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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 25 August 1869, Page 2

Southern Steamship Navigation Company. The annual meeting of this company convened for this afternoon in consequence of there being no quorum. The Otago Institute. —Yesterday evening, the second general meeting of the Otago Institute was held in the Provincial Council Hall, when his Honor Judge Ward, the President of the Institute, delivered an inaugural address. Notwithstanding the very unpleasant stato of the streets, the attendance of both ladies and gentlemen was very large. His Honor pointed to the advantages likely to result from the cultivation of Science, and concluded by some remarks regarding Spiritualistic theory now so widely discussed. A vote of thanks to him was moved by Mr Eccles, seconded by Mr R. B. Martin, and, it is needless to say, carried mm. con.

Theatrical. —Mr Bayner’s benefit is announced to take place on Friday, and to the true admirer of the drama tho evening s amusement is likely to prove very attractive. It may be fairly granted that it decs not do to be always gazing on the finest creations of genius, for then there would be no contrast by which to judge of their superior beauty. Occasionally, therefore, a burlesque or a sensational comedy acts as a foil, which renders the merits of higher creations more apparent. Of burlesques Jand modern dramas there has been no lack latterly, and it will be an agreeablechangeto witness in one cveningselections from some of the finest scenes that tShakspeare penned. Mr Bayner has talent equal to their representation. Every character in which that gentleman appears bears evidence of his artistic power. To his efforts many of the pieces presented owe the success they have achieved. The few months that he has been in Dunedin have been sufficient to mark him as far above the average of his profession, and we do not doubt that the inhabitants of the City will mark their appreciation of the high esteem in which they hold him, by giving him a substantial benefit.

The Front.— A Wellington contemporary has the following apt remarks ; We never see any news about tbe War or the Front in the Wanganui papers, or for that matter anywhere else. There is no Front’ now, or if there is, nobody knows where to find it. Colonel Whitmore is still in Wellington, hut his office as commander of the forces has been abolished. The Government had, we believe, some idea of recognising Colonel Whitmore’s services to the colony by offering him a sort of semi-military appointment in Wellington, and in fact did offer him one at a salary of L6OO a year, on condition that he resigned his parliamentary position, and inter f ered none at all with politics. The gallant Colonel, however, declined the offer, and there the matter rests at present. Meantime Colonel M 1 Donnell is walking about Wellington free from active service, and holding n° appointment. There is no war j no front; no commander of the forces ; no military movements j apd but for the fact that the colony is still paying highly for defence purposes, we should be led to suppose there were no colonial forces. Political,— ln the House of Representatives on the 21st inst, (writes the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) Mr Kolleston brought forward his bill with reference to the social evil for a second reading. It is the one drawn up by the Christchurch committee appointed some time ago by a public meeting It is purely permissive. Mr Fox opposed it on the ground that it was legalising vice, but there was a strong feeling in favor of the bill—the House, however not being very full at nearly one o’clock in the morning following the ball given on Monday night by the members of both branches of the Assembly, the second reading of the bill was carried on the voices, and with the Vagrant Act, also introduced by Mr Rolleaton, will be of great social benefit. Towards one o’clock this morning, Mr Macr andrew brought forward his motion for a loan of L 50,000 for public works at Otago, viz., L2o,ooofora dock at Oamaru, L 6.000 for Kakanui harbour, I 10,000 towards the Waitaki bridge, L 5,000 for Waikouaiti breastwork, L 5,000 for Clutha River Trust, and L 4.000 for Shag River Bridge. He stated the annual provincial revenue to be over L 300,000, and the debt only L 650.000. The unsold land was estimated at L 3,100,000 and the total security offered about four millions and a half sterling. He said that all tbe money could be readily borrowed in Otago itself. The motion was supported by the Otago members, and a few others, Mr Reynolds wanting an extra LIO,OOO for harbor fortifications. It was some time before Mr Fox intimated the views of the Government. He said the Government, like the House, was unprepared for the motion coming on, or he would have detaiued his colleagues. He was pot himself prepared to say there should be no more borrowing, nor to lay down any hard line in respect to it; still the House had laid it down, and it was difficult to see how it could he departed from. If it did so in one case it laid itself open to applications from every other province or county, and threw on the Government the onus of deciding the sufficient value of the security offered. In the case of Otago, the security was perfectly good, but that was not the question to be considered now. In the absence of bis colleagues, he was not prepared to oppose the motion, but it would be open for the Government to oppose the raising of a loan when the Bill to give effect to the resolution was introduced. He would, however, consent to no borrowing for fortification, but for reproductive works his own personal view was in favor of borrowing, if the value of the security was good. Mr Tancred moved -that the Committee report progress. He was not so prejudiced against borrowing as to oppose all borrowing, if shown to be fpr reproductive objects; but the Colonial Treasurer had certainly led the House to understand that there would be no borrowing this year. He should like further consideration to be given than the clock would permit. Mr Stevens and Mr Stafford supported Mr Tancred —the more so, because they thought that the financial statement was always a deliberately considered document, and there ought to be good grounds shown for departing from it. Mr

Macandrew readily consented to the reporting progress, the House giving a half promise that its further consideration should be the first business to-day.—la tiie House of Representatives yesterday, according to a telegram in to day’s Bruce Herald, the establishment of a telegraph station at Mataura was carried. The General Government are favorable to the re-union with Sou. bland. The Superintendent returns to-morrow if he can secure a pair, otherwise by next steamer. He intends addressing his constituents at Balclutha inslanter. The Opposition divided the House to-day on financial questions, and were defeated- The Government are secure for this session.

The Hundreds Regulations Bill. —The meeting at Balclutha yesterday in connexion with this subject was largely attended, nearly every settler within the radius of a dozen miles being present. Mr D. P. Steele occupied tbe chair. Mr J. W. Thompson denounced the measure as the most nefarious piece of legislation the country ever groaned under. If passed, L 90,000 would no more than cover the reasonable demands of the squatters who had lost lands for Hundreds previously. That measure was introduced by a party calling themselves the Constitutional party, who had denounced Mr Stafford’s conduct as an attempt to sap the foundations of Provincial Councils. This Bill was an attempt to sap them with a vengeance. As to compensation, he thought ruuholders would never be satisfied with 2s 6d per acre. There was great necessity for a combined attempt to resist the Bill. Captain Mackensio said he could not agree with the last speaker. He thought squatters should be compensated for improvements. They made land more valuable, and there was ultimately no loss to the country. The squatters were backed up by wealthy capitalists, and it was not therefore surprising that they should try to resist the ruin which the declaration of Hundreds must entail on them. He thought 2s 6d an acre not too high, ond that the extreme amount would probably not be demanded ; but it might be a penny as well as a half-a-crown. Mr Henderson said he considered this a most nefarious measure, and if passed would turn the entire Province into a mere sheep run. Mr Mosely condemned the measure as unconstitutional. A resolution was then put and carried, that Mr Macandrew be requested to resign his seat in the House of Representatives. The meeting at Waihola, adopted the following resolution—“ That our member be requested to communicate with the other members of the Provincial Council with a view to a united request being made to his Honor the Superintendent to summon a a meeting of the Council without delay. Mr Mackay who went to Wellington to present the petition from Tokomairiro, writes to the Bruce Herald, that on arrival at Wellington he had an interview with the Superintendent, and that he represented to him the state of feeling which the passing of the Bill had given rise to. His Honor said although his connection with the Bill as its supposed originator and introducer, ha l been misunderstood, he had merely supported it in common with the other mem* bers of the province, who in this, for the first time for many years, had voted as “ one man. He holds that the effect of the Bill will prove most beneficial, as Hundreds can now be opened up all over the Province as the dejpands of settlement may from time to time require, and the goldfields lands which "hitherto have been secured by the payment of large amounts for compensation, will be classed with the other lands of the Province at Is fid and 2s fid per acre, and now placed under the action of the Hundreds system, which they have never been before, and the Land and Goldfields Acta of 1866 thus avoided. He assured me that, but for this Act, the new Hundreds called for by the last Provincial Council would not have been granted, and that 15,000 acre Hundreds would he found of sufficient extent, as additional Hundreds of sijnilar extent could be constantly procured without 'teference to the Governor ; so that ample of available land might always be in the market for purchasers, while the large amount secured by the assessment on runs, something like L 50,000 annually, would continue to replenish the Provincial chest for the benefit of road formation and other public works so essential to the progress of bona fide settlement. His Honor ridicules the idea of runholders entering into competition with small farmers in the cultivation of grain crops as being a far-fetched idea, never likely to come to anything, as it would never pay the runholder to break up any extent of land for such a purpose apy more than for grazing under tho uncertain tenure of a lease. Mr Mackay states that Mr Reynolds considers that the ruuholders have got the worst of the bargain, and that the settlers of Otago have every cause to congratulate themselves upon the acquisition of the Regulations Bill, which provides a fixed law by which to claim and declare Hundreds for bonnfide settlement in future.

All persons interested in races are requested to attend a meeting at the Empire Hotel to morrow (Thursday) evening, when business of importance is to be attended to.