OTAGO.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 2298, 17 April 1875, Page 3

OTAGO.

j Dunedin, April 6. In case Inspector under Adulterated Food ; Act v. Oliver, the Resident Magistrate dcI cided that by the last provision in section : four sellers of adulterated food or driuk j are not liable to a penalty if such articles ' have not been previously notified in Gazette | of Province in which such Boiler shall ! reside to be adulterated or impure. Tho two i "note" in proviso neutralize each other. The I j Bench stated that Inspector could never obi tain conviction till the Act was altered. I1I 1 The case for breach of Female Employment 1 ' Act against Kirkpatrick and Glcndinning was 1 j dismissed. The Bench expressed the opinion ' i that there had been falso swearing on each ' i aide. ' J ' April 13. A man named Wright, a baker, attempted to commit suicide to-day. The doctors pronounced him insane, and he was taken to the t Lunatic Asylum. C Ono of the principal drapers has been sum- , moncd by his machinist for contravention of ■ r.radahaw's Females Employment Act. Three i charges arc laid. The police aro taking rigid measures to carry out tho Act.

April 15. ! In the case of the Police v. Dodson, the defendant pleaded guilty. The Bench stated that, as it was only a test case, it would inflict a nominal fine of one shilling ; and said that, though sweeps were very general in the Colony, still, they were against the law. Harris, for the defendant, cited lotteries for benevolent purposes which were recoguised all over the world. Also produced lottery tickets sent from Ireland to Dunedin, on behalf of benevolent institutions in Dublin. The case excited considerable interest in sporting circles. A Waterworks Company is beiDg formed at Tokomairiro, with a capital of £20,000, in £1 shares. Six thousand shares have already been subscribed. Margaret Collins, charged with infanticide at Milton, was found guilty of manslaughter, but was recommended to mercy. She was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labor. The Judge directed that the prisoner be kept from tho other females in the gaol. Invercargill, April 1 1. Sir Dillon Bell, Speaker oi" the House of Representatives, addressed his constituents last night, and received a vote of thanks aud unabated confidence. He confined his remarks mainly to the abolition of the Provinces—all other questions paled before that. He had no spirit of pique against Mr. Fitzherbert over the Forest Bill ; he caused the bill to be brought forward, and the reason was purely a question of finance. Th« Colonial Treasurer'sdifficultieshave been increasing for thelastten years and Mr. Yogel was driven to his wit's end at his failure to pass the Provincial Borrowing Act the previous session. The abolition of the Provinces was not a party question at all, and Mr. Yogel was quite secure in his position, as the popular verdict favored abolition. The Thames, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and Canterbury, all favoured abolition. Sir Dillon Bell then went largely into the finances of the Colony to show that Otago's contribution to the whole revenue was within £52,000 of the whole of the North Island. Otago and Canterbury together was upwards of £200,000 more than the whole of the North Island. That showed at once the question was financial, not political, and ought essentially to be made a Southern question. As for the threat to burst up the compact of 1856, Mr. Yogel distinctly pledged himself it would be held sacred, and his word was to be depended upon, unless Mr. Vogel's position was altogether changed, and the Land Fund would be held Baored. Though Mr. Vogel's proposal related to the North Island only, he hinted that the change might extend beyond. The speaker thought it impossible to abolish the Provinces iv the North Island and not in the South. What Mr. Yogel means to do, and what certainly will be done whether liked or not, will be to abolish the Provinces of the North and South Islands. They wanted no new theory of Constitution ; no new style of Government. Mr. Yogel would otily supplement the organisation at present existing. Road Boards would be properly organised, and enabled to carry out large operations, in the same way as the Timaru and Gladstone Board, or as iv Victoria, where railways only were excluded from then* jurisdiction. The Canadian Dominion was about to abolish provincial institutions. Tho English Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed to organise local authorities, and give theiu large powers and means.. The work would be begun but not completed next session. First of all must come a revision of our system of representation, and when completion of change comes, New Zealand would be found rich and prosperous. ,