted for that purpose. But I am almost afraid that instead of the Provincial revenues being devoted to opening up the resources of the country, it will be spent in dredging Dunedin Harbour or on worksnot required at all. Our town Solons put me very much in mind of the man who 'spenthis last shilling to buy a purse. Mr Haughton's motion for tho reduction c>f tho Export Duty on Gold, backed by a petition from 400 miners, has caused considerable discussion, and a great deal has been said on the subject by both friends and enemies e f the mining interests, the nirst prominent of the latter being Mr E. B. Cargill, Capt. Mackenzie, and Mr D. Reid. Butyoumustnotra/much attention to the murmurings of those semi-bovine addled brained representatives, however, I must agree with MiDillon Bell that while regarding the proposition in a favorable light, there would, nevertheless, be little chance of its success, on account of the opposition from Canterbury members, There seems an impression that the goldiields require expensive special services, and that the cost of such should be defrayed by the miners, for my part, I cannot see the force of this, as the miners are a most orderly body and require far less police protection than any other, 1 believe that the new Treasurer will soon show that, and that the. army of Wardens and officers in charge will suffer a reduction. Mr Vogel is a thorough man of business, and will not keep more cats than will catch mice, four wardens and clerks at the ourtlying districts ought to do the whole work of the goldfields. Dunedin Punch is said to have changed its proprietory, except in tho wood-cuts, I don't, however, see any improvement yet A notioe in its columns says that personalities will not be indulged in; but, lam afraid, that tho Editor and literary staff have too little in their n .ddles to write anything really witty, everything is very far fetched, stale and unpalatable, and I fear that ere long the publication will die out from sheer inanition. The ' Daily Times' since it has become the property of a joint-stock company, is not the journal it ÜBed to be—it savors very much ot being the organ of a clique, and another paper in badly wanted. Surely a place like Dunedin ought to support two daily papers—mere general information is required by the people 'icie.