The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1742, 18 February 1863, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCKO NOU ÜBO. "If I have boon extinguished, yet there riie A thouiiuul beacons from the spark J bore."

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY IS, 18G3. Yesterdvy was observed by the majority of the people of Auckland as a day of mourning. The public offices aud banks were closed, and business was suspended as far as practicable. Attentive congregations attended Divine service in the various churches, and contributed of their substance towards the relief of the desolate widows and orphans of the men who lost their lives by the wreck of H.M.s.s. ' Orpheus.' This was a Christian duty, and in doing so our fellow-citizens prove that they apprehend the true spirit of the Gospel of Christ. But, said a brother journalist yesterday, the day of mourning is a work of supererogation. " Works of superero- " gation are like ' acts of penance.' In nine " cases out of ten, they are for outward show — " if not of the nature of a bargain to continue in " sin •" and he proceeds to lecture the Superintendent for complying with the request presented by a number of ouv merchants, and issuing "an exti'a G'<i:e(te, with a mourning border of " broad black lines, to invite the inhabitants of " Auckland to observe a day of mourning." We regret exceedingly that our contemporary should have adopted the line of conduct which, upon this occasion, he has done. It is one which will find few supporters, and which ought at least to have been postponed until after the e\ent, whatever our contemporary may have thought of the wisdom of the proclamation by the Superintendent. When great calamities overtake a nation it is usual for a day of general humiliation and prayer to be proclaimed ; and in what other light than that of a public calamity, are we to look upon the wreck of the war steamer ' Orpheus V If the AucJclander cannot see the catastrophe in that light, we are not privileged to condemn him. He has a right to his own opinion ; and however singular, he is welcome, so far as we are concerned, to cherish it as long as he pleases. But when our contemporary sits in judgment on the motives of other men, he does that which exceeds his privilege, and in this case at least he violates good taste as well as Christian feeling. Our contemporary clearly intimates that he considers the observance of the " Day of Mourning," for the loss of life by the wreck of the ' Orpheus,' as a work of supererogation — as an occasion for outward show, if not of the nature of a bargain to continue in sin ; and having more than insinuated the charge of hypocrisy against the overwhelming majority of his fellow-citizens, he attempts to justify his statements in the following words :—": — " The in- " habitants of Auckland are no more interested " in the fate of the sufferers by the • Orpheus,' " than the inhabitants of other portions of her " Majesty's dominions. " ' What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, "'That he should mourn for her?' " We confess to a suspicion that our fellow- " citizens will find it rather difficult to wear a " face of decent sadness throughout this day of " mourning."

We believo there is no man in this community who will adopt the language of our contemporary as his own. It is not true that the people of Auckland are no more interested in the fate of the sufferers by the ' Orpheus' than the inhabitauts of other portions of her Majesty's dominions. In all human probability the ' Orpheus ' would not have visited New Zealand but for the peculiar state of native affairs, and her visit is proof of the constant watchfulness of the mother-country over this colony. Further, if our contemporary would take the trouble to read the depositions taken at the inquest on Monday, he could not fail to perceive that, apart from feelings of humanity, there must be a special interest in the fate of the sufferers by the ' Orpheus' to the inhabitants of Auckland. The Aucklandcr, however, deems it expedient "to improve the occasion," and he proceeds to write a political article, the burden of which is a virulent attack upon Sir George Grey. We will not follow him into that part of his lucubration ; but we may just hint that the effect of our contemporary's article will be exactly the reverse of what lie contemplated. It was ill-timed and highly injudicious ; and neither the spirit nor the point are improved by the Old Testament texts which are so carefully woven into the thread of the argument. There are times for everything; but yesterday was not the time for such an article as our contemporary published. It was a day set apart by " the powers that be" for general humiliation before God, in contemplation of an act of His special Providence, by which nearly two hundred of our fellowcountrymen lost their lives. , If there ever was an occasion in the life of a man when his breast should have been filled with the most enlarged sentiments of Christian charity, yesterday was that occasion. And we rejoice that our fellowcitizens we're nearly' unanimous on the'pyint. There was one exception, and for that solitary exception we are mor^ grieved than we at this moment-care to express".'^ .'-..!• <) .*

We insert a letter from Mr. Thomas James Jaggar, Inspector of Weights and Moas'ures, which we commend to the careful perusal of our readers. We likewise invite them to consider that it is from a public servant, who only receives the paltry sum of per antmm out of the provincial cheat for doing that which, oh liia own showing, he has not done. Wo, can hardly imagine a more extraordinary statement than that in. which he justifies himself for neglecting to do his bounden duty. Ho informed, it seems, " the late Provincial Government" why, up to the present time, he has not taken the legal remedies which the Weights and Measures Ordinance put within his reach. Here, then, we have an officer appointed to carry out the law, taking it upon himself to treat it as a piece of waste paper. What, we would like to ask, has the Inspector of Weights and Measures to do with the injustice which he presumes the Ordinance would inflict upon " tradesmen and others V His duty is clear : to enforce the law as it stands, and leave it to the competent legislature to remedy an)' defects which might be detected in its working. But our critical "inspector does nothing of the kind. He represents something or other to the Provincial Government, and they do not appear to have thought his representations of much consequence, as they seem to have let the matter drop ; and Mr. Jaggar thereupon considers he has conscientiously discharged his duty, pockets his salary, and does not take the "legal reme- " dies " at his command for enforcing the law. Mr. Jaggar thinks he improves his position by attempting to make himself out a " martyr for " conscience sake." We will quote his own words :—": — " I wish I could divest myself of tho " feeling that no political or sectarian influence " lias been mixed up with the motives that " have prompted so much of what has been "said and written about the Inspector of " Weights and Measures ; for it was one day " significantly remarked in my hearing that the " querulousness and opposition of the Council " was not against the salary or the office, but " against the Inspector, because he was a " Wesleyan. I hope, however, that lam " wrong in my conclusions, and that views on a " much higher and more elevated form and " scale do and will exist." So far as we are concerned, we did not know who the Inspector of Weights and Measures was when we wrote the article to which he refer.s, neither did we know or care to what religious denomination he belonged. And we beg to assure him that we are quite indifferent on tho same point at present. Our correspondent admits he did not discharge his duty because it was not agreeable to himself, but lie drew the salary, and if he had been a Churchman instead of a Wesleyan, we should have condemned his conduct as a public servant for such a manifest neglect of duty. The Provincial Council hold the rlurse strings of the country. They are, therefore, entitled to inquire whether a public servant does that for which ho is paid, and Mr. Jaggar, in his letter, supplies their justification for the discussion on which he remarks. We would be the first to condemn any attempt to deal unjustly by a man on account of his religious opinions ; but we would bo tho last to admit that the holding of certain tenets of belief cxoneiate a man from doing lawful work, which he undertook to perform and for which he receives payment. We disclaim having "hurled " missiles at the poor unfortunate Inspector ;" we simply dealt with a public question as such. We really protest against the affectation of injured innocence which tin's underpaid and overworked official assumes, when complaining of want of candour and sympathy on our part. We have no sympathy with a man who continues to receive public money for discharging an important public duty, when he states in as many words that he cannot conscientiously carry out his obligations. That surely is sufficiently candid ; and as for martyrdom for conscience sake, on his own showing, he is not the stuff martyrs are made of. One word more, and we have done. Tho Provincial Government have also a duty to perform in this matter, aud we expect they will do it. Their duty is at once to direct the Inspector of Weights and Measures to enforce the law, and then the " defects and redundancies" stand a chance of becoming generally known. Once for all, it should be made known that laws are made to be enforced, and not to be evaded at convenience.

We publish a translation of the latest Ilokioi. It -will be found a very harmless production. The account of his Excellency's visit is summed up in a few words, and these tend to show that the Governor .spoke to the chiets with firmness.

Coaimodoke Bubnett. — Yesterday evening a rumour reached town that the body of Commodore Burnett, late of H.M. s.s. 'Orpheus,' had been found by tlie natives, and recognised by a letter in one of the pockets. The statement requires confirmation.

High-street Independent Chapel. — Tlie eleventh anniversary of the above chapel will be celebrated this evening at half-past six o'clock, by a tea and public meeting, Several ministers and other friends have signified their intention of being present and delivering addresses.