DUNSTAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 747, 24 March 1866, Page 5

DUNSTAN.

(FKOJt THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT )

16th March, 18G6. Mr Wilson Gray held a sitting of the •extended jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday last, when "five cases were disposed of. They comprised the whole number set down for hearing. The cases were not of more than 'Ordinary importance.

Politics are engrossing almost everybody's attention just now. The respective merits and demerits of the various candidates are keenly discussed. The contest for the Gold Fields Boroughs seems to lie between Messrs Bradshaw and Main. The Manuherikia election will doubtless result in favor of Capt. Baldwin. Mr John Jack would have been returned had he come ■earlier into the field. Both are much respected in the district, and there is great cause for regret that they are opposed to €sch other. However, the public have pretty unanimously decided in favor of Captain Baldwin, be having cooie forward first to solicit their suffrages.

The Government Advertising Sheet (which by-the-bye only makes its appearance here on rare occasions) to the astonishment of everybody, announces that telegraphic communication is now open between Clyde, Tuapeka, Tokomairiro, «nd Dunedin. Wishing to avail mj'self of its uses, to send you the latest information, I made inquiries for the whereabouts of the telegraph office, but could neither find nor hear anything at all about it. My fruitless search being over, I returned home in disgust at the "sell," and could ■only [comfort myself with the assurance that it was not the Jst of April. I fully forgave the Secretary for Public Works, whose name was appended to the notice, because I had heard that the Government for the future had resolved to take time by the forelock ; and as a commencement, I presumed, had forwarded me next year's Sheet. From subsequent inquiries I find there is not the slightest preparation being made either for the receipt or transmission of messages — no instruments, no operator, no messenger, no office, no anything — and, as a climax to the whole, the wires are broken in no less than twelve places between this and the Teviot.

Oa Wednesday night, Mr J. B. Bradahaw addressed the electors at the Clyde Hotel. The room was well filled, and the candidate met with a very cordial reception. Mr Jame.3 Hazlitt, Chairman of the Town Improvement Committee, occupied the chair. Mr Bradshaw said that he appeared there as a total stranger to most of them, but hoped soon to cultivate an intimate acquaintance with them. He apologised for not having addressed them sooner, but pressing business engagements demanded his presence elsewhere". lie had come now to ask their support, and would assure them that if returned he would go Into the House on purely progressive principles ; would advocate the total abolition of the export duty on gold, considering it to be a tax upon industry which pre-sed heavily upon the industrious man, and but lightly on the idle; instanced a man who by dint of saving and industry, deposits money in a Bank, •sees a chance to put it to use, and produces by its means some 50 or GO ounces of gold, on which he has to pay duty — becoming ! thus actually taxed twice over. Would it not be equally unjust to another man, who having bought 50 acres of land, causes it by a course of skilful labor to be worth £1000, to tax him upon his improvement, while his idle neighbor, who had done nothing to Irs 50 acres, was not taxed at all. In the event of the export duty not feeing taken off gold, he would advocate an export duty on wool, although eucb. would be against his inclination. He would advocate the appointment of a minister of mines. There should be some person responsible for- the management of the gold fields. If you went to the Superintendent's office ia Dunedin to make any complaints, you were handed about from •department to department — not one would acknowledge thit they had done wrong. The Land Resolutions, as passed at the late < Sitting of the Provincial Council, would take tne shape of a bill to be iutroduced into the Assembly. He (.the speaker) saw by those Resolutions that the squatters ■Bought to evade the assessment clause; thought thatan acreage tax would be preferable to assessing the number of sheep and cattle, and would be much more easy of collection ; considered that every acre of land was worth at least a yearly rental of 3d, it would pioduce a revenue of over LIOO,OOO. If "the squatters objected to pay that small sum, be have the runs cut up into blocks of 30,000 acres each, and let by public auction. There were plenty 01 people in the Province who would be glad to get hold of small runs. The 28th Clause of the Gold Fields Amendment Act, of 1865, he would do his best to have at once repealed, and would go back to the Act of 1862. The system of agricultural leases was a very good one, and conferred many benefits .upon the .mining population. He was told by a member of the Government whea in

DunediD, that they (the Government) had applied for a portion of a certain squatter's run ; they were met with a refusal in the shape, that if they wanted any part, compensation would be demanded for the whole. The Government were now actually afraid to proclaim a new Gold Field. When the land was taken up by the squatters, it was with the understanding that if wanted for purposes of cultivation it would be declared into hundreds; why could not the land be retaken possession of when it had become a gold field ? He would advocatearevisionof the tariff, considering it pressed unduly upon the poor man 5 was opposed to the imposition of a stamp duty or incooie tax. Wa3 in favor of local self Government, but considered that municipalities would be useless, unless they were endowed with a portion of the territorial revenue. Was an anti-separationist; believed in an united New Zealand, but did not believe in being taxed to beautify Dunedin, while we wanted roals in the upcountry districts. Would subsidize a regular mail steam service between this Province and Melbourne. Thought that if the revenue was collected by a central power, that after deducting the expenses of collection, the amounts collected in the several Provinces should be handed back to them. He was no advocate for the introduction of the Chinese, but would admit that they would be a temporary good; but eventually they would form a lasting harm; however, we could do nothing tc keep them out.

In answer to questions from the body of the meeting, Mr Bradshaw said, that he was standing for the Gold Fields Boroughg, and not for Manuherikia. Captain Baldwid, when in the House, although a petition was sent to him for presentation from the Lakes, deputed that duty to another. He believed Mr Main to be a more dangerous man than Captain Baldwin. Mr Main had impounded a number of milch cow 3 that belonged to some poor people who got their living by them. He would favor the establishment of municipalities. The upual proposition that the candidate was a fit and proper person, was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Chairman, on the proposition of the candidate, being also unanimously carried, concluded the proceedings.