THE Otago Daily Times. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1872.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3256, 13 July 1872, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1872.

1 WiiiTiiEtt are we drifting f is a question which meets one in the highways and bye-ways-—in the city, the country town, and amid the forms of the interior. It i« a question not confined to the houses of the wealthy, but is anxiously asked in the homesteads of the working classes ; and wherever a social gathering takes place, it is asked— Whither j»re we drifting?—for that m Hies general form of the question. But many a thoughtful man, reviewing the jjast and forecasting thp future, asks, What is to be the end of tin's headlong movement under full pressure of steam, and how soon is that end to be ? Listening to the soothinguLtoranccs of platform speeches, when the candidate wooes the voting populace, ail is earnestness, devotedness, and self-denial. These same speeches, road by the light of after events, give another sound; and despair, instead of hope, takes possession of u». Yesterday's steamer took away a large amount of senatorial wisdom ; to-day's steamer will take away what remains. In three mouths our legislators will return, and anxious questions will bo nsked, the answers to which the past sadly foreshadows—-whether party or duty has prevailed, whether the support of men lias taken the precedence of the support of -measures, and whether we are to rejoice that this or that Government is utill in power, while liabilities have been incurred which will tax our energies to the utmost, if they do not empty our purees. Will our members of both Houses forget the existence of all Governments, and insist on justice to Otago, and this wellbeing of the Colony? Otago, united in such a, cause, would be irresistible. .Are .we to l>e bothered with an Education Bill when we are perfectly'satisfied with- our local Ordinance; as other Provinces are with theirs? Our system, has ..borne the test of experience, and will yet bear goodly fruit if ""meddlers' will stand aside. Is Otago, with an estate of millions of acres, to have doled, out to her a mere pittance- of ; railways,. when, other Provinces with a tenth of the security which" she '''offers, have twice the amdunt of railway accommodation ? Are wo still to go on giving £IGQ,OOO for Defence,, and ,4^o^ooo r ,for r Road Boards, and some £-10,000 f or pther Northern Island purposes^ out of loan, in addition to Immigration and Public Works Loans, thus exceeding our revenue/without tliife siddition, by onethird annually? .s the Province'to be, placed on, quarter, rations to feed the North ? Are we to be; der spoiled first of our ordinary revenue, and i then * to/ • bes >. m uleted *of our territorial? Are immigrants to be shoaled on to^the waste lauds of the Colony j remote from centres of population, and-from a possibility of selffiustonance1? Is, the Northern ? Island to have these immigrants poured into it, and receive payment for lauds taken'for their -location, thus seriously affecting the security which is pledged for railways and loans? Are we to pay a large subsidy for im irregular. S.m Francisco service to Auckland, when a Suez line with a •^cMnparatively small subsidy will give us regular communication with Europe ? Are we to have an income or property tax, or both, to remind us of ciur liberality -to the North f Let not out* representatives delude us with. faJBO hopes and promises light as air. Whoever, may be retained in power, the sacrifice is 1 too, great if such retention is purchased at the cost of granting Northern railways * which will i.ot pay for even greas-ing-the wheels of thecarriages.' Otago appears to forget that for every pound of additional taxjj.tiorL.jßhe has to pay .*ss, and' that ijusolveiit" Provinces in the North care little for their insolvency , while they can hope to rob the South'of its territorial estate—fiat is, railroads are made and expenditure incurred in the North, while the South is almost entirely excluded from like benefits. Jf oar legislators: arc disposed to act in so self-denying and liberal*a. spirit let them say sjoat once, but do n6t let tneiriijeiray us with a kLss or a «mile. If the heavy hand of taxation takes a iirm' gras'p'blF 'Otago,' pjiraly&ng every industry, and adding unbearable weight to every^biurdenj let Otago remember1 that it is her own doing, and that,she will only be reapiug as she has sown/ • ; Few, we imagine, were surprised to find that the meeting was hold for the purpose of, having t the ; pri»cipleV of the Permissive Bill explained and ad-, vocated, was in reality a teetotal gathering.- To be sure, we mused the accustomed/awful example'from ther jplatfpnn,..^ut.m ofcJier ( ts the^snril roundin'gs;'of the meeting liiul an air of extreme "temperance about thenu No one ,can- ;doubfc but. fclmit. $h$ t reverend gentlemen .who itook.part in the ,pro-| ceedings were prompted by most ex-. cellent motives. They seem tpluiyc Jkent, ill .view ; the^notprlous.^^ Hbat the" common, sale of mtoxicating drink is productive bt' a, grfe;*t portion ;of the crimey together with much of the wantjj degradation,,.misery,}.lunacy, and preraature deaths in the Colony/ and to have contended that the method pro-. "pwea hr ihetVeiteimv&BM'ht rje^ul*^ ing the liquor traffic, would tend to whu» 7t£e; f »te of drin^v-and-

, consec[uenti|y to lessen the evils which arise frhm its abuse. Under such circumstances, therefore, it would be unkind to scrutinise too nicely the arguments ;by wjbieh the speakers sought to support the principles of the proposed '~'■>. Hitherto the power of regu-lating-the^sale of liquor within the v polouy bas^been vested in the Provincial "-Councils ; but an effort will be made during the approaching, session of the Assembly to place upon the Statute Book a Licensing Act for the whole Colony, which of course, if passed, will render inoperativeall local Ordinances ujwri tho subject. The provisions of the Bill differ in many respects from those of the system in force in

this Province. We have no inten-

tion, however, to notice its many clauses, and will only indicate the

one j>roin?nent feature which it possesses, and from which it acquires the title of 'Permissive Bill.' The Dill proposes that the Colony shall bis divided into Licensing Districts, and that these, if possible, shall be identical with existing Municipal Wards, Bond Board Districts, or School Districts. It is further proposed that when twothirds of the adult population of any District shall request,that the side of liquor be prohibited within such District, no license shall be granted or renewed for the sale of liquor within the District. At the expiry of turee^years, however, from the date of tho.proijibi-

tion, any lifty fHjrsonfi i-e«idenfc in the District may compel the authorities to ascertain the views of the inhabitants-re-garding .the" sale .of liquor, to prohibit which it■\will -'again require the votes of two-thirds of the resident adujts. Has public opinion in this community called for legislation of this kind 1 liasthe experience gained by countries where laws prohibiting the salej of drink h&ve been in force, been, of, bo satisfactory a character as to induce the

people of Ntfw Zealand to demand

stringent legislation on this subject! To the first of these questions, tho most ardent supporters'df the Permissive Bill would not venture to give an affirmative answer. In regard to the secoml, the Kev^ Dr. Stuaut spoke truly whan he said that f the Abolitionists.' in America acknowledged that the fruits there had not been so great as they had. expected.' The fact is, that the marked result of any experiment in this direction has been loss of revenue to the State possessing the prohibitory law, not decrease in the consumption of spirits.

It was 'stated about two months ago in

the Houte of Commons, when a Permissive Liquor Bill, supported by a few1 wel!-rneaning persons,! was; tinder consideration, upon the I authority of the Mayor of Portland, the capital city of the Stote of Maine, that : although m, prohibitory law was in force in that city, them ~were; no fewer than 300 houses where liquor was sold, and that out of a population of 31,000: inha-

bitants there were upwards of 2000 j casra of drunkenness annually adjudi- ! cated apoii. Mr Plimholl, the member., who gavn this information, stated that he himself had visited a store in Port- * land where liquors were allowed to be sold on production of a medical cevtiiiT cate; and when he asked for a pint of whisky, the' only question, put to him wa« f ' sort will you have V The storeman at the same time handed him a list of thirteen varieties.? / ; ft,

Speaking of the advantage* of restricting the number of license-holders, so as to prevent * undue and excessive competition' in tlio trade, the Rev. Dr. Copland ' desired to say a word in t?ie interests of thoso mon engaged, in the traflic; and jie really believed that the results of the restrictive measure would be to benefit those engaged in tli» trade.' We believe him. Were the reverend gentleman bo succeed m olh . taming for the present holders of licenses a monopoly of the liquor trade, a hint that ho M desirous of becoming President of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, we feel certain t would secure him that honour. It is bec;uise tho public would be the 10-sera" by the existence of such a mono-; poly that a measure proposing to grant' it should Ixj oppose<L What iff ifc but competition, (that induce* the holder of a publican's license to have commodious and well furnished apar.tr mentg, to provide a good table, and to keep , the '."best brands in his cellar ? That unhealthy kind of competition which Dr Copland : deplores, tain be best put a stop to by increasing the license fee, by ..granting, licenses only #>, the occupaute of. suitable , premises, and" by other means which vtonld not prevent; a respectable m;tri possessed of capital from 'skirting in 'business:at any;.'time "in; anyfparfc ofthe Colony. In .the p'testen testate of* pubic opinion regarding the liquor' traffic,'the legislation best suite! to thY general wish must aim, not at 1 the prohibition of the sale of drink, bjut at the maintenance of'hone but,wcn conducted licensed houses throughout the country. Tiie Ilev. ( Mr RosEßY.has given us the Alliance view of the question, andthe Rev. Dr Coi'Lamo haa shown^us liow to legislate,' in the '.ihiereite ;o^P! die publican, but when the Assembly does take up'the.ljiqnor/qnegJadn in earnest, we believe'fchat neither parfcywill be found powerful' enough;;-to, force,its.extremeviews ujjofii'the country. ■ : .■,! 1 • ■ '■■ —»^i—»——————— '■'-, Ye3fcerday, the immigrants by the William *Da vie were hired out a,t S'ihe Immigrattoji Barracks. . Tliore were applications lor 51) servants on the application books of tlte-Im-migration Offieo, and taa:e of them had been ma<le for teiT'days'or"* lbrt"n!g¥€"pfevious to thevamvatl voiF^th«»' ve*a\l*~ Many of the inimi- • grants wcntjto f friendaon arrival, anil of those who went to the barracks, 27 female, aervanW «iunjiber-^~wcre|; engaged' yesterday, afr wages varying froni £26 to £40 per annum, the ayerago >rabe being ~aboaV'£§o. In fact,' we' iearii^tliat had three times as - many;, come they .would have tieeii engaged! - Six of tfie plou«hmen and farm •ervant* were eugaged jat wages averaging £45i !I^ remainder, ten iv number, will,! Sit.it expected,' be tmgaged ,toVdayi"7jiT^S trade«men, on landing, «^,oncc. /oond work at their t««pectiye Jbwiii tmnu'O»!tlu«lpcQMiort;tiii expternnefl*^ ,-tried of Boi hiring WtbeiwmigrMU for thre«d>yfc

in order to give them time to -wash their clothes, and get themselves into a titly state. The result was found to bo bo satisfactory that thin, course will be adopted in future*.*1-, MrGteiirgcLtunb, Danodin, has forwarded to us lithographed plan* showing tho kind of torpedo with which he pmpose* the h^rlwur should be pi olocUml, and the mauner in which ho thinks. Punedju should be defended in tho eveut jbf "attiiincniy|jß cruiser attempting to sliell the town irom oiF the Ocean Reach. Mr Lnmb pro^scs to place a 08-

IMtiudcr on Lawyer's' Head, and another on Forbury Head, two more l/ciug placed in the sandhills, equidistant from the two former

nud from each other, Mr I*umb, in a ld-t< rt» Major Atkinson, detailing JiLs plan. saya :-- ---" The idea which I entertain with referoueo to the C 8 pounders is that they should be mounted at Ixirl#t(?, with gtu>d r,mU;s^:d« for the gtin'a ctcw ; guns and uicws to b«

the same colour as the hilllp, to prevent the enemy from taking crosa-bearingß and runceutrating his fire on ouo upot The ambuscade should ho iv contiguity to the battery, as a shot of any largo calibre can :»hvay« be Been approaching by day, or a shell by night*' Mr Lumb states that ho had an interview

with the Defence Minister, and showed iiim

his plans, with which Mr M'Lvan "was very •well pleased, and jromia-d me the

plans should li.'ivo tbat due consideration which they appear; d to deserve, ho con* ' stderiu'g them the most practicable out of Hume 50 or <J0 plans which had be«ai sub raittcd to hun." Mr Lunnb also stales that His Honour the Superintendent lias" protimed to bring forward the matter during the ensuing session of the CJeneral Aasombly,

With reference to the shipment of 300 German immigrants, exp<;cted to arrive from Hamburg in the course of next month, the Immigration Officer at Duncdin "wrote to Mr Nees, the President; of the Puuedin Deutscher Verein, requesting him to ask the

Society for their aßsiatani*,e and advice in the

placing out of them. JHo h;ia einc^ receivctl au answer, in which it is stated that the Society is most willing to give every assist-

ance to him, and that communications Mill

bo sent- to the Germans over the Province, •with a view to finding siluations for th« new arrivaln. This laudable interest evinced by the Hermans here in the welfare of their compatriots deserves not to go unrecorded. Lieut.-Col. Cargill ins[K»cted the Dunedin

Artillery last evening.

There were present

2 lieutenants, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, I bugler, and 30 volunteers. The Lieut-Col. expressed great pleasure at the state of the amis, &c, but thought the members might improve themselves in their eompauy drill Two detachments were told off, and were given half jilt hour's gun drill. The Hon. Major Richardson wan present during fcho whole time. , -~.„'

Mr Burton, Hon. Treairarer of the Masonic

Ball Committee, lianded to His Worship the Mayor yesterday a, donation of £5 si>, tor the Benevolent Institution. This amount represented the surplus, after paying all expenses, connected with thx> recent ball. This appears to have been one of the few Duaodin balls which has not only paid its expenses, bnt left a balance. ,' f ? ..■■:

The arguments of counsel againat making absolute a rule niisi for prohibitiQii, in the case of, Itegirui c. Beet ham and Eag<s>r, were continued in the Supremo Court yesterday, bat were not concluded when the Court adjoiirned.l We hold over onr report 'until

Monday*

The Court .will git again to-day.* v

The adjourned summoned meeting of the Loyal Uunedin Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., was

held in the Lodge-room on Thumlay cvrcning. Tho Auditors' report ami balance fihfict for the poet six months wore read. The Auditors considered the Lodge to bo in a very pntftpernuH condition. The sick and funeral fnnd had increased during t)ic »ix mouths to the sum of £71 Itis 7<l. Sick pay to tho amount of £12 10a 104 had been paid ; mid the total value of the Lodge was £1610 0a

lOil, being equal to £H1 IO; 'id per member.

Of the above Hum, £135.} i« knt on iinsfc-clas-i ujortgages, yielding, on an average, interest at the rate of nine per cent. The remainder is deposited in the Poat-iifHce .Savingd' lUnk aitel the Union Bank. Oil behalf of tlio

Lodge, <J.M. Gibb presented P.Ci. Italic with a framwl certificate, in recognition of his services during the two years he was in office.' Bro. Leslie responded in Hiiit;«.]jle terms.

The proa^icctiiH of the now TijHiiranco Company ro3tnjjy rttirt&l in Aucltlaiul, iin'lcr the title of " The South British Viva ami Marine lusuraiicj Company of Nun' Zenland," will be" found in our advertising coin mns to-day. Regard iug fcbia ijomyany, onr Auckland corrfe^rnlenb, in a letter received ypslt-rday, wrU^H : -" Mr licctham aud Mr liltcide go s/mth by this stenrncr, on liehalf of tho South British Inaurance Ci-m | pany. The object is 4» establish in each Province a Direcfcqiy, so that the institution may be iil'cvery aeiise Colonial. J t luus !>een :warmly; taken: np, sancl the whole frf tlic sliares could withp.ufc tliJlijtilty be placcil ip* Auckland, bnb tlte original conception ,<>f the scheme living tp.jmke it for the Colony, only 02jO«l«fcrea have bceu rascrvetl for this .Eroviujee." • -

"'The nomination of candidates for the (flius, of the Mayoralty for"tie ousuiug•year took place'yeaterday. ( It was gwneraUy^ thought tbftb Mr Fwli would W"aUowod'"to'enter-ia: third ternrof office by a walk over, and it WH«Vnot;tUl r Justfb<rf<?re, tfc£';aoininatioii. tlmt it became known Mr It<j«soo*.hfun wou?.il deprive luu^-of/. that pleasure. ; MjpjPiah nnd . MrKossbofcham were Ihe two.candidates,., and ,tho proceedings,""-'which are reported^ elsewhere,' were diKtinguisluible chiefly by, pljirMnaiitjes^u^\b^uitcr., ITr "Barries, when he'inet'ti&-"»fepaya*»*E his Ward on tUo previous night,,..spoke of, the harmony that existed' between ths Mayor and hiasComicillorejin fccliug iternu.£ Butffie* proceediugs r ofc •■ the- nomination ? yesterday ( showed that.tKe:fcouhciitorß are not'afways a fcappy;family Hut Worship's 'paternal 'juiaapemeak, 'and that he possesses janlari'' ruly child in the person of Mr Kos^bptliam. Mr Barnes's remarks to the electors; oClus. %ard bh: Jfchc f(tiibject' oil cattilidAte* for the -Aiayoical*y'ar&^worfch^jrcadiug. .ifLcouneefcion with the «g««l}»;?& the candtdatar yeatcc-. tlay. He be^n*l>y*Bayi«g that he wo«Ld;no ( fc. staftd'for that oiitce, as he lacked |he uecesaary ability^ Referring to Mr: Thoiieman iioti,<Bttterin^* the s cpnftflt jMme, -Mr^ Barnes «aid::-^:'l man <"»e who faaks,'and _asltJß till 1 ge^ wluiit ;I W«nt. | Since I^came* War©-. I * iiftvef l>oca Btriviog' and 6triving, «n<l ihat is l»ow I got dVi A-maa shooW ncwrxiTe »pfa i[hi*ig f b«»we;he getii defeated once ,_M«ay * one aught blame 3lr for coining forwa»d ( , thui jiaijiie. ' T "wiy, fNo I,tiii'one(fcase^Mid'?Yef Ja alnotLcr. I say 'Yes' because fc.think tine office j|^cs«>g'.'y»sw>.-'i«. T -^VijC^^cU»^' yho has the .pirit. _So tiMW- i~<'.»»yV>tf*iefe«jis,

others wo don't know of.' I am sorry indeed that Duncdin has not- n gentleman, with the spirit in him to coma; forward. U 1 wjw placed like somo of them, I would be very 'bould.' You need not fear I would let Mr Fish walk, in titoo after .Kme. —(Laughter.) 1 am very sorry to sec 'that Afr Thoneman ia so faiut-honrted as not to -try-again. JSow ;therc would have been an ' out' if s<>me C mncillor had come forward, out tlitre is not % Councillor that h.-uj tho spirit. 1 am not for giving the oftieo to an outsider, and f will tell you why. Ifc would take a Mayor who has not been a Councillor six tr.oiiths h> learn the duties of the ofticc. In the meantime he would have to trust to the Town <Jlerk and the other officer*, and in that time a great deal of harm could be duue, if thero were omi or two Coum'iSloi-u that neglected their duty—and 1 must say we have a great; many of that sort now—su the Mayor must keep a sharper look-out. In fact, if F could get au extra vote of £100 for this Ward through the neglect of some Council- , Irn-s, I would do so, Lecause I know this* : Ward wants ifc."

A largo inoa bone, supposed to l>e that oE the thigh, was diacorerod in a deep cutting uoar Oamaru the other day, nn<l brouj;lit t<» Diuicdiu yei*tur«l.ay, by Mr Thomson, a passenger by tho Albion.

■ In our report of tho procoedingit at the meeting of the, Chamber of Counheroe <m Tlmrsday, Mr Davio wan reyorlud U> have said, referring to the San J'ranoisvio Bervice, that when it became knuwu tlitit thorowas to be no American subsidy fclie D.wotab^ intended to be sent on to M«M«mrn , trail been stopped. What ho did miy was that lie thought the probability was she would b«s stoirped.

The only ease at the Port Chalmers- H. M. Uomfc yesterday was that of William Martin, an articled seaman, who was charged by Captain Vaux, of tho ship Ironsides, with wilful disobedience to lawful cumniandsOn Martin promising to go to hid work, lie wa.j ordered on board thu ahiu. T. Taylur, Ksq.,and I)r Drysdde wure the presidingJustices.

Mrs Ilohert Clovor {Mias .feasiu Itaymon-ll took a benciit at the .Masonic H:ili last evening. Assitted by Messrs (ilover, liootli, and others, she appeared in the " Bourne Kishwife," and in "J^onnosa Mnrricd aiuf fcJettled ; or, Such is Life." The entertainment was interspersed with «ongs and dancer and thcro was a nutnonnui nuditrnee. "> Th« same programme will be rei»wvte<i this evt.ning. The Princess Thcatro wiws weU pajfcronigett last evening, " How she loves him" wa* well received, and the afterpiece,- ''Creatures of Impulse," caused considerable amnseinojijt. JlrW. H. Reynolds, Agcmt to Lloyd'^ announces that during his absence from the Province, Mr Ivdmunu Smith is authorised: to act on hia behalf in cuuuoction with the Agency.