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Otago Witness, Issue 1810, 30 July 1886, Page 22

In the Legislative Council on Wednesday au attempt was made to appoint a new conference to meet one from the House of Representatives on the subject of the .amendment made m the Loans to Local Bodies Bill over which a deadlock has taken place. The motion was talked out, however, by the orders of the day coming on at 4 o'clock. In the evening a debate took place on Sir F. Whitaker's Settled Lands Bill, which provides that land left by will shall be sold and tbeproceeds devoted to those interested m the land. In the House of Representatives the division on the no-confidence motion took place just after the closing of the telegraph office on Wednesday morning. The result was a majority of 13 for the Government m a full house, all save three members recording their vote. On meeting yesterday afternoon the Premier carried a motion to give Government business precedence on Thursdays. After questions had been answered, a discussion, which lasted till the dinner adjournment, took place on the question of the treatment of prisoners committed for trial. It referred more particularly to Te Whiti, who is now m Wellington gaol, being deprived of the consolation of tobacco. The Premier became indignant over the time of the House being taken up with this and expressed a hope that next session would find the Standing Orders altered so that members would be unable to move the adjournment of the House and provoke discussions on trivial questions. No hope was hekl out that Te Whiti would be allowed his pipe. In the evening the Gold Duty Export Bill passed its third reading. After some debate on the North Island Trunk Loan Application§Bill, the Loan Bill was taken m committee. Sir Julius Yogel, replying to Mr Bryce, said he did not think any further loan would be required before September 1888 ; but this, Mr Bryce contended, was uot a promise that more borrowing would not be required. Long discussions ensued on the various items m the schedule. The Westport to Inangahua and Blenheim to Tophouse lines were struck out, after which the Treasurer stated that he would state on a future occasion the course the Government proposed to adopt. The schedule was still under consideration when the telegraph office closed. At Wednesday's meeting of the Land Board a report was read from the warden at Olyde about a gold rush on a small scale having taken place to a village settlement m block V, Kawarau district. The board decided to withhold the land from sale m the meantime. The Auckland police have run to earth the two men whom the settlers mistook for CafErey and Perm, charged with the murder of Mr .Taylor at Great Barrier Island. The men proved to be two wandering gumdiggers, so the search parties scouring the hills have been recalled, A boat m which were two men capsized on the Riverton bar on Tuesday, but fortunately tee occurrence was observed and the men were rescued by two other boats under Constable Green and Messrs Johnson. They were found clinging to the bottom of the boat. TheOfcago Benevolent Institution affairs have been engaging some attention during the past week m consequence of a serious charge formulated against the contractors for the supply of groceries, &c, by the Daily Times. The following extract from the Times' article will explain the position of matters: — "In order to test the truth of these complaints, an order, of which the following is a copy, was sent to the contractors' shop : — ' Supply Crow with goods to the value of seven shillings and sixpence on account of Benevolent Institution. — A. Cltjlee, secretary.' With i his order the messenger presented a scrap of paper specifying the way m which the order was to be made up, m these words : oatmeal, Is ; flour, Is ; salt butter, Is ; rice, Is ; washing soda, 6d ; candles, lib ; sugar, Is 6d ; £lb tea, Is. A shopman executed the order and delivered the goods m return for it, which were taken into the secretary's office. They were then weighed and found wanting at proportionate contract rates to the extent of 4lh of oatmeal (10 due, 6 given) ; 61b of flour (12 due, 6 given) ; £lb butter (l^lb due, 1 given) ; 2£lb rice (s Jib due, 3 given) and 3lb of washiDg soda (6 due, 3 given) The sugar, tea, and candles were of contract, weight, and the total result was that only 5s 7d worth of goods at contract rates had been supplied for the order for 7s 6d. To make the position clearer, we will put it m another way — thus : the overcharge proportionate contract rates on the quantity of oatmeal supplied was 66 per cent ; on the flour, 96 ; on the butter, 50 ; on the rice, 60 ; and on the washing soda, 107 per cent. Or, again, to take the butter : the child's order specified a shilling's worth, and the contract price was 8d per Ib. A pound was given instead of apoundandahalf,z'.e.,eightpenny worth for a shilling. The extreme case is that of washing soda, of which the contract price was nine shillings per hundredweight. Sixpennyworth was ordftred, and barely threepennyworth given, i.e., 31b instead of a little over 61b. The contractors, on being confronted with their goods, which were weighed m their presence, admitted that the quantities were insufficient. For some of the deficits they

accounted by alleging that the shopman must have made mistakes, and for the rest they contended that they had never agreed to supply small quantities of goods at the prices quoted m their tender. How far this statement^ is true can be best guaged by the following extract from the conditions of tender : — ' We hereby tender to supply the Otago Benevolent Institution with articles at the prices we have affixed m the annexed schedule m such quantities and at such times as may be required by written order.' " Messrs Green and Souness will hold a c' earing sale at Mr John Hall's Aldersleigh farm, near Riversdale, on the (3th prox. Mr Win. Cowan has pure bred Ayrshire bulls for sale. Mr Chus. Bills advertises for healthy ferrets— not wild ones ; also, live Icakas, keas, and kakapos. Messrs Wrighn, Stephenson, and Co. have for sale English clover seeds and English and colonial farm seeds of various descriptions. Mr Clifford Christie will hold a clearing sale m the estate of Messrs Wilson Bros., Inch Olutha, on the 2nd prox. ; also farm properties. Natives of Lanarkshire will find a notice of interest tothetn m our advertising columns. The particulars of the Southland Champion Ploughing Match, to be held at.the Makarewa Junction on the sth prox., will be found m our advertising columns.