OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 216, 25 November 1854, Page 5

OTAGO.

By the Star we have"received intelligence of ; the arrival of the Dolphin at Otago. She left^i England on the 3rd of July. Her mail has " gone on to Wellington, and we may expect it down by the steamer. The master of the Star has favoured us with one copy of the Otago Witness, from which we have taken the following extracts. Political Meetings.—ln accordance with the request of Mr. J. Macandrew, the electors for the Dunedin Town District assembled in the School-House, Dunedin, on the 23rd ufo; when Mr. Macandrew entered into a lengthened statement of his votes and proceedings in the General Assembly. From the extreme length of the documents which he read to the meeting, ii would be impossible for us to reprint them in/ -; full: and as he complained of the report in th^' Witness of the proceedings of the Assembly asunfair, we feel it would be dangerous for us to attempt any description of his arguments; besides, some of the documents which he quoted —as for instance a letter from himself and Mr.- ' J. Caigill to the electors, and a protest signed by the minority of the House of Representatives —have, as far as we are aware, never been printed. Mr. Adam proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Macandrew, which was seconded ; thereupon Mr. Gillies moved an amendment, postponing coming to any decision until both sides were heard. Mr. Cutten said if the motion was to be considered as [simply a vote of thanks, he should vote for it; but if it was to be taken as an approval of the policy which his colleague had advocated, he hoped the meeting, before coming to a conclusion, would hear him. Mr. Macaiidrew assented to the fairness of the proposition, and the amendment having been put from the chair, was carried. The thanks of the meeting having been voted to Mr. Harris, as chairman, the meeting separated. Provincial Council. —The Provincial Council met on the 31st ult. We have not room for more than the following extracts from His Honor's speech :— • • • • * " A measure will be laid before yon f.>r the enlargement of the Council to IS iv all, providing (by the proclamation of the Province into Electoral Districts, for a new Iteifi^tvatinn with reference to those districts, a;nl that the new elections be preceded by a dissolution—so tb;it, as suggested by the Officer administering the Government, the electors should be aware of the powers that are likely to bo -xercis; l.-! by their representatives of legislating u:m!> ;;irt price and administration of the waste l.n is >>f the Province, and of making alteration-, in jiie Terms of Purchase within the O'ago Hio.-k (now proclaimed into three hutuuvds) at- >rding to the mind of the settler- who were brought to it under the principles of the Outgo Scheme. But as such hill must be re>Mved for the Governor's assent thereon, it will probably be advisable, in concurrence with resolutions of your House, and to the end that no hindrance be caused to the operations nfactual settlers, that instructions be issued i.>r sale and delivery to such settlers of rural aud suburban

lands within tb,e Otogo block on payment of an acreage deposit, with obligation for the payment of such full price as shall be fixed under sanction of the General Assembly, before the titles can be claimed. That all bush lands be reserved (with right of way) for ' pro rata' sales to proprietors of open lands near them, and that the present holders of runs by lease for a term of years, be not disturbed in their occupation of such runs. • * c » • " The revenue of our financial year, ending 30th Sept. last has been prosperous, and shows a considerable surplus ; which surplus it will be proposed to apply to aid in bringing out an immediate supply of labour, the scarcity of which so severely presses upou the development of the Province.

" On the subject of a general system of education, resolutions will be proposed to you declaratory of the mind and purpose of the Provincial Legislature thereon, and embracing a moderate appropriation for the initiatory step of bringing out three qualified teachers—one of them to be the teacher of a Normal and High School in D.unedin.

"It is believed that the matters I have submitted for your deliberations are not calculated to occupy your time for any thing like a long Session. So much is proposed to be left for an enlarged and newly elected Council and Superintendent, that I cannot doubt your concurrence in all that shall tend to its beiug convened at the earliest practicable date."