The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2602, 20 November 1865, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUOEO, NON VliO. " If I have been extinguished, yot then riio A thoiunnd benconi from the ipark I bor;.'

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20.

;,an< ad.valore'S duty*' of •lO'p'er" den'tl]' Is in ' South Australia;' Voiil'd / prove "the most* pro[dubtive^ariffin'tlio'ead. ' 'It* 1 certainly would have the effect of 'stopping the traffic jin smuggled goods. If tli c jqhambor of Commorce would take this suggestion as a basis, and enter into calculations based on, the importi of the past ove years, taking into, account theiprobable 1 ' increased consumption on the ■ next three or ' , fiyejyears, .they would - arrive > at a result which* , would, wo think, satisfy them' ihat the sugKestioh we'aave made' is not 'an unwise one. Besides; it must' be borne in mind that the measurement duties, are" most oppressive and unfair in their 'operation. A.case,, of tiats, or a , bale of slop clothing, usod.by.'ithe .wording classes, pays more duty than a shipment of costly jewellery or silks ; and by the present tariff, the lights wines of -Australia pay the same "duty ipreciselyas the highest priced" wiries from Europe. >A!n"ad valor&ni duty would renfove these anomalies ; and we believe would be found to be more productive in the end. Luxuries 'wovlld'be taxed; and it' is just that they should be taxed ; but the working man and the frugal, would be much better off, and could live oheaper. than he can do now. We know we shall be met iby - the argument that false declarations will be made, and that the honest merchant will suffer. This argument ip, after all, of little value. The shame of detection and penalty on conviolion, wauld i have the effect of detorriug any but' the most reckless from making fraudulent declarations. Besides, the right of search would exist. In short, the same system that has been found to work so well in the UnitecTStates, in South Australia, and elsewhere, would not be so difficult to bring into operation here. , By the adoption of some such system wo believo the demoralising* and ruinous smuggling trade would bo, put an end to altogether; the revenue improved, 1 and trade and commence stimulated. It might be necesBary,<no doubt,' to impose new taxes to meet present emergencies ; but these will be imposed, we believe, whether the Customs tariff be reduced or not. We don't object to, new taxes ; but we do object to burning the candle at both ends. Now, it is just like burning the candle at both ends to continue a scale of duties which create smuggling (and so depreciate the revenue and impoverish the great bulk of the trading classes, who nowhere engage in smuggling ventures), and then attempt to supplement the Customs revenue by the imposition of fresh taxes, whioh would fall principally upon the very persons who suffer most from the ruinous competition of smuggled goods and oppressive import duties.

The committee for untieing the arrangements for the public banquet to be given to the Auckland niemboi'B of the General Assembly on Thursday next, will meet to day to prepaie the programme, &c. The tickets are being rapidly disposed of, and we understand there will be upwards of 2»>o penoua present. We have no doubt it will be u successful demonstration of the recognition by the paople of this province of the important services rendered by their representatives in the lute session of Parliament— a editable to the promoters, and worthy of the recipients. His Honor the! Superintendent, Fiederiek Whitaker, Esq., will preside. The dinner will be supplied by Mr. Canning, cook and confectioner, Shortland Crescent. An extensive sale of general country landi is to take place to-day, at the Waste Lands Office, when allotments of land in the following districts arc to he offered, at the upset price of 10s. per acie : — Piui.sh of Mareretu, county of Mar«don (Wangarei dintrict), 178 lots ; parish of Waikiokie, county of Marsden, 160 lots | parish of Tauraroa, .county of Marsden, 81 lots; paiish of lluatangata,county of Maisden, 9 lots ; parish of Waitakerei, county of Eden, north portion of lot 44; parish of Tataraiiki, oouuty of Marsdeti (Kaipara district), 1 lot j parish of Kaiwaka, oounty of Marsden (Mangawai district), 1 lot ; parish of Mangatannvha, county of Mongonui (Momjoluu district), 20 lots ; pmshof Whaingaroa, county of Rutland (Kagiau district), 1 lot. The anni versai y services iv connection with the Albert-street Congregational Sabbath Sohool were held in the Chapel yesteiday. The congregation at the morning service was largo and respectable. The Rev. S. Edger, paf>tor, preached an eloquent and appropriate discourse from the text contained iv Genesis iv., 1, "I have gotten a man from the Lord." At 8 o clock in the afternoon the Rev. Mr. Kdger delivered an address, suited to parents and childieu, on. "The "purpose of 'lifo. 11 fie alto i conducted Divine set vice in tlirs evening, wbon, no doubt owing to the unfavouiable weather, t be .attendance was not so numerous as iv the morning. He preached an impressive sermon from Isitiah lv., 10, 11, in which he expatiated on the power of the Word of God.' The collection* taken up amounted to upwards of £10. The annual soiree will be held in tho chapel to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, commencing at 6 o'olock. A woman, named Mrs. Ferguson, attempted to commit suicide last night by leaping from the wharf. It seem* that, the unfoitunato womau and, her husband had been quarrelliug yesterday, and iv the afternoon she left the house iv Wakefield-street. About eight o'clock she weut down the wharf, and, wheu at a short distance past the watermen's house, she took off her bonnet and shawl and leaped ink the Water. The Act, of course, wns seen by' a' number of person!, and a , young; man, named Bacon, jumped into the water, seized Mrs. Ferguson, and kept her up till a waterman's boat was brought. She was taken home by the water police, and it is probable that she will be brought up, at the Poljee Cow t f 'charged with Having attempted to commit suicide. The monthly meeting of ths Lodge Waiteraata is announced to be held this evening, at half-past seven o'clock, at the "Lodge-room, "and to which visiting brethren ate iuvited, to attend. A fourth call of 10*. per share has been made upon the shareholders of. the Auckland Fire and Marine Insurance Company, and willjbe due and, payable at the company* office, Queen-street, on Thursday, the 28th December. ' , Two misprints' appear in tho notice we published on Saturday of the paper read by Mr. J. Clark to the members of the Wellington street Presbyterian Church Literary Association. The wok-d "'Scotland" was printed Southlaud, and " objections" objects.. At the' Police Court, on Saturday,' George'Harradine was remanded;,, til I Monday, on the charge; of stealing a dressing-case from Colonel Warre, at New Plymouth, hii Worship remarking that l as the prisoner had been in custody for sotno time, Colonel Warre ought to have furnished' evidence before this. Mitchell Wisbet was oidered to find two sureties, in £50 each for his good behaviour for six 'months, having been convicted of uttering threatening language towards Mr.! Thomas toraigJ ■ „,/:..>• At the fortnightly meeting of th'd'Citj" Board of Commissionew, to be held this afternoon, besides the consideration of tho correspondence rectived since the previous meetiug and the "usual accounts, tenders will be >■ received for parrying out'improvements, in Milkvlape. . , , u !>••> t<"v, The schools on the Grey Foundation arenot in good case. The Board spend* more than it has at command, and it is gradually but y drpp r piifg'to ruin at the rate 'of £300 pet 'annum. ''Sbme member* of the 'Boai'd .propose to raise' the 'fees ; others.feejthat Port Elizabeth "is-not yet tope for classical learning ; ", still , they (shrink ( frpmj taking tho bull by the horns.' Ultimately the Board resolved: " That a committee be appointed to draw up a report on the geueral 'state of the schools on the Grey Foundation ; and that the said report, together .with, a statement; of its.finanoial poiitton, be forwarded tq.Pr, ,D»le, with, a request for, .his advice' and suggestions «t to tiw best mode of plaotoWthnainore satisfactory position.' I —/^ Elizab&H*«id,jviyBj- •■" ' "'. J ,! 1 ; I -;".■;; On Saturday night, the " blowers' of 'tKe Forest?' was produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre. This drama, • which- requires >a lars^ ntfmber of^ctiori for its Vepl'rete'ntatioh,' w«V very fairly put upon tho stage, aud was well received by the audience. The faroe of "Good forJNbtßingH' concluded tha per* formance.