THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1022, 14 April 1857, Page 2

THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSES.

In Dr. Featherston's address, delivered on the occasion of laying the first stone of a Wellington House of Assembly, (teprin c 1 in another co'umu; we find the following remarkable assertion. Auckland has already insisted upon the ether Provinces contributing, not only towards a House of General Assembly, but also towards the building of no less than three Residences for the Governors, entailing upon the Colony (for Auckland's sole and exclusive benefit) an expenditure of not less tluu £45,000. What can Dr. Feafcherston mean ? he is not one of those who would wilfully pervert a fact ; we can only say that we do not understand him. The first Government Home was built at Auckland, not by oider of the inhabitants of Auckland, but by o.der of the Home Government, which, from tirst to list, has contributed pretty handsomely by way of subsidy to our Colonial expenses. Nor was it buile "for Auck-

Lan i's iole and exclusive benefit," but for that of the Colon y. A Governor must necessarily govern from some place, and the observations might be applied to any place, Wellington included, wherever the Government House might happen to be. The first Government House was destroyed by fire : it wa-> rebuilt, not at £he expense of the Colony, but at that of the Province. Yet Auckland, being the seat of Govern meut, had a fail 4 claim of costs against the Colony The present House being needed by the General Govermont for other purposes, the House of Representatives (not alone the Auckland members) voted a sum of money to provide another residence for His E vcellenoy, at the seat of Government. Wbeie else could^t be reasonably placed ? Dr. Feathersfon proceeds to bay that Wellington, on the other hand, offers and is prepared to plac» at the disposal of. the General Government both a Government House and a House of General Assembly, without asking Auckland or the other Provinces, to contribute one single farthing. Is it possible that these words can be sincere, in their parade of generosity. Does not the Su-: perinlendenk" of Wellingnn know as well as we do, that this same generosity is merely an attempt at bargain-driving, by which Wellington would largely profit, — an endeavour to buy the scat of Government with a new Government House gratis. And if Wellington does not ask the other Provinces to contribute one single farthing, it is because she would auk in vain. Had the House of Representatives voted the money for Wellington rather than for Auckland, would the Superintendent have declined accepting it ? Credat Judceus. For many years, there has been a Government House at Wellington. Has that cost nothing to other Provinces ? Yet this obliviousness affords us no surprise.