Correspondence.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 13, 18 July 1848, Page 3

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Anglo-Maori Warder. Sir—l am well aware that, although you are rather fond of hard hitting, you set your face against grumbling, or anything that might be construed into grumbling. Still, perhaps, you might spare time to jog the memories, or to open the eyes of those gentlemen, whoever they may b?, whose office it is to see that the Btreets are kept in repair. Long us I have lived in Auckland, I never yet saw Ihem in such a scandalottt state as they are at present, I am UDWiUiug to accuse, without knowing exactly where- the fault lies, or what excuse can he ofitted in answer; bnt if economy be the piea, it is false economy at the best, for those repairs, which will be forced upon Government when our thoroughfares become altogether impassable, will then cost treble «nd quadruple the money, which U so lavishly expended on the country rands, and to so little purpose, might be profitably spent mui h nearer home ; a very few cartloads of that scoria which is now being sunk in elougha of despond, miles away, would sum" e to fit the streets for ordinary purposes of traffic. But whichever way I look, I see the same system of expending the public revenue on such undertakings only, as would make a shew when mentioned in despatches, with the same complete indifference to the more immediate comforts of the settlers. This i* not the way to create, or to preserve, a good tone of feeling in the place. You were advocating the creation of municipalities a short time ago. Now it seems to me, that if Government caunut stoop to things of such trifling moment as the mending of sticsts, a corporation might SJSH be graciouss> «3»xfefcenilir.g enough to pay the requisite attention to them RODILAUDUS. [Rodilardus was received several days ago, since when be may have observed some small tinkering attempt at mending the ways, freely acquit him from the chaige of grumbling; but still are not fond of making representations on Buch Hk« sublets, because they are so generally made in vain. It would be merely ■ in triviis, miseium disperdere carmen. Nevtriheless, we expect shortly to see the streets dotted with little boya's headß—like lemons stuck with cloves—'ooking as if tbfy had been set alive in the ground to be bowled at with iurnips. It must be supposed a general culonial inconvenience; tor there is a ssory current at Adelaide, how the crown of a hat, with signs of life in u, was once seen there on the surface of the mud. Rop*s were procured by the neighbours, and with some difficul y a man was dragged out. *' Many thauks for the lilt," said the sufferer ; ■' would you be good enough now to look after n>y horse." Roduaruus like .viae touches on a subject of more general application. We lu'ly agree with him iu thinking there has been much good money wasted here ; not, certainly,through an over-lavish disposition in ihe keepers of the public purse, but through misapplication of it. Much more might have been accomplished f»r the same amount of expenditure. But thtu is a matter in which we have little inclination to interfere; in ibe first place, becaut-e we have no taste lor playing the part of a colonial Joseph Hume ; " 1 am iliat these number*,'' says Don Armada, " it fitieth the spirit of a tapster;''—and, in the second place, because the right of interfering with the management of 'he revenue out here, is by no means so u ideniable as it is at home. For the colonists cannot* in any fair sense of the words, be said to provide iis What with the iarge subvention, and .he cum mi sea rial .Xfwndimre, .New Z«aUud tax<.s are paid-in reality tm England, not by uursiives. Still it would be mucf pleusanter to sej English money mere wisely dispose? of.—ho. A. M.W.I

To the Editor of the Anglo-Maori W'inter ' Sir.—l peneive that a correspondent ot the New ZealanittT is very wroth with you (or having presumed to speak disparagingly of Colon a| ArchiteUure , and for basing hmied th.t the p'ans for a new government house should be sent for to Englmd. WuhuUt venturing on such touchy grounds myself, I -n*.y be allowed to observe, that there is no immediate necessity for any government house at all. Dwelling places by the dr 2en, in very good feeling, w.-re offered for Capt. Grey's reception immediately after the disister, and he seems to have found no difficulty m suiting himself. Wiien we look at the increasing difficulties u>der which the Chancellor of the Exchequer seems to labour, it would be unwise in us to reckon too securcy upon Uie_ continuance uf the annual grant to New Zealand. I therefore contend that it would be more prudent to husband the resources of thiß Colony for the present, than to lavish them upon expensive tojg. it ia said that the Natives of the Engineer Department have volunteered their building services gratis (I presume without much fear of being taken at their word)** Now would it not bs an interesting experiment to confide to native talent the drawing of the plans, as well as the squaring of the scoria ? A Maori, properly educated, might chance to strike off an origfflhl idea; more tiian we have a right to expect from European invention, which now seems to be pretty well worn out. I am, Sir. ** Yours, &c, * r ßauro.

[Raupo has hh upon a notable device for postponing indefinitely the buiUin* of a new government house, by cunfiJing the elevation to Native talent, and n.l the architecture education meanwhile. The idea calls to mind an answer of Sir Hudson Lcwe to Napi'Nrun Fand hia suite, at St. Helena, '1 hey complained that there were no trees upon tne island, to shelter them from the sua. Sir Hudson, most ionocentlv»«r most maliciously, otiered lo plant some, driving them nearly | ull tranUc with rage. There u no re»si»n why a Native should not make a tolerable architect : Puri si puer ingeni vl.'ehT, **' I'rtccoQem facias vtl architecture. £ + ,■ They are gaud masons already ; although none ft them -*s vet, nc believe, " free and accepted.' 1 While upon the &u jetfc may we be alhvtd to observe, in ail seriousness, thit initiation of some ot tie influential chiefs intrt the raj Merit s t<f U\f» craft, «hiili they would probably cunMiiec .1 kind of Tapu, might go tar to promote tt - od undeisl iiiditu; between the. races. Our brother ui,.tou3, at lea-t. "ill cast ru tiiliciile on the suggestion ; u t,i!e the cp-mou6 ■jf the uninitiated must oe ©l' wnhaut value As to tit* number uf huu sl > which Uaupo sptufcs of, having betn oilered for hj» Fxrelleuey's nciomicodation, m' irmt euufesi to differ in.- with Mai m opinuiu Hud CspMin V,iv\\ nuiinn.ic.l con.t ur-tioii been like thai uf the g-b in m the ( M n-uance, which dropped from ilie ceding lm.b b> h j b, ami tlu n r.. m.itrd ■Without then, a Ug m i-n-, and .in pini in ann her ; but nu 4 : u Uuu e \.cml\ be intntmucJ laice enough tj mai-tUrn Kiuu.m.ly the » .s-scmb-y of

tua's so Inrge Chat it Conk two fillips to bring her over from A fnca.

Hut trne it i-, that the houses were offered, plenty of them, and earnestly pressed upon him, much, as it would have beeu in the Jays of Juvenal. " Nil habnlt Codrus : quia cnira negat ? et tamen illud Perdidit infelii tctum nihil: uhiuius autem jErumnte cumu'us quod nudum et frusta rugantem Nemo/nbo, nemo hospitio tei toque juvabit. Si magna Astuiii cecidit doro'ts : h irrtda mater, Pullati proeeres, dtffert vad,ai"iita Pice tor. Ton« graimus casus Urbis, tuns mbinu* ignem, Ardet frdhnc, et jam occurnl, qui marmora di.net, Confers* irapensas. „ Sat., tit., v. 216. —E»„#. M. W.].