Correspondence.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 955, 22 August 1856, Page 3

Correspondence.

* # * Our correspondence columns being impartially open, we are not to be identified with any opinions expressed therein.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir,— Will you allow me to occupy your space with a few lemarks, on the manner in which our revenue is squandered, upon objects of secondary impoitance or no importance at all, while the formation ot goud loads is proceeded with so languidly that one has to make very minute observations, before being able to discover any progress whatever in that all important item of public improvement. Our annual revenue is found insufficient to carry on our necessary works, and it is about to be absorbed, in grpat part, in the payment of interest on very large sums ot money, proposed to be borrowed. Now, Sir, some of our representatives, overwhelmed with the prospect of these large sums of money being brought under their control, are taxing their ingenuity to the ut most, to devise means of reducing the amount, instead of applying themselves to prevent all unnecessary expenditure of the money, intended for the purchase of land, and the construction of public works throughout the colony. I perceive that one hon. member, a representative of our Province, is anxious that a sum of £4000 should be laid aside, for the purpose of encouraging the export of flax. Sir, there is no doubt, that, if flax could be exported in large quantities and at paying prices, the colony would reap a gieat benefit ; but it is equally evident that, in that case, private enterprise would flow into that channel, without any encouragement from Government It appears to me, theiefore, to be holding out a pieminin to imprudent speculation— one cause of our present depression —for any sum, great or small, to be offeied for doing what would certainly be effected, without such encouragement, if it would be remunerative to those who took the risk. Eveiyyearwe spend large sums, much larger than wp can afford, in bounties and bonuses to a ariety of objects, which I, for one, consider as a very questionable benefit to us. If we had already good trunk roads running to all the main parts of the Island, I could see no objection to employing a steamer to carry mails on the coast ; but having,' literally, no loads at all, I think the monoy would be much better applied in making them. Supposing the " Wonga Wonga " were with drawn from her present employment, in what respect would the settlements xlown the coast be in a better position than they were before she began to run ? But, suppose the same sum which she has cost the community had been expended on terra fa ma, skilfully and economically, in the formation of a good road to the Norch, surely our whole Province would be in a better position than it is now : the labour of the country would be kept employed, and, besides having made a good basis for future opeiations, there would be a sate and speedy means of communication opened with the interior, which would not be liable to interruptions such as our present arrangements are exposed to so hequently. To return again to Mr. Williamsons motion for enconrnging the exportation of flax. I would advise that a ,i«. „ >■- j-,~«= me 11.0. ku™..*. !.„... cit. i.;, disposal to forming an acquaintance with Smith's work on (he Natui c and Catae& of the Wealth of Nations. The sth chapter in the 4th book bears particularly upon the subject of these remarks, and as a legislator, and especially as the originator of a motion to dispose of a l*rge sum of public money, I hold him bound to inform himself better upon questions of political economy, before he renews his attack upon the revenue of the colony. I am, &c. Vanguard. Auckland, August 4, 1856.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — In the ' New-Zealander of Wednesday, is a letter bearing the signature of J. T. Boylan. In it he saj's : " It is asserted that the public moneys have been paid away with, to say the least, a most reprehensible irregularity. To cite one instance, Mr. Vaile has received upwards of £ 100 for repairing the pathway and street opposite to his own property, and, as far as I have observed, these repairs hiive been carried out quite independent of the supervision of the Board of Works." Mr. Boylan's opinion is, by his own showing, not worth a farthing. He says "it is asserted "—(I" — (I presume by himself.) 'Again, he says "as fat as I have observed, these repairs have been carried out quite independent of the supervision of the Board of Works." Hence it appears that he has made some "obsei vation;" enough to serve a turn, and then jumped at a conclusion wherewith to charge the Superintendent of the Province with " paying away the public money in, to say the least, a most reprehensible irregularity." Before Mr. Boylan had levelled such a charge against his Honor the Superintendent, he ought to have had better data then mere assertion, or his own partial " observation." He proceeds : "It is possible that Mr. Vaile has expended the money most economically and judiciously; it is very probable that the citizens received the same or even greater benefit. But to what does such a system tend ?" ( 'ommon sense would reply — it tends to justice. The public streets ought to be kept in lepair at the public expense. Yours truly, George Vailb. August 21, 1836.

To the Editor of tha Southern Cross. Sir, — I perceive that the extraordinary case of committal from Coromandel is terminated, and the peisons discharged, and told that the charge was groundless. It is needless to advert to the worthless complainant, but it is impossible to refrain from considering the conduct of the committing Magistrate Here, to him, an unknown individual makes complaint on affidavit, and he issues a warrant for apprehension. To say that he was bound to grant the warrant is ridiculous. What be was bound to do was, to know something of the parties, and if possible of the circumstances, but he made not the slightest effort to do so ; for the least enquiry would have staid any further step ; and upon the mere ipse dizit of an inveracious person he issues his fiat, and two innocent and respectable men (one a partner and manager of the Cpromandel Mills) were torn from their homes, shipped off like felons, and thrust into piison. It is all very well for the acquitting judge to say that they leave the Court without a stain, but we a'l know that a sense of degradation will haunt them throughout their lives. Talk of the birthrights and liberty of the subject! They seem here placed in the hands of biainless halfboy Magistrates, and if the public could silently endure such doings, it would be careless, if not unworthy, of freedom. This is not the first unfortunate committal from Coromandel, by juvenile itinerant Magistrates, and they are no longer to be borne. To appease the irritation of the public, the least the Government can do is to make the committing magistrate refund the unnecessary expenses thrown upon the colony, and to omit his name from the list of the Justices of the Peace. To place so much power in the hands of incapables is suspending the Habeus Corpus Act with a vengeance, and free institutions and responsible government are mere sounds,, that mock the heart of an Englishman. August 20, 1556. [By the absence from Auckland of the magistrate alluded to, we have been precluded from making full enquiry into the facts of the case. Great hardship has undoubtedly been inflicted ; but judging from tko; statement ot our coirespondent, the magistrate is nor so far to blame. The writer admits that the committing

magistiate acted upon affidavit and therefore in the o dinary judi ial course. But it it assumed that he ought to have mado exti a judicial enquiries. To this we can only say, th it if once pxtra -judicial enquiiies begin no one can tell where they will end. The formalities of la« disappear .md all i v Mt to the arbitrary I decision of the Judge. However much it is to be regretted , ca^es of this kind must occur, where pirtips i are unscrupulous in affidavit. Any one of us is liable to the same. The respectability of the accused, alluded to by our correspondent, is undoubted ; but the law is no rcpecler of persons. The remedy is not against the magistrate, but against the swearer of the affidavit. In regard to the suggested relunding of expenses by the committing magistrate, it is almost unnecessary to observe that this, it insisted upon m one, should likewise be insisted on in all cases ot acquittal. Ed.]