Correspondence.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1018, 31 March 1857, Page 3

Correspondence.

*** Our corrcspondpnce colirii'i^ being imparti illy open, we are iv*t to bu mcU'u'itiuil with any opin'on e\]Hc-5SO(l theu'in.

To the Editor of I in- t-'ovthciH Cross. Sii, -The ' Now-Zealandi-i ' of yesterday says, " Tin? member tor the Bay joined m a combination to foist a twenty-fifth member into the Pnnineial Council." I cim nolawaie ot uny coinbinuiiun in the matter. The Superintendent, with his us'ml sapience, did the | tuck inmiM'H. anil then stiivos to '• foist " his blunder on the shoulders of another. None of his lnends have shown or can show that he had any light to take the case of Graham v Pollen out of the hands ot the Provincial Council, alter he had submitted that case to its final arbitidtion. This the dihtructionists know right well, therefoic, the kind creaftnes tell us " t^ere is one consolation m the matter •' :— " The public woiks are boing proceeded with, as they have not been for some three years past." True, " the public works are being proceeded with," and that at a wasteful expense. A stone bridge is being built over the gully in Wollesley-street, to be useful as long as " Mr. Vaile's pathway," for when the 11 culvert" in Queen-street is built, his Honor may sell by auction both the stone bridge and Mr. Vaile's pathway, as both will be useless in their present position. Indeed, it would puzzle his Honor and his "Board of Works " to form the " causeway," until alter they have removed " Mr. Vaile's pathway." | Then, lower down the "Ligar canal," we arrive at the projected Durham-st. bridge.over which when completed a pedestrian might wend his way up the artificial cliff, to Albert-street Chapel ; but no coachman would venture to mount the box, take four in hand, and diive his Honor there, to hear the Eev. Mr. Hamer lecture on Education. " Mr. Vaile's pathway " will be useful quite as long as that bridge. We drop a little lower down the stream, pass " Mr. Vaile's pathway" and " Mr. Boylnn's brick telescope/ and then land upon '• Grandmother Gooseberry's " wooden pier, which we are told is soon to undergo an operation little .short of being giound young again- -expenses no matter, simply keep the old lady on her pins. The additional length is to be built on piles 2 feet diameter, at 6 feet distance ; and, if so, the one-fourth of the waterway will be dammed up by the piles, between which a boat cannot safely pass. Whereas, if the piles were 12 feet asunder.they wouldpresent only one-halt the obstruction to the stream, ar»d, consequently, be twice as strong, and cost only about half the money. If this is " the way our money goes," it goes just as I expected it would, when the " pathway " was made from the punting office into the Superintendent's chair. Neither Dr. Campbell noi Mr. Brown ever squandered money like it. Either of them would have asceitainedf tho cost of the pier, before they engaged to pay for the materials on delivery. Yours truly, G. Vaile. March 27, 1857.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. Sir, — I was absent from Auckland at the time two letters, signed D. C. L., were published in the ' New Zealmider,' containing gross insinuations against me. The only notice I can give them is, that should any colonist be desirous of making charges against me with his name and proofs, I am quite prepared to defend my-s->lf from them, but anonymous charges on private character are beneath the notice of any man ; they remind me of Italy and Greece, where the knite and stiletto are freely used in the dark, and are derogatory to any one claiming the rights of a British subject. But, Sir, there is an importance attached to these letters far beyond any individuality ; the freedom of the press— the bulwark of British liberty— is outraged ami degraded, when the paper, that professes to be the loading journal of this Province, opens its columns to anonymous attacks on any private individuals who dare express opinions opposed to the views of the Pr<vmuial Government ; it says, in fact, whoever dare oppose us, or give expression to views on public questions not in accordance with ours, we will icrite them down by anonymous attacks,— we will destroy the liberty oi free discussion. My own opinions are that every man that takes a pirt in public aff.ms submit not only his politic..], but his private chaiacter to pubfc trial; for pihato woith is the bost guaiantoo we c -\ have ioi publ.i* and political honesty. This is a tiial I have never shiunk fiom, and ne\er will, but anonymous attacks I lca\e to public opinion, which, it decehed for a time by d.nk insinuations, will ultimately give a iust veidict. Undoubtedly it is the light ot c^eiy citizen to write anonymously on any public question, hut it, is only emv.mTwho attack private character by anonymous assertions without proof. I luue not the most remote idea who D.C L ma) be, and have not written this to lcfute any one insinuation made by him, but to point out a seiious e\il that is growing up in our community, \iz , tlvj Press endeavouring to stifle the public voice by intimidation, which I tru&t lew will be iound willing to submit to. I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, William Crush Daldy. Auckland, March 24th, 1857.