THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH, 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 106, 19 March 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out faciam." WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH, 1862.

The Lyttelton Chamber of Commerce commenced, some while back, an agitation, the object of which was to secure an alteration in the tariff. For this purpose it prepared a scale of duties which it-proposed to substitute for those at present in force, and sent copies of it to the Chambers of Commerce of the other Provinces inviting their co-operation. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce, which seems to number earnest and hardworking men amongst its members, has issued a pamphlet, in which the proposal ofthe Lyttelton Chamber of Commerce is ably discussed. The objection urged to the present taaiff is, both the difficulty of collecting it, and the unequal way in which it passes over various classes of goods. The measurement system affects equally goods of all qualities, so that the finer species of goods, used principally by the ..wealthier classes, are subject to a far smaller per centage of duty than the cheaper qualities of goods used by the working classes. " I find," says the Secretary of the Lyttelton Chamber " that watertights, straw hats, blankets, and rough goods generally pay from 15 to 150 per cent, on their cost ; and pickles, sauces, fruits, &c, about 50 per cent." Herein, of course, it is that the measurement, system -is chiefly to blame, and the Secretary goes on to recommend the assimilation of the tariff to that of Victoria, the principle of which is to tax as few goods as possible. Somewhat inconsistently, the tariff recommended by the Lyttelton Chamber does not bear out the principles which it.is stated dictated it. Its devisers seem to have been frightened at the magnitude of their undertaking, and to have made a sort of compromise between that which they want, and that whicli already exists. Instead of doing away with measurement duties altogether, they continue them to about half the articles at present, subject to a similar impost, but reduce the price from 4s. to 2s. 6d. They draw nice distinctions between raw and- refined sugars, evidently calculated to produce complications, and they subject to duties some articles which in Victoria are exempt. The Wellington. Chamber very sensibly objects to this half measure pf reform, and urges that the operating knife should be applied effectually at once. A little consideration should sliqw the Lyttelton Chamber the inconsistency, not to say the irrationality, of the position it has as- ■; sumed. The measurement duties are not objected to because of their heaviness, per se, but because they, press so unequally on various classes of goods. The mere reducing the price per loot does not do away with the inequality. We are quite willing to allow that, consequent upou the objectionable nature of the [ system, the fewer goods subjected to measure- ■ ment duties the better, and so far we hail the ' reduction of the number of articles amenable '• to the impost. But on the same principle, in- i stead of reducing the rateper foot on the other i goods, we would rather raise it, so as to per- j mit the exemption of a larger number of . articles. But what we contend for is, that the measurement system niaj' be done away with altogether, and we believe we will be able to ' show this before-we bave finished. * We presume it is unnecessary to point out ' that the fewer the articles subjected to im- * post, the more convenient it is to the merchant, i the more cheaply the duties can be collected i by the Custom House; and the greater is the c advantage to the consumer. It is in this re- c spect.that the Victorian Tariff is so admirable, t and if it could be shown that the New Zealand revenue would not suffer materially by the adoption of a similar one, there seems every s reason why it should be adopted. Ourcalcu- c lations, unfortunately, have to be based on ° data of of a somewhat lengthened period back, t as we have not the exact returns of the Cus- t toms revenues for 1861, and are therefore 2 obliged to adopt those for 1860. Still, n pxcpnt tbat the duties h&X£ increased. »

and with tlie increase the inconvenience of collecting them, what applies to 1860 applies equally to a later date. Out ,k of a total revenue of £189,107 15s. lid., colic- lected in 1860 by duty on imports, the amount collected on account of measurement" goods 1(1 was £28,725 17s. 4d., or about lo per cent, of :>n ■ the tolal revenue. Hut this has to be materially reduced by the extra cost for collecting measurement duties. Fifteen per cent, would doubtless be a serious loss on the revenue, but if it can be shown that by adopting the Victorian duties a considerable part of it could be avoided, it will be admitted that a strong ;s" case is made out for choosing that tariff, in '°~ 'preference- to the compromise recommended by the Lyttelton Chamber.' We present -below a statement of imports to Ne\v ; Zealand during the year 1860, showing the articles and the revenue ~~" derived from them under the tariff of tbat colony. In the third column we.give 00 the amounts the same articles would realise by the Victorian scale of duties. It will be les seen tbat, though there is a difference of foi' £22,847 14s. lOd., four heads (which include g'° a countless number of items) come under the cc. denomination " free." ics p © o jj) woho!> si flSf 'OT~ $ 8 S § §'.* |S Ppg'l'Jl- « S S-^-a = 22. H i;SS >- ■I * 3 - • £ 8„ c B a 5 % P- O. ■ o — srf 2. p.. . - ... • P . B:s °' a • •»= • ■• = • w OT off 3 s' sss - "»• -< )0. ■ .j- 53- . S o-si ■ -■■ w o m ra o o 5< ' &B •S- Sg.. • • • " « raft - * -2,-^' " ' " . B -a tf. — °\ c a Of ' . HO 3-'- C H-i coj= oj-^j-j^.." => £ [lk -'. Qsn , -,^--i-J»('^OOOOOC)CD ,y "."'■s: ? g-g-g^^frs a -=5 .M ' ' • ? p r" 'sr w it. Eg ■ 5 5 " • £.& y y - f§ ~£ : . Jtl^ 3 M^oiooiNi^bieHiooHP' ' ~ ' r ~~~~- !T ro to rS .3 • • ■ • # js<3 )0 ET p ? 3 « 2 I § £ b sr 3 — ;s, 5' Hi o of- g So >-■►-■>o 00 *2 -fq J 33 _w >-' »J° 0 M » "cs "co'oDVi'i-i*. w ~a co *- g es ts 10 -.iiMtaia*.iOi»fr C >3. o »i<i80iooo:oio 5 ■a g o 000000000 H g : ; , ____ We are informed that the Provisional Directors t of the Steamship " Victory " Company have made definite arrangements with Mr. Scott, the comfn pany's engineer, to proceed immediately with the work of lifting and moving her into deep \» atcr, s. and that Mr. Scott takes his departure by the •s, " City of JHobart," for the purpose of providing ly himself with all the necessary appliances for enabling him to proceed with this apparentlygigantic undertaking. All parties are confident of Mr. Sc«tt's efforts being attended with success, „ and we trust, not only for the benefit of those who ~ are intesested in the result, but for the credit of the province, and as a proof of what can be accomplished by.the aid of hydraulic power, tlmt the » engineer's most sanguine expectations may be realized. On Monday evening, about 5 o'clock, as three of the crew of the " Phoenix" were going off to =_ that vessel from the Jetty, in a small boat, the wind blowing hard at the time, the boat which was heavily laden, shipped a quantity of water, , mid presently sank. Fortunately the boat had le not got fur from the jetty when the accident ocin • cm-red, and none of the party were drowned, a Had the boat been a little further out, it is more te than probable that the result would have been 3S fatal, as one of the crew was unable to swim. As le it was they all escaped with a good ducking, and 1- the loss of eight bags of .potatoes and some "' biscuit. ,_ AYe have obtained the following particulars c respecting the men awaiting trial before the next - Criminal Sittings ; —'ftiomas Kelly, alias Hiinnon, t is a native of London, and arrived in Australia i by the "Koyal Charter," in 1859 :he is 35 years ■of age, a laborer by trade, and a lloman Catholic ' in creed. Richard Burgess, alias Hill, is a native '' of London, and arrived in Australia by the " La- '• buan," in 1848 : lie is 32 years of age, a stoneb cutter by trade, and belongs to the Church of ■ . England denomination. He has beeii committed - f before, and received a sentence of 10 years im- 1 , prisonment, with hard labor. He was convicted 1 ■ with the Melville gang, which, some time since, j ' created such n sensation in Melbourne. John 1 i Russell, alias Spratt, is a native of London, and 1 ' arrived in Australia by the " Catherine,"' in 1 1848 .- he is 40 years of age, a hutchtr by trade. 1 and belongs to the Church of England denomina- 1 j- tion. He has been previously convicted, having \ -• received c sentence of eight years for horse-steiil- : ing : nnd has only been free by servitude some 1 three or four months. John Davis, is a native d lof Staffordshire, and arrived in .Sydney by the 0 ■ "Brilliant," in 1853 : he"is 43 years of age, a ; laborer by trade, and-professes no religion. He t ' says that he has not. been previously com ictod. [ After entering the gaol by the north door, the a visitor finds the office on his right hand, and a, , lumber-room on his left. Immediately fronting , the .entrance gate is an iron railing, which sepn.- i rates a part of the ground from the muster yard. Crossing this yard we enter the main building, v which has, upon the "basement, twelve compart- v ments—nine of which are cells, capable of eon-r tabling four prisoners each ; the other three arseparate cells, occupied by lunatics. Four pri- j soners are confined in each of the nine cells ; but ' it is, we are informed, the opinion of the medical , er that they are much too small for that number. -,There are two mess-rooms on the ground floor. The airing-yard, for prisoners undergoing sen- , tences of hard labor, is on the right hand of , western side ; its area is 39 feet by 36 feet j it has no seats and no drainnge. A quantity of masonry encumbers the ground, but this is owing to the construction of necessaries. The penal yard, appropriated to the men awaiting trial, is on the left hand, or eastern side, and covers an area of 36 feet by 20 feet. This yard, like the . one before-mentioned, is destitute of drainage. Constables' towers are in course of erection, above the centre of the southern walls. There is a warder pn duty in the penal yard ; but, as tliere * is no separate walk for him, he is placed in the unenviable position of being in immediate contact with the prisoners ; being, in point of fact, in * the very midst of them. Proceeding up the stone stairs on the left, we come to three single cells, measuring about eight feet by four. There are nr five _cells on the right hand, wliich have been se converted into sleeping wards, and made to ac- 'D Commodate four prisoners eech, besides which * there is one large dormitory, capacious ° enough: for the. reception of eleven pri- •_ soners. The debtors division consists of £ one day-room and two sleeping apartments, g .. one capable of accommodating two men, and re the other three. The debtors yard, situated be- ol twixt the two, already noticed, has a sequare area of ni 20 feet of 20 fept. Last night (Tuesday), there were hi niflbty-one prisoners' confined within the low walls P*

• cause they are not of a sufficient height to rendert i escape impracticable ; nnd it would be no difficult t matter for ten or twelve.desperate men to rush and overpower the solitary warder who affects to keep guard on the penal side. The daily dietary scale f is as follows :—No. 1 (as it is called), applies to solitary confinement, and consists of 24 oz-s." of r bread n day, Jib. for breakfast seven ; jib. for din- ] ncr at 110011 ; nnd Jib. tor supper at five. No, 2 t is tor men awaiting trinl, and consists of 24 ozs. - bread ; Jib meat, Jib. of vegetables, \ oz. of maize c to put in tho soup ; £oz. tea, 2 ozs. sugar, i oz. ? salt, and J oz. of soap. No. 3 is for riicn under l * sentence to hard labor, aud consists of 24 ozs, of bread, lib. of meat, Jib. of vegetables, J oz. often, ' 2 ozs. of sugar, i oz. of salt, and i oz. of soap. y No. 4is special, and is only allowed, when ordered g by the medical officer. There is no distinct lios,f pital attached to the gaol; tho sick are confined in c cells. Supposing tiny contagious malady, such as ie typhoid fever, for instance, or cholera, were to bee tray itself among any ot tho prisoners, what could >f be done? The disorder being infectious^it would c not bo right to permit contact with those in health ; and there is no accommodation for them _ separate from the rest. We hear that the erection of another gaol is contemplated, although the site has not yet been selected. The official department comprises—a governor, a matron, a senior warder, ten warders, and one overseer laborer. It may astonish some of our neighboring colonists to hear that land in the city of Dunedin has been sold during the week at a price equal- to the enormous figure of .£BO,OOO per acre. - Amongst the new arrivals in Dunedin are Mr John Robinson Bailey, late member for a Ballarat constituency, and Postmaster-General in Victoria ; and Mr Hackett, the well known police magistrate, who presided for so many years at the District Court, in Melbourne. At Taranaki the wives and children ofthe - settlers were returning, and the town assuming a better aspect ; but the farms are still, deserted—. the settlers not yet having sufficient confidence to trust themselves far from the protection of tbe military. Hapurona had returned somewhat pacified. _ At Wellington, Nelson, and Canterbury, nothing of importance since our last dates. It will be seen by reference to the communication from our special correspondent, that the Coromandel Field reports arc an unmitigated hoax. We say nothing as to the reasons that dictated them, but evidently nothing had occurred to give any cause for them. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint Thomas Anstey Mansford, Esq., a Solicitor of Her Majesty's Superior Courts at Westminster, and late Chief Clerk at the Resident _ Magistrate's Court, Auckland, to be Resident Magistrate at Port Chalmers, Otago. ■s B7 an error in Judge Harris' farewell report, it c was stated that he had disposed of 13,000 cases ~ during tho last year, and 4000 during the last 3 c montlis. It should have been 4000 cases during r, the last 13 months. c Miss Gordon and Mr. Hydes are likely to g prove valuable additions to the Princess company ir The lady is well known both as a clever versatile >' actress and good .singer, while Mr. Hydes has 't earned a reputation as an excellent low come* 5i dian. o )f Mr. Commissioner St. John Branignn informed L . the Resident Magistrate yesterday that frequent c complaints were reaching the head quarters of the j. constabulary against parties who suffer their horses and cattle to stray at large, to the injury of B private gardens aud tho annoyance of the public" B generally. A reference to our police report will c show some summary convictions obtained under tl this head: The owners of animals should, there- . fore, take timely warning. I The Garrick Club have selected " Money "as . the first play to be performed by them; to be fol- [. lowed by an afterpiece entitled " The: Omnibus." c A notice, of which the following is a true eopy> 1 was posted up at the Custom-house yesterday : — s " Custom-house, Dunedin, 18th March, 1862. The 1 Collector of Customs desires to draw the attenb tion of masters of vessels, and parties engaging seamen, to the 14Sth clause of the Merchant 5 Shipping Act,..17 and 18 Vie, cap. 104, which t provides, 'If any,person demands, or receives, , either directly or indirectly, from any seaman, or L- apprentice, or from any person seeking employj ment as a seaman or apprentice, Or from any . person on his behalf, any remuneration what- ! ever, other than the fees hereoy authorised for . providing him with employment, he shall, for . every such offence, inGur a penalty not exceeding !" five pounds.'" We particularly Invite the attention of all the crimping houses to the above clause. . We know that in Melbourne very enormous frauds are daily practised upon inexperienced seamen by many of tho unscrupulous shipping masters who infest that metropolis, and, as business is extensively increasing here, we are glad to find tbat the local authorities are resolved upon suppressing so heinous a nuisance Poor Jack works hard enough for what he gets' without being subjected to extortion. The Coromandel gold fields have attracted numbers of miners from the South, but they will derive no benefit from the change, except change of air. ! A very severe gale swept over Auckland on , the 4th inst., doing considerable damage to shipping aud property ; two or three small craft sunk, I and the wharf much damaged. . The Princess' Theatre was densely crowded « last night, on the occasion of the benefit for the J Otago Jockey Club. The effect of the full house was not lost on the actors, who played with un- 1 usual spirit, aud the large audience was generally t well pleased with the entertainment, ; The Airedale, with the mails fron) the Northern i Provinces, arrived last night, with dates, —Auckland March 9th; Taranaki, March 10th; Nelson, I 12th; Wellington, 14th; Lyttleton, 17th. At t Auckland nothing of particular interest had t transpired. The troops have all been withdrawn ~ from the garrison and camp, in order to push on ' the completion of the road to the Waikato before the winter. The volunteers were doing the gar- ? rison duty. The natives have ceased their op- ; position to the road making; but tlieir uccep- a tance of Sir Geo. Grey's policy is not either so unanimous or so warm as is generally reported. J In fact, while accepting the letter of the Go vert nor's proposals, they quietly ignore the spirit, as c instance the recent outrage on Mr. Gorst, tlie b newly-appointed magistrate in the Waikato. si