Answers to Correspondents.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 272, 13 June 1860, Page 2

Answers to Correspondents.

Newcomb.—Zmenses tinker the Licensing Act gf ’5B are of two kinds—the Publican's License and the Wholesale License. The Publican's License authorizes its holder to “sell any Spirituous-Liquor, Wine, Ale, or Beer, within the Province oj Auckland, . or permit the same to be sold by any other person in or upon his house Or premises ; provided that nothing in this Act contained shall extend to the sale of any fermented or Spirituous Liquor as Perfumery or Medicine, or at any Military Canteen established under the Regulations of Her Majesty’s Service, or to-any sale by Auction by any licensed Auctioneer.” The Wliolesale License authorizes its holder “ to sell and dispose of any kind of fermented or spirituous liquor, provided, however, that no such License shall be held, to authorize the sale of any quantity less than two gallons of any one description of liquor to be delivered to the purchaser thereof at any one time.” With regard to notice of application for Licenses, clause 7 of the Licensing Act says—“ Every person desirous of obtaining-a Publican’s License under this Act shall, on or before the first Tuesday. in the month of April, in every year, cause to be delivered to the Clerk of the Resident Magistrate of the District in which it is proposed to exercise such License, a notice in writing signed by him in the form in Schedule B, hereunto annexed, together with a certificate signed by at least five householders, residing within such District, in the form in Schedule C, hereunto annexed. Cato.— ln America the faults of great men are exposed with freedom. From an extraordinary serial published at intervals, more or less distant, and entitled Asmodeus; or the Mysteries of Upper Tendom Revealed, we will reproduce a few remarkable passages. They, form part, of a chapter headed Character of a Statesman, and will well repay the labor of perusal:— We wonder (says this American corrector of American morals) tflat the heathen fall down and worship stocks and stone—the work of their own . hands. If our people knew tbe real nature of some of their own idols, they would not be less astonished. There are men in this country who are looked up to, admired and respected by thousands, who are almost worshiped and deified, whose molal characters are so thoroughly depraved, that they only require tq be known Io excite universal abhorrence. Such a man is the subject of this revelation. He is one whose name is known all over christendom, and is familiar as household words in every portion of this republic. Hehas great intellectual powers, and has displayed, at’times, a masterly eloquence. He has filled some of the highest and most responsible offices in the gift of the people, or created by the constitution. He has been member of Congress, Senator, and a member of the cabinpt, and has aspired, and it may be still

aspires, to the highest office of all, that of President of tbp United States. Such a man as this—one so respected, so trusted, so admired—should be a man of honor, of high principle, of incorruptible integrity, of pure morals, and correct conduct. He should be truly wise, and noble, great—an example for other men ; one whose life could be contemplated with pleasure and profit. Alas ! the world is full of wickedness in high places. It has been said that our society is like a can of begr, The dregs sink to the bottom, the froth lises at the top, while the clear liquor remains in the middle. The comparison is a good one. We have seen tile dregs of poverty, beg. gary, and low vice—we are now inspecting the froth and gassy bubbles that float on the surface of this mixture—the gaudy, hollow aristocracy, that one breath of misfortune blows away, or one touch of satire explodes. The wand of Asmodeus opens to us the life and character of the ambitious statesman. I blush for my country, I am ashamed of my countrymen, as I transcribe the disgraceful re, cord; but tbe best good of humanity demands that the curtain be raised, and the secrets of this life be unfolded to tbe stern gaze of public jus tiep. Living in a portion,of the country, where puritanical morality is thought tbe only passport to public favor, where the outside of the dish is washed clean, whatever may be the condition of the hidden parts, where intemperance and licentiousness are frowned upon, and no departure' from the fixed rules of society is tolerated, it seems impossible that a man so honored, so rewarded, should be debauchee. Living where honesty is.so general and so much regarded, and where any violation of its principles consigns a man to certain infamy, it seems very strange that such a man should be a knave and a swindler. Living where men take noble pride in independence, in thought and action, it seems very strange that such a man should be the pensioned slave of a purse proud aristocracy of manufacturing monopolists. It may seem cruel in us to make these exposures. But justice demands it. It shall never be said that we fished for minnows when there were sharks about. It shall not be said that we exposed the misdeeds of petty knavesand small potatOe libertines, when there were men of tbe

highest station and position in the world wi h a profligacy of character as great as their fame. No, we mete out eyen banded justice, and if this man bad already reached the object of his ambi ficus aspirations and long-continued struggles; if he were at this moment the President of the United Stales, instead of a disappointed candidate for a national nomination, we should not hesitate an’instant in performing our duty to society, by Unfolding h;s conduct to the world. No, this at ' least shall be said of us; that we have been impartial in our exposures, not sparing the highest, nor even what some might term ths holiest, X- Y- Z. — Shftrpwit and Simpleton were merchants who often travelled in oompany, During one of their first journeys they found h bag .of money; whereupon Sharpwit said to Sitnpteton— Travelling, my friend, is very profitable,lout it is also very painful, therefore let us be contented with this money, which fortune has thrown in pur way, without fatiguing ourselves any more. Simpleton consenting to this, they abandoned their design of travelling, and returned to their lodging. Before they parted Simpleton suggested division- of I what they had found, to'the end that both]

might be at liberty. Sharpwit objected. Mo, brother, said he, it is much better to put our treasure into a safe place, and every day take something out of the stock for our occasions, without bringing the sum total of our several fortunes into separate danger. Simpleton approved this proposal, and accordingly they hid the money, taking each of them only a small sum for their particular expenses. Next day, however, Sharpwit went where the money lay and, having pocketed it, returned home. Poor Simpleton, on the other hand, thought not of going to the hoard while his stock lasted; but when all hp had was expended, he went to Sharpwit’s lodging, and meeting with him, —“Come,” said he, “ let us go together, and take out stick another sum as tf>e took by fore.” “ Content,” answered Sharpwit,

(i for I have spent all my sto.de, and want money.” So together they went, but when arrived at the place where their money had been hid, behold, the birds were flown 1

Sharpwit worked himself into great rage ayd, after haf vjell qs rend-, ing his garments, said weep.inglg to Sim-, pieton—“ Hfi-hy, hast ihoy, dealt so. unkindly With thy friend ? for nobody but you co.uld

take away the money, since nobody else knew where it was hid.” In vqiv, did Simpleton swear and protest that he had not taken it away, because Shqrpwit still feigned to be assured of the contrary, qnd not content wtth robbing his friend of all he had, sought to ruin him by false accusations. Let our co'respondent “ chew upon” this genuine fable. It symbolizes every-, day, but still too. much neglected, fads of our strange ivorld, the fact that Sharpwits prey upon Simpletons, the fact that Shqrpipits would be rare if Simpletons were scarce, and many another fact no less philosophically soupd than practically useful.