THE WHARF JOB.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1032, 19 May 1857, Page 4

THE WHARF JOB.

To the Editor of the Southern Crott. Sir,— The comment* of the editor of the 'New-Zea-landeron Colonel.Mould's letter on the sanatory condition of Auckland, induces me again to make some

remarks on the wharf job. and to call attention to the following extracts fioin Colonel Mould's letter, of which no notice it taken by the editor of the Superintendent's paper ; — I "It is not for me to judge how far the public money I is judiciously expended in the woiks no* carrying on, I and piopo^cclfor the convenience and ornament of the city and harbour ; but I must *ay that above and before ■ill things, the health of the people should be considered." .„ , , "Disease kept from the doors of the poor will be leas costly to them than the infinitesimal addition to the cost of supplies which tonipoiary, insufficient transit accommodation may occasion — convenience and ornament cannot be appreciated by the sick and dying^." The extension of the Queen street wharf, at the best, can only save a few pounds m landing and shipping goods,— draining the town will save the lives of the inhabitants, which ought to be done fiist, even if it were necessary to extend the wharf eventually, vrhich I cannot admit. , I do not expect the editor of the •New-Zealander to nnswer the above question, because there can be but one answer given to it. and that must be against the Superintendent's scheme of extending the Queen street wharf. The present wharf, \* hen both sides are made available, will be capable of accommodating more vessels than can possibly load and discharge, with even the additional tramway which it it contemplated to lay down"; and it is impossible to concentrate the whole trade of Auckland at the toot of Queen street. Colonel Mould has pointed out anotheT matter of great importance, which is, that all works undertaken should 1 be commenced upon some fixed plan, that will make I the harbour complete when finished, and not throw | away money on tempoiary works that do not form part , of a whcle. When a proper plan is determined on for the harbour, ! a sum of money would be well spent in protecting it , from the noith-east gales, and in rendeiing the endowinents available, but not in accordance with the tenders I which I see have been accepted, for building a wall on the north side of Custom-house street. Quays of at least fittv yards should be left outside of Custom-house I stiect and "Queen street, and there the wall should be ' built. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, W. F. Porteii. May 13th, 1857.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. g; r) _I n your last issue, you mention in your " Local Intelligence, 1 ' th.it " We are requested to state, on behalf of Mr. Davis, late Government interpreter, who is now absent, that he spontaneously resigned office, on the first day of the present month." Sir, would you infoiin me whether that serious case, in which he is defendant, relative to the Maori cutter, ha* anything to do with his resignation, and which I believe comes on, on Wedntsdaj week, in the ltesident Magistrate's Court ? \Or whether lie actually resigned, knowing he was going to be dUuussed by the General Government. An answer will oblige Youis, &c. Walter Brodie. May 9, 1857. [We must decline interference in this matter, for the present.]

To the Editor of the Southern Cross, Sir,— l read with great interest, m one of your correspondence of this day's date, a statement made by Mr. Benj. E Turner, commencing with— " I shall commence first from the tragedy of Wairau, which occurred on the 17th June, 1843, in which twenty-two of our countrymen lost their lives, nearly the whole of them being cruelly murdered in cold blood. Mr. Shortland was acting Governor at the time, and this massacre was allowed to remain unnoticed till the arrival of a new Governor. Captain Fitzßoy arrived at Auckland on the 23rd December, 1843 ; he afterwards left for Wellington, where he arrived in February 1814 ; he then sailed for Nelson, afterwards for Waikanae, where he had an interview with Rauparaha and his tribe. His Excellency, instead of apprehending and trying the murderers, passed them off, taking their promise that they would not do the like again.' Now, Mr. Editor, by this statement, one would be led to suppose that the Maories were the gi eatest m urdei ers under the sun, and that they would attack and murder, all in cold blood, without any apparent cause. Now, Sir, as Mr. Turner took the trouble of putting the worst part (veiy much against oui native friends) of the story before the public, he should have put the [ otherside oi the story also. Ido not mean to say anything about the B.iy, but of the Wairau. I have heard j both from the natives who were on the field, and from i Europeans who were near the place, that the natives 1 were partly not to blame, taking the circumstances into consideration. And again. "His Excellency instead of apprehending and trying the murderers." I think that it was easier said than done. For do you think that 500 men, more or less— who had conquered wherever they went— would allow their head chief or chiefs to be taken prisoners and suffer them to be imprisoned (which is the greatest degradation to a Maori), j to be tried and then hung ? If his. Excellency had tried to apprehend the Rauparaha it would have caused a great deal of bloodshed, for the natives would have defended their chief or chiefs as long as they were able to do so ; and the Government was very poorly prepared i to carry on a war in those days. Tlie Europeans at J the Wairau had all the ad\antages of ground and posi- j tion. And I will, also, avk of Mr. Turner, who fired the first shot ? And who was killed by that shot ? And as Mr. Turner brought thp fust part of the matter be- i fore the public, and knows so much about the matter, he should gratify the public by finishing the story —by giving both sides of the sttry. I I'emam, &a, Wairatj. i Auckland. May 8, 1857 \