Correspondence.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume X, Issue 640, 16 August 1853, Page 3

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR OF TUB ' SOUTHERN CROSS ' Sir, — I again trespass upon your columns, to bring before the notice of the public, and members of the Provincial Council, two evils connected with the present regulations for slaughtering pigs. The Ist is, that the driving out, killing, and bringing in a pig, entails nearly an additional half-penny per pound on the public. I do not think the charge of 9d would be extravagant, considering the present rate of firewood, if the butchers had .more room, less filth, and proper accommodation. Pork is a meat above all others, I believe, that is injured most from being knocked about and handled ; and when we consider that it is the principal dish of the poorer classes, I think steps should be 'taken to supply them with it at as cheap a rate, and in as wholesome a condition as possible. Another evil is, that private people may kill as many pigs as they wish on their own promises, for home consumption. Thus, I may kill pigs in my yard, and annoy my neighbours ; but : my neighbours cannot kill pigs in their yard, because they have to support them- i selves and family by retailing them. I am credibly informed that some boarding houses in the city kill from three to six weekly, and as there is no adequate drainage to carry away the offal, we have all the

evils, without any of the benefits of an adjacent slaughter house. I am, Sir, &c. SCRUTATOB.

[The evils of which our correspondent Scrutator so justly complains, are indeed of the most intolerable description ; — such as are patent to the eyes and noses of all who have occasion (and their name is legion) to pass and repass our filthy and most offensive public Slaughter House. Whilst exposing their impurities, Scrutator might, with equal benefit, have drawn attention to the quagmire-like condition of the public Pound, where the unfortunate confinees have been frequently seen wallowing knee -deep in filth. It is to be hoped that there is some controlling power in existence to insure a more wholesome and humane system of management. If not, perhaps it may be necessary to pass a supplementary clause to accomplish the proper working of the Slaughter House Act. — Ed.]

TO THE EDITOR 01? THE " SOUTHERN CROSS." Sir, — May I request from you the favour of insertion for the accompanying letter to the Lyttleton Times, which, from so much having been said about it, I had expected to have seen reprinted in the columns of your contemporary. Metotkos.

AUCKLAND. [From the Correspondent of the Lyttelton Times,"] This province has lately taken an enormous stride a- head ; its preient prosperity is unexampled, Col. Wynyard, on assuming the Lieut.-Governorship, found the Treasury in debt ; he leaves it with a •arplus of i? 13,000. He has completed a flourishing career, and having always had a civil word for every one, and, moreover, having carried out the duties of his office with perfect straightforwardness quiti it in the full tide of popularity. It is eaiier than Downing- street would readily believe to obtain the good will of the New Zealand colonists. The prosperity of Auckland ii of course attributable to the Australian gold fields. She wai always more intimately connected with the neighbouring colonies than the sister Provinces have been, and now reaps the full advantage. Timber »nd agricultural products are the chief exports, which latter, on account of the numerous native population, can ; be obtained more cheaply and abundantly than in the Southern districts of the Colony. The Auckland Gold fields attract but little attention at present ; they are moderately productive, but people find that they can mahe money faster in other wayt. The last discovery of the precious metal is in the Papakura plain, about 18 miles from the town. The proclamation, lowering the piice of land, was received with great joy in the North. Mr. SewfH's letter, throwing doubts upon its lepali'y (in which doubts I cannot but concur), and Mr. Wakefield's letter on the same subject, were published in one of the local papeis. But it was preaching to the windi. The community had been so long upon starvation allowance of land, that so soon as the right of selection was open to them, away they rushed across the country, like so many wild asses' colts, to help themselves. On the day appointed for receiving claims to purchase, the Land Commis* sioner's do>r was beseiged long before the hour of opening ; and in the space of a few minutes. 21 ,000 acres were applied for. Possible illegalities are slighted where there is a chance of purchasing a Gold mine for ten shillings ; or where lung coveted allotments — some of high position value, can be obtained at a minimum price, through mere priority of application. Capiot gui capere potest, is the word for the nonce : nor could anything else reasonably be expected. That this sudden opening up of the country will give a great temporary impulse to the prosperity of the province, is beyond a doubt ; but whether His Excellency his not killed the goose that laid the golden eggs, whether he has not squeezed the land fund dry, anticipating, during his own tenure of office, proceeds which would otherwise have swelled the official returns of his successor, is another matter. It appears to me that the question has not yet been viewed in its true light, with regard to the interests of the Northern province. It is not a question between cheap land and dear ; but whether sale by auction, at a low upset piice, or sale with right of selection at a fixed price, he the better system. For myself, I very strongly incline to the former. Considering the plethora of wealth at Melbourne and in New Sou'h Wales, with the difficulty of finding investments, the latter system may possibly result in fixing absenteeism upon us. There will be a sharp contest for the Superintendency. Mr. Bartley came first into the field, followed close upon by Mr. Brown ; the former representing the aristocratic— the latter the demo* cratic element of the community. Setting aside the abstiact principle involved, both are highly qualfied for the. post, and bath would fulfil the duties honestly and conscientiously. But a requisition, numerously signed, requesting Col. Wynyard to come forward, is about to be carried up to him. Whether he will comply, is not yet known ; the chances are, that if he does comply he will be returned, the subdivisions of party being so numerous, and its violence so great, that one who has the special support of no particular party, comes forward at a great advantage. Many would sacrifice their own particular predilections, electing a neutral, for the sake of foiling those of their neighbours. But the more far-sighted are of opinion that Col. Wynyard, for his own Bake, had better let well alone. He has come out of -tb.3 Lieut, - Governorship with eclat, which may run a chance of being seriously dimmed in another sphere. It is one thing being appointed by the Queen, and another thing being returned by a constituency. The duties of the two positions will be found, in practice, to be very different ; and unless he be prepared to fu'fil those duties — not as they are understood by Governor Grey, but by the body of Electors, he will have a stormy time to pass of it. Nothing was expected of him, in the past position, but urbanity ; and straightforwardness ; in the future one, he would have a harder taskmaster, and find himself imperatively called upon to act. This much is for his own consideration ; but how any of the colonists enn think of returning to such an office any but one I of themselves, is a marvel. Is Auckland alone, of j all the provinces, to proclaim to the world that she i« able to find no one of her own fit to be entrusted with the charge of her affairs ? i With regard to the working of the Constitution, the elements of collision are apparent enough. The Northern and Southern Provinces are abrogated I only in name ; the division remains well defined as before. Three subjects of an'agonism immediately present themselves; — the question of direct purLhnse ftom the natives (it is only direct purchase from tribes, not from sole owners, that is prohibited by the Consti'ution Act) ; the Companys' debt, and the change of Capital. The firit is vital to the Nonb. The Crown lus but little 1.-nd, of really available nature, to dispose of here, and that liitle is being rapidly swallowed up under the late proclamation ; the natives refuse selling to the Crown, unless at prices such as they could obtain from the settlers ; the Native Land Purchase Ordinance prevents the se 1 tiers from leasing, and the country is lock' d up. flfjr. McClean it coming up from the

South, to try to effect purchase! oa the part of Go Ternment ; whether he will succeed better than the Northern negotiators, remains to be seen. The Com« pany'i debt, the imposition of which upon Auckland turns out to be his Excellency's handiwork, is being pioduciive of much acrimonious feeling ; the Company's settlements will be cbillenged to take it upon themselves. This question, moreover, is intimately linked up with the previous one ; for br direct purchase, the toll of one fourth to the Company i« evaded. But if lands acqured from the native* pass into the bands of the Government, even for half an hour, as Crown lands, it becomes liable to charge. You must bear in mind that the North ii alone paying off that debt, at present. For the compensation scrip hinders Crown Land Sales to any considerable amount in the South. The question of metropolitan hinomr* is not quite identical with that of the seat of government. It is clear by the Act that the Governor can hold the General Assembly where he pleases, and can govern from any point he finds convenient. Moreover, each Province has its own capital. But Auckland having been declared metro; olitan, and having been confirmed as such by the home go vernment, the title conveys jealousy in the South ; uor can I soe anything to hinder the Assembly, in which Auckland will be outvoted, from appropriating the title elsewhere : and I know that the question of removing heads of departments to the South has been mooted at head quarters. Now if they be removed not to a metropolis, but to a mere, seat of government, they may possibly be required to dance attendance upon the Governor through every one of the six provinces, according as he may feel inclined to shift his own position. Nor aie these the only troublesome questions that will arise ; and it is clear that the comtitution can only be effectually worked by good- will — by fair give-and-take on all sides ; for those who are inclined to throw impediments in the way will find no lack of materials. On one point, and that one of the most important, the Northerners are fortunately of one accoid with you— on the necessity of obtaining as much power as possible for the Provincial Councils. This, it carried out, wi I lessen the great danger of all. the over-riding power of the Asietnbly. The members returned from hence to the House of Represent* tives will be instructed to part with as much autho rity as they can conveniently denude themselves of. But how we are to send down our quota of Repre sentatives to the South is a difficulty. The sending the twelve beit men is out of the queition ; the best cannot leave their affairs. There seems nothing for it but to make lure of some two or three good hands to do the talking and battle the watch; and to fi 1 up with dummies, who will be content to contribute votes on a division. Neither Governor Grey nor the Bishop have yet arrived, although they left Wellington by the overland route nearly sir weeks ago. Nothing having been heard of them, it is possible that they have been detained by floods. , Auckland, April Wh, 1853. Since I wrote last, Colonel Wynyard his ac« cepted the requisition to stand for the Superintendency. There is every reason to think thut he will head the poll, but the constituency has not yet been sufficiently anal j zed to form a decided opinion, nor can it be until the registration lists shall have been completed. Among the merchants and shopkeepers of the town he will certainly obtain a majority over Mr. Brown ; many of the merchants saying openly that they will not put one of them- j selves above themselves. The operatives are doubt- j ful, as yet, but more of them anon. Mr. Brown's strength whl be in the out-settlements, but it is very much to be feared that the registration, except- j ing for the town, will be very imperfect. Ihit is the more to be regretted, inasmuch ns that the number of members for the General Council allotted to the Auckland Piovince, will depend, or ought to depend upon the number of registered electors. Certainly, the Act has not been complied with as yet : but we must suppose that it will ultimately be so. Then again, a body of voters, like the Pensioners, lix hundred strong, can manifestly turn the scale as they please. It is said that Colonel Wynyard is not secure of them, but I cannot share in that opinion. Three hundred and twenty of them signed his requisition. Ihey have the power, if they exercise it, of nuilifying to a great extent the gain of the constitution— Solomon's fly in the po' of precious ointment. Col. Wynyard is said to have shewn himself very seniitive to the free strictures pasted upon military superintendency by a local journal; he was treated with great reserve while Lieut. Governor, and was apparently nol prepared for the hard knocks which all offices, not appointed by the Queen, but elected by a constituency, must expect. Whatever was the cause, hi* par y certainly did propose to withdraw him, on condition of Mr. Brown's retiring likewise. Mr. Brown's answer was, that he had nailed his colours to the mast. . . A very curious move u taking place here just now. The operatives,— fired it is to be supposed, with emulation of Albert ouvrier, sitting alongside of Lamartine in Paris — have resolved to put some of their own body into the Provincial Council. They hive the power to do so, if they can agree among themselves. For the wealthier people here are not captains of tens and captains of hundreds, as at home. The working classes are perfectly independent, and may be almost said to rule the matters. An employer is in reality what the Pope call* himself, — tervus servorum. They have held two meeeiugs on the subject, which wete well worth attending. Considerable want of discipline was shewn, as was to be expected from men unused to act together i but with a little drilling they will do better yet. At the fint meeting, the Chairman put the question as follows, — " those who ffre Eor the teiolution will hold up their right hands ; thoie who ure adverse, the left." A left-handed man might easily have contradicted himself. At the next meeting he improved his ifquuiiion, but did not quite hit it; "those who aie for the resolution will hold up their right hands." But jealousies had by this time sprung up among themselves, and little was done. Time will shew what they are capable of. As a Coniervative, and for reasons which every Conservative will understand, I should be glad to see the experiment tried at once. It is no use resisting a movement of th« sort. Let them put their men, nome three or four out of twenty-four, into the first Provincial Council. If the operative members can hold their own in it, there it no reason why they should not be elected to the second ; but if they prove inefficient, their own constituency will be out of conceit with them, and the thing will be at an end. One of the great questions at pieient is, where the first General Assembly i* to be held. Government ought to signify that without delay./or the choice of members depends upon it. If it be held at Wellington, we must elect men whose avocations will allow them to attend, and confine ourselves to those so ciicumstanced : if at Auckland we should elect our best men. The other settlements are not to much allecied by the doubt. Oblique hints are dropped from certain high quarters that it nry be held here ; but I place little faith in them. Perhaps a mere electioneering ruse, to strengthen the Governmeut party by bringing peoplts into good humour. A deputation i« about to be organized, for the purpose of urging Sir George to declare himieK. What if he should hold it at T*ranaki after all, on the American piinciple of removing their deliberative assemblies .rom the influence of popular clamour. Hit Excellency has a good deal of the cat in his composition, and likes to take people by surj.nze, *iih a sudden spiing. The pub ie mind is in a very unhealthy state Party feeling is at the highest ; much diit ia thrown about on all aides, and sometimes sticks where i

w»s not intended. In this iorfc of warfare the GoTemment newspaper, 1 as yon will perceiTe by inspection, decidedly takes the lead. Nothing eta be more unju.tifiable, or more to be deplored, th*a attacks ©a pmate character, to serve electioneering purposes. It is long since we h»ve seen the Lytttlton Times, but when it doei come, we may ex« pect to see that you do things better at Canterbury, and. possibly, Jake example from yon. No man is secure, for the present : there aro many who would willingly bare kept out of th« fray ; but this it no trose for " halting neutrals ; it is " etery man to his &t«lioa, and the couk, to the fore sheet " Auckland, 2nd May,