ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. ARSON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume V, Issue 211, 6 July 1849, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. ARSON.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — I feel it a duty I owe myself and the public, to lay the following before you requesting you may be pleased to give it insertion in your columns. On the evening of Wednesday, the 20th June j last, my house, situated on the lands of the Lord Bishop of Auckland at Epsom, was set fire to by some person or persons unknown, very little could be saved of my humble and hardearned property from the devouring element, and these were deposited in the house of my son-in-law adjacent. I cannot fix suspicion upon any individual, seeing that I have ever endeavoured to maintain a friendly feeling with every one, and did not suppose that any person was at enmity with me, and therefore I suffered under ; the infliction without making it generally known, but my £on»in-law's house being set fire to on the Wednesday following, and being consumed to ashes, together with every atom in it, awakens me from my former apathy, seeing that I am now deprived, together with my children, (recently married) of every vestige of the fruits of our incessant toil and industry, and that we possess nothing, but as we stand. Any evil disposed person could effect such a purpose without fear of being seen, as there is a dense Tea , Tree scrub within a few yards, which could afford ! him every cover ; and this is the more to be deplored , on the part of my now houseless and pennyless wife and family, by reason of my being an inmate of the Debtor's Prison since the sth of April last, (at the suit of Mr. Somerville, for some cattle placed in my charge as stock-keeper, and which I could not find for him) and therefore precluded from preventing this calamity by my presence, or of comforting my family now in their distress. Perhaps the Government will take up the matter, and enquire into its perpetration. Your's, &c , Robert Stow. Debtor's Prison, 30th June, 1849. To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — Observing that you take a great interesiu the welfare of the Pensioners, and very jubtly complain of Paparoa as a site for one of those vil-

lages. As a confirmation of some of your objections, I may tell you that I employ one of that Corps, who informs me that his honse at Paparoo is built for him, but that he will not occupy it, or return to that settlement, and that he will freely give up his pension, rather than be compelled to live there without the means of subsistance. And if no house could be found near his employment, he says that he wnuld rathtr make a tent with his blanket on the road side to shelter himself and family, than to return to Howick to exist in misery in the house there erected for him. This is one instance out of so many that could be proved. I am &c. A Farmer. Auckland, July 3, 1849. P. S. — I forward my own name and the name of the pensioner referred to, as a guarantee for the accuracy of these facts.