Evening Post. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1876.

Evening Post, Volume XIV, Issue 60, 8 September 1876, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1876.

Apparently, the Ministry have still serious difficulties before them. Mr. Macandrew's resolutions have still to be discussed, and no consistent course is open to the Government, after their recent declaration of policy, except to resist them. The Government have emphatically declared their intention to stand by abolition, while Mr. Macandrew's proposals art that Provincialism should be maintained in Otago, in the meantime; that the Provincial Legislature there should be dissolved, and a fresh election take place of the Superintendent and the Provincial Council, so as to afford the people of that Province an opportunity of considering and determining what form of local self-government would be most suitable to their requirements. Then Sir George Grey proposes to bring forward a bill giving to each Province the option of rejecting abolition^ so that practically it is contemplated to oner a complete negation of the Government policy. How all this will end, it is difficult to foresee. Mr. Macandrew, with the skill of a practised strategist, has been fomenting agitation in favor of Provincialism througout the Otago Province, and tor some time past our columns have been filled with telegrams recording ! that public meetings have been held all over j the province and resolutions passed supporting Mr. Macandrew's proposals. The latest files of Middle Island papers recently received indicate that while these meetings have been very enthusiastic and decided, yet the resolutions adopted at them do not by any means express the sentiments of the Otago people as a whole. The Dunedin Evening Star puts this view of the case very clearly. Alluding to the Dunedin meeting the Star asserts that the vital end of the meeting, which was to strike the key-note of puolic opinion throughout the province, was not attained. The meeting, for instance, insisted on the retention of the Provincial system, j and the Star points out that a large portion of ! the people of Otago dislike Provincialism, and that, therefore, the resolutions did not embody principles on which the inhabitants of the province could unite together in common action for the public weal. It is true that the later telegrams show that the country meetings have passed resolutions of a similar tenor, but that does not prove that Otago as a whole ' is wedded to Provincialism. It can readily be j understood how such meetings could be organ- I ised and promoted by provincial officials and their connections, whose very existence is at.

stake. But apart from this, meetings can be ' got up all over Otago to declare in favor of Pro- I vincialism. not because a majority of the people '• are strongly attached to that form of government, but" because the people there see it about to be destroyed, ana are looking round hopelessly for a "substitute. As the Star remarks :— " So far as appears, when the29th September is come and gone, provincial institutions will have vanished, and there will be naught in the shape of local institutions to replace them ; unless, in the meantime, some measure different from what has yet been laid before it is passed by the Assembly for the purpose of filling up the gap which exists in the Constitution. There is, indeed, the Counties Bill ; but since that is to be made permissive in its operation it may safely be asserted that it will have no force over at any rate a great part of Otago, unless it be entirely re- i modelled in committee. Here is an emergency which all parties in the province may well unite to meet. There are scattered about the Colony centralists who believe that Road Boards and Municipalities are quite sufficient provision in the way of local government for New Zealand's wants; but that opinion will scarcely find advocates here. In Otago Abolitionists and Provincialists alike concur in demanding a full measure of local self-grvern-jnent. That the province should enjoy its own resources to the full, and that it should have the power of managing its local concerns, are fundamental articles of c/erybody's political creed in this part of the country, and it ought not to be difficult to find a common standing ground upon which all the inhabitants of the province can assemble in harmony." Turning to the Otago TimPs, Aye find that journal contending against the expediency of insisting upon the maintenance of Provincialism. The gist of its argument is that the wise and prudent course for the Otago members to adopt would be to obtain a Board of Works for the whole of the Province, with • all the administrative powers which the old Province had. It says : — " Let us have the body of the old entity, and we will not quarrel about the umbra. Give us the substance, and we will not do more than grieve over the loss of a name and an association." In short, there appears to be a willingness amongst the more moderate of the Otago people to acquiesce in the abolition of Provincialism, if they can retain their land fund and absolute control over their railways and their profits, and get the Board of WoTks already indicated. Mr. Macandrew and his followers go farther than this. They demand that, for the present, Provincialism should be maintained in its existing form, and there has been much talk at the public meetings of resistance to the General Government, and of the Otago members being asked to leave the Assembly. It is very possible that all this bluster may in a great measure be assumed, and that they ask much with the backthought of being prepared to take less. Such is the present position of affairs, and what the outcome of it will be, as between the Government and the Opposition, a few days will probably show.

It is amusing to find the friends of Sir Julius Vogel industriously circulating the report that after what has been said and written he will decline to accept the office of Agent-General, and that it will be necessary to bring all possible pressure to bear upon the great man to induce him to alter that decision. All this trickery to save appearances, and to veil over what is a disgraceful job, is very transparent. Sir Julius will take the appointment fast enough. He has meant to take it all along, and lias been very eager indeed about it. But after the terrible outburst of indignation which the proposal has elicited from the Press throughout the colony, and the trenchant attacks made upon it in Parliament, Sir Julius probably thinks an affected display of reluctance to accept the office may be well timed and judicious. There is sham and humbug in everything, and such are not wanting in political arrangements and billet jobbing. After a due display of this having been made, Sir Julius will accept the appointment he has so long and so eagerly coveted.

A series of bills bearing upon finance have just been distributed. One is "The New Zealand Loan Act, 1876." It authorises the raising of a New Zealand loan of £2,000,000, a sum of £1,250,000 being for carrying out public works and immigration, and £750,000 for defraying provincial liabilities. The annual charge for interest is not to exceed six per cent., inclusive of sinking fund. The Governor in Council may appoint agents for raising and managing loans. Pending the raising of the loan, short dated debentures may be issued. The other bill is entitled "The Treasury Bills Extended Currency Act, 1876." Clause 2 Is as follows :—: — " In order to provide for the payment of the principal moneys of any of the Treasury Bills issued under the authority of " The Provincial Public Works Advances Act, 1874," and under " The Provincial Appropriations Extension Act, 1875," the Colonial Treasurer may order the preparation and issue of a like amount of Treasury Bills." The currency of the bills is not to extend beyond Ist November, 1882. and they are to be at a rate of interest not higher than 6 per cent. The third bill provides for the creation of " New Zealand Consolidated Stock," into which all loans may be converted, and for the inscribing of such stock in the books of the Bank of England.

An amalgamated meeting of Auckland and Otago members of provincial affinities has agreed that support should be given to Mr. Macandrew's resolutions, by which, so far as Otago is concerned, he proposes to refer the subject of Constitutional changes to the people of the province. Mr. Macandrew's resolutions are intended to come on for discussion on' the order for going into Committee of Supply, which order stands early on the paper of today's proceedings. Sir George Grey has prepared the skeleton of a bill which he, even at this late stage of the session, purposes to introduce for the purpose of giving provinces the option of retaining provincial institutions. The bill is a sort of sequel to Mr. Macandrew's resolutions regarding Otago. At a meeting of Auckland and Otago members, Sirffeorge read a synopsis of the bill, which is now being drafted. Some of Sir George's own party anticipate no success for any measure of tho kind, and the other side estimate it as merely the last protest against abolition. To-day the Orders of the Day take precedence of other business in the House of Representatives. The first Order of the Day is the second reading of the Attorney-Generals' Act Repeal Bill. Dr. Henry has given notice that he will, on Tuesday, ask the Government whether they will consent, without the intervention of an address to his Excellency the Governor, to place upon the additional estimates such a sum as will bestow on the widow of the late Colonel St. John the same scale of gratuity as has been allowed to other widows, namely, two years' As a detachment of marines belonging to H.M.S. Nymphe were returning to their ship yesterday afternoon about 3.30 o'clock, after having been practising with small arms, one of them, who was drunk, conceived the notion of bolting away from the ranks, in front of the Pier Hotel, but was prevented from doing so by a douple of his fellow-marines laying a firm hold of him. Still he persisted in carrying out his intentions, and became most violent. It was not without considerable difficulty that four men were able to drag him along the street to the wharf. Here he became most outrageous, and -when bound down by a man being placed holding each of his hands and legs, and another man seated on his body, he managed to knock his face against the ground until he bled profusely from self-inflcted wounds. After exerting himself in this manner for about half-an-hour he at last yielded, saying, " Boys, I give you best, I'll go." and was accordingly t_ken into the boat which conveyed him on board the Nvmphe. The enactment of the above scene, of* course, attracted a large crowd, and into this crowd the element of discord found its way. When the interest felt in the drunkenmarine'scase was abating, the scene was again enlivened by a pair who concluded to differ on some matter the nature of which did not transpire. A regular " set-to " ensued, which, however, the announcement that constable Carroll was seen in the distance brought to a speedy termination, but not until one of the combatants bore on his face strong evidence of having been a party concerned in the fray. Mr. C. H. Collins has been gazetted DeputyRegistrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, at Foxton. Letters of naturalisation have been issued in favor of Philip Moeller, Esq., Wellington. Messrs. Stevenson & Stuart opened their new warehouse in Featherston-street this afternoon with a champagne luncheon, to which between 40 and 50 gentlemen sat down, including his Honor the Deputy-Superin-tendent' asd many of the leading merchants of , this city. The eatables having been done full i

justice to. Mr. George Crawford, M.P.C., proposed "Health and Success to Messrs-. Steven*,; son", &- Stuart," warmly complimenting thefirm on the spirit and" enterprise they had displayed in the erection of such a fine building. The toast-was duly honored, and Mr. J. W. Stevenson, after responding in suitable terms, proposed the health of the architect, Mr. Tringham in a highly eulogistic strain, Mr. R. J. Duncan responding on behalf of Mr. Tringham who was unavoidably absent. Mr. D. S. Smart then proposed the health of the builders, Messrs. Wash and Upton, speaking in terms of the wannest praise as to the manner in which they had carried out their contract, the toast being duly acknowledged. The preliminaries over, Mr. R. J. Duncan proceeded to hold an auction sale of general merchandise to close consignments. The new building already has been described. It is of three stories, with frontages of 70 feet by 40 to Featheiston and Brandon streets, and a heightlof 45 feet. It is fitted internally with all appliances, and externally forms a great ornament to that part of the citj'. Another and a last opportunity will be afforded to-morrow to the Wellington citizens of inspecting H.M.S. Nymphe which leaves this port on Monday. Captain Suttie has consented to open his ship to visitors again to-morrow, and Messrs. M'lntyre and Co.'s s.s. Moa will make three trips, starting at 2.15, 3.0, and 3.45 p.m., returning at 2.45, 3 30, and 4.30. The fares will be as before. We have no doubt this opportunity will be taken advantage of largely as it will be the last available. In spite of yesterday's strong N.W. gale, the visitors were put on board without the slightest wetting or inconvenience of any kind. Such a chance is not to be missed. About half-past 11 o'clock last night the Thorndon fire-bell rang out the alarm. It appeared that the curtains in the upper room of a house in Molesworth-street had caught fire, and the flames quickly spread to the roof. Had it not been for the very prompt action taken by several members of the Central Fire Brigade, -nith the assistance of some neighbors, the building must have been destroyed, and probably loss of life would have occurred, as a woman and a man were found lying in the room in a state of intoxication. Sergeant Ready and several constables were quickly on the spot. It is significant of the use made of the intercolonial cable that by the Press Agency alone, between February 21st and August 31st, as many as 13,399 words have been received. It has to be remembered also, that during this interval communication by telegraph beyond Australia has been 'considerably interrupted. We understand that Mr. Moeller will take further opportunities of addressing the Te Aro ratepayers during the ensuing week. Wiltshire is still sticking to his task as gamely as ever ; although called out into the cold in the small hours of night, he stills shows no signs of giving in. He has nearly 700 miles before him, but we hope he will not meet with any ill effects. His pace is rather slower than before. The number of miles completed at 6 p.m. this evening will be 314. There will be a double attraction to-morrow, as there is a twomile walking handicap at 3 p.m., the first prize for which is a silver watch. We are informed that several well-known " walkists" have entered, and this should be a good opportunity for some of our rising athletes to show their power. We are sorry to hear that there are some people mean enough to peep through the cracks of the enclosure rather than spend a shilling in helping to support the pedestrian in his arduous undertaking. We hope this hint may serve a good purpose. Captain M'lntyre wound up the excursion trips of the s.s. Moa to H.M.S. Nymphe yesterday afternoon by inviting the boys attending Messrs. Bowden and Son's school to a free passage. The invitation was, of course, accepted by the boys. After an inspection of the Nymphe, they returned highly pleased with their trip, and testified their gratitude by giving three hearty cheers for Capt. M'lntyre. A special meeting of commissioned and noncommissioned officers of the volunteer corps in this city is called for to-morrow droning at the Post Office Hotel, to consider what steps shall be taken to procure a suitable parade ground and drill-shed, Mr. Pearce having intimated his inability to lend his shed after the close of the current year. It is evident that the requisite ground and building ought to be provided by Government as in other provinces, and that our volunteers ought not to be dependant upon the liberality of a private citizen however noted he may be for his generosity and public spirit. We hope that the officers at their conference, to-morrow evening, will draw up a strong memorial to the Government on the subject. Civilisation is progressing in the Wairarapa. A gentleman with a large family there is about to build a house costing £5000. Mr. J. H. Wallace, one of the candidates for the representation of the Lambton Ward in the City Council, invites the ratepayers to meet him in his saleroom this evening, at eight o'clock. A slight disturbance was created in the Theatre last night by a drunken blackguard in the pit who persisted in interrupting the performance by his ejaculations. At length Mr. Hill (Maestro Ilia), who was playing a pianoforte piece in response to an encore, lost patience, and leaving the piano proceeded at once to the spot, and promptly collaring the fellow turned him out by main force, receiving a round of hearty applause for the spirit and vigor with whichhe acted. It is to be hoped that this sort of thing will be prevented tonight by the presence of one or two constables. "A Master Mariner" writes us a somewhat confused letter, which is not in such a shape as to be fit for publication. He says that the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act are not complied with in Wellington, that some officers and masters are unpossessed of certificates, and that generally things are not what they should be. We wish R A Master Mariner" had put his case a little more clearly. We have been shown a splendid photographic likeness of the late Dr. Featherston, .taken just before his departure from Wellington by Mr. Davis of Thorndon. It is in the possession of Dr. Buller, who has lent it to Signori Del Vescovo and Sani, the Italian sculptors who are modelling the bust. The office of the local agency for Messrs. M'Meckan, Black wood and Co.'s Melbourne and Sydney line of steamers and of Messrs. Seager and Co.'s coasting boasts, will be removed on Monday week to the new buildings just erected for the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company, of which Mr. W. Bishop (the Wellington agent for the above steamers) has secured part. They are highly civilised up Masterton way. According to the News Letter some of the folks there amuse themselves on Saturday nights by "merry mills" and fistic encounters. Sometimes a man gets another down and bites a piece out of liis breast, and occasionally a Maori maiden, wishing to fight to the best advantage, divests herself of her garments before she " wires It must be lively in Masterton on Saturday nights. We shall take a run up there presently to do a bit of P.R. reporting. The writer of Home Talk remarks : — The Derby of 1876 and many former Derbies have produced no more extraordinary bet than one just won by two gentlemen, one of them a well-known artist. By risking one sovereign they have netted £800, punctually paid on settliag-day. They got 800 to lon a " triple event" — Thunder for the City and Suburban, Petrarch for the Two Thousand, and Mineral Colt for the Derby. All these events came off, but the wiuneirs ought to have -won more. Thunder was at 40 to 1, Petrarch 10 to 1, and Mineral Colt 6to 1 ; and the proceeds of these bets, put on at the current odds after each "event," would have realised £2400 for a sovereign. It is not a pleasant berth that of Inspector of Nuisances, and the officer who has held that post in Dunedin for the last fifteen years lately threw it up in disgust. On this, the Dunedin Guardian remarks : — From the . tenor of the letter read at the Council meeting yesterday, it would seem that Mr. Jfinion has been dissatisfied with his position for a considerable time. He complains that some of the Councillors were seeking to bury him before he was dead — that his office was actually promised to a successor, and "he was not going to be jostled out of office." During' the discussion which followed the reading of the letter, the Inspector became the target for a variety of compliments. The members were unanimous in according him the praise of being an efficient inspector, but they slightly differed in opinion respecting his amiability of disposition and sweetness of temper. One termed him "fretful;" another said he was "peevish;" a third declared him " thin-skinned;" two exMayors intimated that he was exceedingly sensitive and irritable, and had Mpeatedly to i be "smoothed down:" I

The Australian mails per Otago were to the s.s. Wellington at Port ~'C_almeis, and arrived here tins morning.