Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 1875.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 942, 11 November 1875, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 1875.

Last week we gave at some length a synopsis of the Abolition of Provinces measure, as passed recently by the Colonial Parliament. Of course, all our readers are aware that it will not liecome law until the conclusion of the next session of the Assembly, by which time it may be much modified—but that depends upon the wishes of the people themselves. The several constituencies have a voice in the election of members to decide whether the Act, as now passed, shall become law de facto or not. We do not propose to enter into the question of whether this measure was one introduced at the proper time, or whether a " servile and corrupt Ministry" (using Burke's words) can debauch the constituencies. That is another question into which we shall not enter. Our object to-day is simply to ask the constituencies—and more especially this one—to con. sider the effect of the local clauses of the Act as passed. The fathers of this measure—for there were more than one—did not know their own bantling, dressed as it now is. It will require a qood deal more dressing yet, in order to present a respectable appearance to the outside world, who, bye-the-bye, are keen critics. Mr Macandrew, aided by others, moved in the direction of clothing this skeleton bill by adding on to it a Public Works Board, that would have really kept the revenues of the united provinces of Otago and Southland under local control The Ministry saw the brokers ahead in this proposal. Wise in their generation, they met it boldly wit-h what has proved to be a lib. They said they would bring in such a Public Works Bill, and did not do so. At the close of the session they announced, however, that they would, immediately upon the opening of the next session of th? Assembly, brinj in their Local Self-Government Bill, a measure they had previously introduced and withdrawn. We do not Bay that the promised Bill is to be a jac simile of the slaughtered innocent. Probably not, for experience makes even powerful and unscrupulous Ministries wise in some form or another. What we do say, however, is that constituencies of the couflt-ry have a right to look alter this part of the new policy. Those districts—our own, for instance—who hf ve not local self-governing bodies should take care to create them, and for several reasons. (1) That they may be able to share in the land revenues; (2) That they may be able to attend at a Conference to consider the merits of the unfledged Bill; (3) That they may see that this district gains its share of the good things going. However, it is unnecessary to proceed further in this direction. We find corroboration «f cur views in another quarter, namely, from a ministerial supporter. It is said that all things rightly directed tend to an ultimate good. Mr Stafford, when he first became god-father and sponsor to a measure—the very paternity of which was doubtful—never thought that he should, before it was decently clad, have to " eat the leek." Yet, while the Bill was passing through the Assembly, the hon. member for Timaru had to stand up and fight hard for his well-begotten and prosperous child—the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works. Alas !it went down the gulf; the insatiable vortex also swallowed it up. No wonder Mr Stafford's voice was not heard I any more, except in bringing up the Public Accounts Committee's report... It was, we coufess, also a bitter morsel for us to swallow. We did not relish that especial leek,* for we had looked forward—as we have done for the last eight years —to the establishment of such a system as the Timaru and Gladstone Board of Works in this district. The dream baa vanished; the Macandrew Board of Works is yet in embryo. We think we have written eaough to draw attention, and shall conclude at present with the words, Work, watch and bs Careful

A corespondent, in ottr Open Column, attracts attention to the fact that Messrs Duncan and Bkll are applying for an enlargement of their respective sheep runs. Anyone consulting the map ; of the Wakatip depasturing diatriot; will see the position of ' the ruus. Mr Bell_ iljth* htfder of run No. 444, leased from the "Waste Lands Board, and Mr Dun Can rents' depasturing block, No. 22. Adjoining these two runs is a strip of ground unsold, and formerly, we believe, in the possession of our correspondent. Mr Davidson had, however, to remove the sheep he had running upon it and in the neighborhood, and he is, therefore, in a position to speak of its value. At the foot of Mr Duncan's run is what is called the Island block, formed by the confluence of the Shielburo,, and the Bight-hand branch or Polnoonburn. The Upper Shotover Mining Association have already taken action on be. half of those miners who own cattle to preserve this portion of the Commonage, and we are informed that one cattle owner is ready t to pay £l5O a-year rent for this block, if it is sold. The Government have already been communicated with by telegram, and asked to await a more formal and united protest. Then conies Mr Bell's case. He stated in Court that he required to embrace a portion of the Commonage, extending down the Shotover to Advance Point. He estimated this area at 5,000 acres. It is probably nearer 8,000 acres. Protests will also be lodged against this proposed extension. There can be no' doubt that it is very desirable natural boundaries should, if possible be adopted so as to enable sheep owners to successfully prevent their stock trespassing on the cattle Commonage. jj But to attain such results by annexing valuable grazing areas already occupied is a thing that must not be allowed. Our correspondent, and manv other sheep owners, view with covetous eyes —we use the word in a non-offensive sense—the cattle country, and woul<jl like to acquire it by fair means for sheep grazing purposes. Public opinion is strongly against their so obtaining it, and, we think, rightly to. There are two blocks only fit for sheep use that may be judiciously sold. A strip of country our correspondent once occupied, and that portion formerly occupied by Mr Atkins at the Roaring Billy, Arrow .River.

A police case last week was reported as Whittingham Bros. v. E. Duncan, a runholder, at Upper Shotover, whereas the defendant's name is H. Duncan, late of Frankton. As there happen to be, or to have been, three Duncan's in the district more or less connected with farming operations, we trust some allowance will be made for the unintentional mistake, which we regret having made. The attention of our Home correspondents is called to a postal notice in another column, which states that the San Francisco mail will close this evening. The previous mail went out last Tuesday three weeks—just 23 days—and yet this is " misnamed" a four-weekly service. No wonder the Suez line is looked upon with such favor, and the San Francisco with equal disfavor. By the former route, correspondents can calculate almost to a nicety (without newspaper notice) the time of departure ; but by the latter—the New Zealand route proper—us poor up country residents sometimes know nothing of the event until the mail has closed.

We hear of two parties who have hit upon a payable, or rather good, lead upon Londonderry Terrace, This will improve the prospects of the proposed new Shotover Terrace Sluicing Company. Through a typographical error, which appeared in our foot-note to Mr Tully's letter last week, it was made to appear that the Government funds in hand for a Library building were some £l3O only. The amount should have read £230.

Shearers are pouring into the district from various quarters. The figure is 20s per hundred, but for some reason, probably that of climate and so many sheds being open, the Wakatip district is looked favorably upon by this class of harvest hands. The Colonial Bank, who have just opened at Arrowtown, are, we understand, looking out for premises to start business in Queenstown. They have a numerous resident proprietary in the district, who, it is stated, intend to hold a meeting on Saturday evening. We learn, on what we consider undoubted authority, that Mr' J. Chaplin hat got the country postal mail service forthe ensuing year, and not a new finn as reported last week. It is probable, therefore, that the public will lose the services of Messrs Ord and Parsons who have hitherto carried the Queenstown mail. Although the business has lately been carried on by one of its partners (Mr Parsons) we speak of ti»em conjointly when we say that the public will regret the day when they resign duty, for Bince the existence of our goldfields no contractor has ever put on such good teams, or carried the raail with such reg&Jarity. Unfortunately, however, Messrs Ord and Parsons fell in dull times and we regret to state have not fdnnd the contract so profitable as they deserved. We are glad to say that the crops look well on the farms, and are in advance of the usual time. There is every prospect of an early and abundant harvest. Wheat is much firmer than it has been for some time past, and likely to increase in value. Flour, we hear, has gone up from £lO to £lllos per ton at the Brunswick Flour Mills. The carters on the Kingston to Winton road are pursuing a very suicidal policy again. They are charging €5 10s for carriage from Cowan's Bush to Kingston, while the Dunedin teamsters—despite the payment of numerous toll rate* and two puntages—are delivering goods in Queenstown at £9 per ton. The contrast may, perhaps, be more clearly set forth thus—Consignees via Bluff have to pay freight from Dunedin of 20s to 25s per ton ; then railway and agency charges at Winton; and again freight and agency charges at Kingston. There are aho, besides delays, no less than five loadings and tnloading to be gone through on this route, while oily one is requisite by the Dunedin i route. There *re also great complaints of tampering with goocb. The carriers between Cowan's Bosh and Kingston cannot, therefore, be considered wis* in their generation. The telegraphi; correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle, says it a understood that Mr Macandrew favors four proviices— two for each Island, with seats of Govemront at Auckland, Wellington, Christchttrch, and iunedin. In the South Island the two provinces are—Canterbury to include a portion of the W«t Coast, Nelson and Marlborough ; and Otagt to include the remainder of the West Coast ana fonth Canterbury.

Mr Stratford, R.M., has his hands quit* foil, but states he ia quite able to get through the work. He has been sitting in the Court here and sat at Arrowtown all day on Tuesday though it-was the Prince of Wales Birthday and observed by the community generally as a holiday.^ Home correspondent's hare anopportunity for onoe of replying to letters by the September mail» which arrived at Auckland a waQT*B° (three days before advertised time) and was delivered here today. The ordinary time occupied in transmission from Auckland is nine or ten days, but this time we have been favored. One of the measures forced through the Legislative Council as well as the Assembly, at the concluding portion of the sessions, was the Debtor and Creditors Act which entirely changes the bankruptcy laws of this colony. The Act has not yet reached us, but we give some particulars concerning it from the speeches of the Premier (Dr Pollen) and two or three other members. The debate in the Lower House cannot be evenly followed or the several amendments made on the Bill clearly traced. In the absence of the Act the Premier's explanations will convey its intentions. It will be observed that a man cannot go and file a declaration of insolvency without filing a statement of his accounts at the same time, and that he must also consult the main body of his creditors. What is meant by the retention of the fraud proceedings of the late Act we cannot Bay until the Act is before us. At any rate a change in an important direction has been made ; whether it is one advantageous to commercial interests and honesty of purpose of the insolvent debtor remains to be ascertained. Mr Vincent Pyke, our member for the House of Representatives, knows how to be sarcastic, as well as facetious, occasionally. His letter (dated 7th ult.)read at last Friday's meeting, quite alarmed some of the Councillors, and, although Mr Pyke did not mean what he said, the meeting decided to take steps to undeceive Government ami at the same time to lay before them the necessity of increasing and improving the accommodation for our criminals. I After referring to the joint action taken by the Provincial and General Governments regarding the erection of new Court-houses (now in course of construction), Mr Pyke goes on to speak of the gaol asked for, as follows " Touching the gaol or lock up, I should perhaps have been able to have induced the General Government to have made provision for a gaol, but I find that this is purely a provincial matter, and that large sums were voted by the Provincial Council during its last session to provide for the erection of gaols and lock-ups. These votes, I also find, include a sum of £SOO for the erection of a gaol at Arrowtown, and with regard to the Queenstown lock-up it is considered to be so excellently well-adapted to the purposes for which it is used, and so perfect in its arrangements that there is no intention to meddle with it. Yon will perceive that this is a matter which your representatives in the Provincial Council have had already under their puiview, and that my functions as your representative in the Assembly will not ad mit of any further interference. The Star states that the Manse tenants in the Princes street arbitration award are willing to com promise for £20,000; that Pyke will stand for the Dunstan; that Mr Bathgate has instituted legal proceedings against the Timet for attacks on himself.

His Honor Mr Justice Johnstone gave judgment at Chrißtchurch, on Friday, re the Herriot Hundred question. It was a motion for an attachment against three members #f the Otago Waste Lands Board, and his Honor dismissed the case, upheld the action of the Board, and disallowed costs to Herbert and others. Mr Qarrick obtained leave to appeal. A memorial has been addressed to the General Government by the settlers and other residents at Martin'j and White Bay, praying that their settle ment may be placed on a similar footing, as to conditions of settlement, as that relating to the Jackson's Bay Special Settlement. The conditions regulating this settlement we have before published. The chief ones are residence, the right to purchase at 203 per acre for rural lands after two years bona fide settlement, and cultivation of one-lith of the land, or 42s for suburban land, after seven deferred payments of 6s per annum All the land revenue is devoted to encouraging the establishment industries, such as timber saw mills, flour dittos brick and potteiy works, fisheries, Ac., and the making of roads and bridges. Just the thing required by this district. We wish the Martin's Bay settlers every success in their movement. The Wellington telegraph correspondent in Friday's Daily Timet throws some light as to the object of Mr Beetham's mission to the North, in the following paragraph A Commission has been appointed by the Governor to enquire into the nature of certain claims on the colliery reserve at Westport. The claim consists of certain buildings erected and improvements made in the said reserve, valued by the claimants at £50,000. The Government allege that no authority was ever given to these parties to squat on the reserve and district. Judge Weston and Warden Beetham, of Queens town, Otago, have been appointed Commissioners to investigate the case. They sit on the 25th inst, at Westport. We notioe that, in Committee of Supply in the House of Representatives, on the 15th October, the following votes for railways and bridges in this province were passed. (The Winton line includes provision for purchase of the provincial lines, say sbout £B2,ooo.):—Waitaka bridge, £18,494 ; Wai-taki-Invercargill line, £600,000 (?)? TokomairiroLawrence line, £83,000; Winton. Kingston line, £156,000; survey of new lines. The repairs to Mr M'Lean's s.s. Venus, lying on the slip near the Park, have nearly been completed, that is so far as the iron work is concerned, and work, we believe, is temporarily suspended. The steamer has undergone t thorough overhaul under the superintendence of Sir C. E. Price, Campstreet, assisted by the engineer, Mr R. Williams. Nearly all her lower plates have been replaced, and a considerable quantity of the internal ironwork and fastenings is new. When finished, it is said the will be nearly equal to new, and with the addition of a new three bladed fan, will be capable of running from 12 to 14 knots an hour. There is some talk of a company being formed to purchase her for the Wanaka Lake. We hear that the timber trade on that Lake is rapidly increasing, and the saw-millers are sadly in need of more rapid and regular means of transit than that afforded by the sailing boats now plying there. It is thought by some that her carrying capacity is too small for the m*in requisite, but still rapid passages would, to a great extent, compensate for this shortcoming. There is one thing our little clipper should prove a great acquisition on our' northern . lake, if the pasesoger trade wen worth consideration.