The Daily Southern Cross. LUCEO, NON UHO. TUESDAY, DECEMBERS 1870.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4166, 20 December 1870, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON UHO.

TUESDAY, DECEMBERS 1870.

If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the sp irk I bore.

" After a storm comes a calm," is an adage that seems exemplified in the proceedings of the Proviucial Council ; and, as a result of the late conflict, there appears a general and most laudable desire to rapidly despatch the business of the province. The political atmosphere was so much surcharged with electricity as to produce a nervous tension that was sadly obstructive to the energetic performance of work ; and the storm of Tuesday last appears to have cleared the atraospnere,and infused a vigour unknown before. The City Loan Act Repeal Bill was one of the first measures to f«el the advantage of the new state of things ; and a weary waste of wordy warfare has been avoided by its reappearance on the evening succeeding the struggle between the " outs " and " ins." If for no other reason, we have in this circumstance abundant reasoa to rejoice at the reesnt contest ; for exhausted nature allowed to pass a measure that liad in ifc elements enough to provoke an endless war between town and country. That the debt with which the cifcy was saddled should be lifted off and laid on the taxpayers of the province ; that £30,000, or £2,000 a year, should be forgiven to the citizens, seemed too much to escape the criticism of those who love to deprecate the centralising tendencies of Auckland cifcy, and was a proposal pre- i senting almost too many features for patriotic declamation to lightly let slip. And for the result, we are certainly largely indebted to the fact that everyone was weary of strife, and longed to see the businesspaper of the Council cleared. And yet it is a result which country as well as town, on sober reflection, must regard as an act of simple justice. That, of all the debtors to the loan, the city should practically be the only one held locally liable, was unfair. And the fact of its being able to pay the annual interest, exhaust* ing its resources iv the effort, was an unsatisfactory reason for the enforcement of the liability ; while citizens were called to bear this special burden, bearing at the same time their full share in the indebtedness for the remainder of the loan. At the same time the removal of the loan is a relief in which we may naturally rejoice. It is true that the provision in the Estimates for granting £2,000 to the city would have temporarily relieved the burden of interest; but the total sweeping away of the liability will enable the new Municipal Council from the first to fairly estimate its position, and grapple with its difficulties. There is another reason also *for rejoicing at the timely removal of the debt. It ia not very probable that the honourable member for the Northern Division, Mr. Murray, will effect the constitutional changes which he threatens for to-morrow evening, even although he be but the mouthpiece of a disappointed, but still ambitious party. However, the disappearance of provincialism from the Constitution of New Zealand is among the possibilities of the future. And, though the present effort may provoke a smile, from our knowing its origin, the " much cry and little wool"

which usually characterises the action of provincial government; cannot be ignored in ii-,8 influences. And, should the time arrive, be it on Wednesday evening or be it in the lapse of years, when the diV tinguiahing Features of provincialism will be merged in central government, the city will have reason to rejoice that the question of its debt has been settled by absorption in the debt of the province, instead of remaining a burden, or to be a lasting bone of contention for the General Assembly. Now that this difficulty has been removed, there will be a natural impulse to expect renewed energy in our civic rulers. But a short time, we trust, will elapse ere we shall enjoy the benefit of inoorpoiation under the Municipal Corporations Act of 1867. A trifling error in neglect of an affidavit; has somewhat delayed the result of the late memorial ; but, that difficulty now removed, we may fairly anticipate the early incorporation of the city, And it ia to be hoped that with the oppressive burden of the debt rolled away, and with all the freshness of new institutions, the city will enter on an era of progress and improvement. There is a k ind of pledge in the removal of the debt that a market-place will claim the earliest attention of the City Board or Council ; and whether undertaken wholly by the city or partially aided from provincial funds, this oft-demanded public work will be expected as one of the first results of the repeal of the Loan Act. But, much as we may desire to see this work effected, we do, in the interest of the country, of the city, and of the market itself, deprecate the extravagant proposal of the honourable member for the Northern Division, Mr, Dyer. That gentleman has on the notice paper, for discussion to-morrow, the following resolution: — "That a respectful " address be presented to his Honor the •'Superintendent setting forth that in the " opinion of this Council the Gost of the " erection of a market-house should be " borne equally by the city and province, " and that when the city authorities show " that they are prepared with a sum of " £2,000 for the purpose of building a " market-house, the Provincial Council " should supplement it with an equal " amount, and the work be proceeded " with immediately." We shall not say [ that this resolution is intentionally framed to prevent the establishment of a market in Auckland ; but, if these are the conditions of its establishment, that event will be indefinitely postponed^ I And, should the conditions be fulfilled, i we have no hesitation in predicting for the mai'lcot a failure. £4,000 expended on a building in Auckland to be devoted to such a purpose will not merely be unnecessary, but it will produce a structure wholly different from what is required, It is not a range of shops or stalls, intended as rivals to our taxpayers' shops, that is required, but a simple shed, erected at a cost of five or six hundred pounds, where the farmers and marketgardeners can bring in their horses and carts and sell their produce, with a merely nominal fee for the small accommodation afforded. And many an instance can be shown in the colonies to prove the all bufc universal failure of such a market - house as that proposed by Mr. Dyer. Expensive buildings mean expensive fees ; and if such an obstacle is thrown in the way of producers exhibiting their produce, the city may as well build a new range of shops of the ordinary kind, for all the practical benefit that will be conferred on the country settlcra, or on the citizens. It is surprising how prone men are to rush into extremes ; and a city of limited population, which has hitherto done without a market-place, must needs have all at once one of such an extravagant kind as will be practically useless. We trust that there will be sufficient wisdom in the Council to defeat the insidious proposal of Mr, Dyer ; that the city will not abuse its new-born freedom from debt by plunging into extravagance, which is warranted neither by its population, its financial ability, nor the requirements of the case ; and that we shall learn the lessons taught us by the failures and successes of market-places in the neighbouring provinces and neighbouring colonies.

It will be seen, fromthe special telegram from Alexandra published in another column, thab the chiefs who went up to Te Kuiti with a message from the authorities have returned, and that they report that Manuhiri (the King's prime minister) has refused to surrender the murderer 3. When asked why the murder was committed on the European side of the boundary, Manuhiri is said to have replied that the King's boundary is at Maungatawhiri, the beginning of the confiscated land. Eewi has gone to attend the native meeting at Whanganui, and is said to condemn the murder. It will be*seen by the telegrams published in another column that the Hon. J. Vogel has addressed a second meeting at Dnnedin, and that his speech has given satisfaction. He also successfully repelled the wild charges of the Otago Times respecting the English telegrams. We learn with regret from a Whanganui paper that the Hon. Mr. Fox has been very J unwell for several days, and was confined to i bed at the Whanganui Hotel. It appeals j while travelling during the late hot weather he was attacked by sunstroke, which produced a certain amount of brain-congestion and consequent general prostration of the system. On the Bth, however, Mr. Fox, thoughjStill unwell, was enabled to leave his room. Hia visit to Patea was abandoned in consequence of this illness, and he intended to return to Rangitikei. Our Kuatangata correspondent informs us that the wheat crop in that district looks well, notwithstanding the recent dry weather. Mr. Gisborne has addressed the electors of Patea, and received a pledge of support. Mr. Parris has had an interview with Te Whiti at Patea. The chief expressed his approval of road-making. We have to acknowledge our indebtedness to W. Gray, Esq., for a copy of the timetable of European mails vifi, Suez for the year 1871. The letter of our Tauranga correspondent, published in another column, contains parI tioulars of the visit of H.R.H. the Duke of | Edinburgh to that district. To-day the principal wool sale of the season will be held afc Mr. A. Buckland's. There will be some 750 bales of wool offered far sale. The transfer books of the Long Drive Goldmining Company will be closed from to-day until Thursday, when a dividend of £1 per share will be payable at the company's office. We have heard that James Foster, lately gaoler at Shortland, has been appointed poundkeeper at Auckland, at a salary of £60 per annum, together with the fees. We rust the rumour is not unfounded. Alexander Wright, Shortland, has Hied his schedule. Mr. Lewisson offers a ticket for baef, as his Christmas gift, for those vrho apply to his shop on Friday. Only those in need will be supplied with this gift. ' , * " Francis explained in the Assembly of Victoria that the reason w>y, Victoria had not contributed to the CaJifovnian Mail Servic*' was that .the ' Government were waiting results of the experiments of ike new steamers round the Cape.

A meeting of the licensed victualler* was held last night, at the Thames Hotel, to take into consideration the Licensing Bill which ia now before the Provincial Council. About thirty gentlemen were present, and Mr. J. Copland was voted to the chair. The hill was discussed clause by clause, and various amendments, none of which were of a very important nature, were carried. In reference to the clause which provided that licensed victuallers should be subject to a fine who supplied habitual drunkards with liquor, it was remarked that there would be some difficulty ia , distinguishing those worthies; and finally a suggestion by Mr. Perkins, proprietor of the Occidental Hotel, was carried, to the effect . that photographs of habitual drunkards should be furnished to hotel-keepers. In the event of the suggestion being adopted by the Council, a rather interesting collection of photographs will be submitted to the public. It was decided that the member for City West, Mr. Swanson, should be requested to submit their suggestions to the Council and endeavour to get them passed. At the termination of the business Mr. Copland suggested the advisability of forming" a licensed victuallers' association, which he said was much wanted. No one subscribed more-to the revenue than the licensed victuallers" did. By licenses alone, they paid £10 000 a year, and, when they considered the duties they had to pay, • they could not but agree that the formation of an association toprotectjtheir interests was a very necessary step to take. It was put to the meeting, and unanimously agreed, that a licensed victuallers' association be formed, but no committee was appointed or steps taken to arrange* preliminaries, except that Mr. Copland intimated his intention of procuring a copy of the rules of a similar association in another place. In reference to the deputation which waited upon Mr. Nicol on Saturday morning, we have been requested to give insertion to the following : — Mr. Nicol did not state to the deputation asking him to contest the election with the Hon. Mr. Vogel that he could not at once reply to the requisition, but, on the contrary, that he at once declined the proposed honour — that he saw through the joke, and humoured the persons perpetrating it, until one of the gentlemen, who had ordered nine glasses, refused to pay his score : then Mr. Nicol thought the joke wasbeing carried a little too far, and summarily dismissed the party. Mr. N.s remarks as to paying 20s. in the pound were directed _at a gentleman who has been seen in the Bankruptcy Court, and who took a prominent part in the business of the deputation. Some members of the Committee again wai<ed again on Mr. Nicol on Monday (yesterday) morning, but that gentleman declined to have any interview with them. The Chairman of the Mangere Highway Board advertises for a ranger for that district. The Official Agent gives notice to the shareholders in the Auckland Independent, Castlemaine, Colleen Bawn, Cosmopolitan Lease, Fiery Cross and Great Victoria Company, Golden Harp, Golden Heef, [ Magenta. Marquis of Hastings, Mclsaac's, ! and the Tradesman's Goldmining Companies | that Monday, the 9fch January, has been I fixed for hearing objections to the scheme of contributions for the liquidation of the liabilities of the above companies. We have tfie following from " Means to an End :"— "Sir,— As our party firmly believes that the Permissive Bill will shortly become law, in spite of your stern old British justice, and your reflections on oizr poor, dear, pious, and worker of good, Mr. Edger's humane justice, let me inform you, sir, the time is come to reform many abuses, and I now call on the supporters of the Permissive Bill, to be again up and doing : show the country what unity and combination of power will overcome. The abuse of the Sabbath-day requires our serious attention. The people of Auckland take far too much pleasure on the Sunday. I believe we could with very little difficulty get the hiring of horses and carriages, and letting boats and steamboats, put down on the Sunday. As a matter of course then our chapels and Music Hall would be better attended, and_ the incomes of our hard-wrought ministers would be very considerably increased. The only— and that very littleopposition we should meet with would be from the working man, as, fortunately for us, there is no vox populi here. It would make but little difference to merchants, or the better class of shopkeepers, they living in the country. I hope that I shall soon see a meeting called for this purpose." A meeting will shortly be held at Taranaki with the object of forming a company for the purchase of a suitable steamer to open up direct communication with the neighbouring provinces. We hold over the letter of our Upper Mahurangi correspondent. The Wellington Post came out in an en larged form on the 12th. We observe that an accession to our colonial literature is about to be made in the form of a new monthly magazine, called "The Watchtower," to be published in Whanganui. The objects for which this periodical has been brought forward are stated to be "the dissemination and defence of j Bible truth, the exposure of infidelity, the suppression of intemperance, the advocacy of social progress, and the circulation of general ecclesiastical intelligence." The Taranaki Herald, referring to the new postal contract, says: "The colony is indebted to the business ability of the Post-master-General for the terms which he has secured from contractors of such high standing as the gentlemen who have undertaken the duties of performing our mail service with the mother country." The Assembly of New South Wales has voted £2,000 as a bonus for the first thousand (hundred?) tons of fibre produoed in the colony.