ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 5, 20 May 1843, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Southern Gross. Sfn, — Being personally Interested as a householder, in the " Licensiny Ordinance for regulating the sale of Fermen'ed and Spiritous Liquors," I beg to ask you one or two cogent questions relative thereto ; and as you have always held up to the Public eye, the " Independent Flag," I feel that no futther apology is needing, than to sayj that I regret occupying your space on a minor subject. It is however, a Very important one to a considerable number of persons who contribute largely, in cash payments, towards making up the Colonial Revenue for the current year ; (vide Estimate for 1843, art. Duties of Spirits, &c.) Perhaps you will therefore, excuse my abruptness. Did I not know that I your space for miscellaneous matter is necessarily limited, 1 should have rounded my periods. Question 1. According to the "Licensing Ordinance" is an individual holding a license for retailing Spirits, &c. entitled to use that license, away from his " house," except in booths. 2. If not : how is it that the worshipful the Bench of Magistrates, allow one license to be used in iwo streets, in buildings which have ever been distinct. One being situated in Shortland crescent ; the other in Char.cery»street ? The Form of License which is framed by the authorized Officer of the Crown, states, that A.B., shall sell Spiritous Liquors, &c , in any quantity in the house aforesaid, but not elseivhere. The Notice of Application, states, in the house propos d to be licensed. The house, situation, occupant, aie here to be " described" (mark the word " described" there is a house in Auckland, which, people say, on the autho« rity of the Magistrates, is acting in defiance of this Ordinance, thereby injuring the vested interest of individuals occupying houses in Chancery-street. " The Tap»'' for so it is designated, was at tha time the license was granted, occupied ns a distinct dwelling-house, separately fenced off from the " house," as described in the " License Application;" and subsequently as a Straw Bonnet shop, &c, &c. The Form of Recognizance subjoins a heavy penalty on the house holders who are responsible for the proper conduct of the individual occupying a licensed house ; the individual himself pays a heavy sum for his license, besides other indispensible outlay; and he, with many of his brother tradesmen, thinks there must be some misconstruction of the meaning of the Act, and will feel much obliged to you, Mr. Editor, to expound it to them, for their information in particular, and the public general'y. I am, Mr. Editor, Yours, &e. , &c. " A SUBSCRIBER." May 17, 1843. P.S. — It is not at all unworthy of remark, (hat the former occupant of the " Licensed house" alluded to, upplied to the Bench of Magistrates, and was refused the same privilege the piesent occupant enjoys, for the reason apparent in the ordinance quoted. Perhaps, Sir, you can solve this enigma ! [We publish the above letter because we desire to give every person "fair play." By the p'estnt Ordinan e we believe, " A Subscriber" has reason to complain ; and, while we agree with him, that the privilege of which he complains, is contrary to the present act, we are also of opinion, that the act is in this respect defective, and should be amended. " A Subscriber" will agree with as, that the language too often used at the 1 Tap," is but ill-suited tor the respectable inmates of a respectable Inn or Hotel. Suppose ladies, for instance, living in any of our weather- boarded houses, immediately over the tap, with an inch plank between their organs of hearing, and the sounds which too often emanate from the tap, would he not pity their condition, and wish the tap at some distance for their sakes. But, the privilege should be conferred by the act upon all whose houses deserved it, and upon all who paid for It.] To the Editor of the SoutJiern Cross. Str, — You have my best thnnks for Disking public your correspondent " Delta's" letter on the subject of putting stock under charge of the Natives. From enquiries I have since made I consider the plan decidedly practical, and am only sorry that it did not sooner come under my notice, as it would have saved the expenditure of much money which I have lately laid out on small farms from the Gove nmenr. I do not mean to say, however, that such outlay will be useless, but that I shall have no return for it for a long period, and must be continually making larger advances in order to make available what has already been laid out, and I am now satisfied that I should have made a better and more profitable invesiment — to have laid my money out in the purchase of stock, putting it under charge of the Natives, as you suggest; by which means I should have had an early return from the encrease, while the stock would be daily becoming more valuable ; my reason however, for noticing the subject at present, is to call the attention of others to it, before they invest all their capital on land, as I have done. *• Delta," states in his letter, that the Natives might also be induced to raise food for the stock under their charge, which, if it could De done, would add greatly to the usefulness of the Natives, and would form an additional motive for the settlers making a trial of the pro posed plan. Connected with this subject, I would take the liberty of asking you a question, Mr. Editor, which I hope you will take an early opportunity of answering, viz., whether the settlers could not lease lands from the Natives, which I am led to ask from certain observations on the Bubjcct published in a late number of the Auckland Chronicle; but which, I think, leaves the subject in the same doubt and uncertainty in which it found it. I am Sir, Yours, &c, " A SMALL FARMER." May 18, 1843. , O - - To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir,— I have much pleasure in adding my testimony to the value, as well as to the practicability, of the

suggestion, made by a correspondent of yours, signing " Delta," in the last number of your paper, regarding the advantages of putting stock, either sheep or cattle, under charge of the Natives, and I am only astonished that the same views had never occurred to myself, as from a long residence amongst the Natives I was well aware of a similar practice by the European traders in putting pigs under the charge of the Natives, indeed, without doing so, the stock would not be safe on account of the wandering habi s of the animal, but more particularly from the Natives themselves, as if not formally put under their charge, they would not scruple to catch your own pigs and sell them, perhaps half a dozen time3 over to yourself, but, w'ien once under their charge, with a promised payment for their trouble, the securi y of the stock is certain. I could tell you of many instances in illustration of what I have now stated, but ths parties live at a dhtnnce, and are no doubt quite unknown at the capital. I may, however, without impropriety, mention one case, the respected gent.eman being -well known viz : — The Rev.Mr.Mansel. at Waicato, who invariably, I believe, puts his stock of pigs undercharge of the Natives alone, and they are kept many miles from his own residence. I do think that the plan of putting shpep and cattle under charge cf the Natives w iuld be highly beneficial, both to the Settlers, as well as to the Natives, and if my testimony can be of any value in fur hedig its adoption, you are quite at liberty to make this pub'ic, if you think proper. I am Sir, Yours, &c, •' AN OLD SETTLOR." May IS, 1643. To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sin-. — Eighteen months liave now past einne a <mbscription was entered into for the establishinc of a Public Place of Worship, and the prormina of a Pre>>by« terian Ministry for the benefit of the Presbyterians residing in Auckland. A Committee was formed, and some steps, I am told, wer^ taken bv them to forward tne views of the Subscribers in obtaining a Minister. If this Committee acted promptly, as they should have done, we may, I presume, expect our Clergyman almost immediately ; and yet, at so important a moment, we find them just as non-chalants as if they were no Committee at all. They have now hnd 15 or 18 months repose from the fatigues of their task, and though the followers of our religion have, during that time, increased their number two or threefold in Auckland, yet no subscription list is any where lying open. — No meeting has been convoked, nor is there any mention of one. During this Committee-torpor, there have sprung up, responsive to the activity of the different sects concerned, a Church for the English episcopalians ; one for the Wesleyans, and one for the Catholics ; while what I mnv confidently call the most num p rous sect of all, havs neither a place of worship, nor the present prospect of one. Let then the Committee awake ; — let them re-open their Subscription List, and show us a copy of them in your columns. Let them call a meeting, nnd tell us what th'>y have done for us, and what they intend to do. For failing of this, they will not be considered to have fulfilled, either with proper earnestness or zeal, the impoitant trust reposed in them. I am Sir, Yours, &c.» "HAUD MORIR.E." May 18, 1813. [We publish the above, not because we make ourselves a party to one sect more than another, but simply because we think the public have a right to obtain the information dpmanded by our very sensible, though unknown correspondent. We quite agree with him in the expression of shame, as far as the Presbyte ians are concerned. It is indeed, too bad, that the sons of our national Scottish Church should be asleep, while other sects ore so much awake. We hope the love of gain has not superseded all the good and generous fie'ings of our countrymen. At home, the Scotch are remarkable for stern adherence to the Church of their fathers. Why should they be'eome indifferent in a foreign land. — Ed.J Leases. — Regarding the question of leases, on which a coi respondent in our present number des : res our opinion, we can only say, that we entiiely coincide with the remarks made in a late number of our contemporary, the Auckland Chronicle, viz. : — " That leases are not prohibited by any of the ordinances at present in force ; but, if they were prohibited, the government could not prevent them. Ic is true, that government would not recognize them, and they would not be supported in a Court of Law, if the Natives would not voluntarily fulfil any stipulations which they might have entered into. 1 ' But, any person having the least knowledge of the Natives, knows well that such a fear would be perfectly groundless. There is perhaps, not a single instance in which the NaHves have disputed any formal agreement which they have once fairly and delibeiately made. The reason, perhaps, of this extraordinary circumstmce, is, that such agreements are made, not with a single ind;vidual alone, but generally with a whole tribe. At all events the matter is carefully canvassed by, and well known to every individual ; so that this complete publicity has no doubt, considerable effect in keeping them to an honest and faithful performance of their contracts. At all events, we know it to be a fact that they do adhere to them, whatever the explanation of this may be. But should any one desire to obtain the use of any land from the Natives, there 5b no reason why he should take a title to it in the objectionable form of a lease. Instead of which, he might enter in o a partnership with the Natives, taking them bound for their part of thecontract to furnish timber, or to supply labour, for a. certain agreed on price ; and if they failed to fulfil their part, they would certainly be amenable to law if they did so ; at least, we cannot see how it should be otherwise, inasmuch as the Natives take the benefit of the Civil L»w to compel the Europeans to fu'fil their contracts, and it is not long, since the property of a Settler "was sold off by warrant of the Sheriff, to pay a debt to a Native ; and, such being the case, it 'ought, as a matter of course, to follow that the Natives in like manner, should be compelled to fulfil their engagements to Europeans. But the question of leasing land, if unsettled in point of theory, is perfectly settled in point of practice ; and, to such an extent is it carried, that there is scarcely a portion of the coast where Europeans may not be found living upon the lands of the Natives as " Tenants at Wilt." Indeed, could this be prevented, it would immediately stop all the internal trade of the country, now carried on with the Natives, to the manifest inju-y of them, as well as ourselves ; and it is only because the inhabitants of Auckland are unacquainted with the Natives and their habits, that they have not before now, discovered it to be their interest to I've amongst the 1 Natives, carrying on some industrial and useful occupation, rather than in wasting their time in. the town iu attempting to seek for work, whieh, when obtained* affords but small remuneration. . . c.