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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 3, Issue 108, 15 October 1859, Page 5

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RUNITOLDINa. To the Editor of the Maw fee's Bay Herald. ■ Sib, — This being pre-eminently the ago for freeenquiry and impartial investigation-an age of strict scrutiny when any great question is brought to the standard of truth — which, like its author, is immutable, and pronounces judgment as long as she reigns in the court supreme without respect to persons, and decides all cases according to their real intrinsic worth, and -will ever do so as long as she is al- . lowed to exert her legitimate influence on the minds of men without class distinction — knowing her to be impartial we hope she may be called-; to preside while the runholding question is discussed. If umbers read with great pleasure your advertisement of the 24th ult., calling, a meeting; at Waipukttratt r for ;tho; purpose of considering the. land question before the -council meet again, and doubtless numbers cordially endorsed your sentiments as published in your issue of the Ist irist., and believe in the necessity there exists for the members of Napier as well as those of Waipukurau, to meet their own constituents before discussing the question on the floor of the council chamber, and it is only by meeting" their constituents that the opinion of the majority of the constituents can be represented in the council, and on so grave a question as the^ runholding question, every man capable of forming an opinion should use hi 3 best exertions to bring the matter, to the touch-stone of candour and honesty, and follow the question wherever the truth may lead, regardless of consequenoes ; for this, like all other questions of the day, has its pros and cons, and a deal may be said on. both sides, and has been said both in relation to leasehold and freehold. We have heard of the fearful consequences of leasehold in locking up land and presenting the introduction of capital and thus producirig social" disorder by making the runholder a- petty king by his extent of territory, and a thousand other objections which carry in their very front their own refutations. But in this discussion common sense asks that we shall begin at the beginning and follow the subject through ail its phaaea, in doing which we must necessarily view the runholder in a threefold capacity, — First, — In relation to the past. Second, — In his present position. Third, — His influence on the future. First, Mr. Editor, we will glance at the runholder in relation to the past, and, in reverting to the past, we must take Ne\v Zealand without sheep or sheep -farmers, and watch the introduction of both into a country — the natural features* of which in many places, and none more so perhaps than the new province of Hawke,. present wonderful. ■ disadvantages at first sight* Its snow-clad peaks and lofty mountains proclaim like hoary-headed, prophets, its sterility ; while it 3 numerous swamps and dangerous creek 3 and rapid rivers preach caution at every step, and remind the squatter of the 1 innumerable difficulties which he must overcome in reducing chaos to order. He must be a son of; incessant toil for years, and exhaust his physical \ strength and leave no freedom for the intellectual,, but be content to exist amid swamps and colds witli no friends or relations, and perhaps few companions ; and, by constant exposure, probably ruining a noble constitution by reducing a manly form to premature old age; and thus commit suicide of such a nature, and so philosophic and imperceptible in the changes produced, that none call it murder or watch its daily progress; In viewing the squatter in relation to the past, we seem to leave reality and deal with romance ; we see nothing among the fii-st setdersydrom whiat we know of their past history, but labour and privations of every description — toiling from morning, until night, and then glad to rest their weary?' frames on the summit of the mountain bed of the river, flax bush, or any place ; and almost desire, with Job, for the hour of dissolution to terminate a miserable existence. Under such circumstances what must have been their anguish and disappoint- ; ment to find the man whose common profession ought to have been a sufficient guarantee for his conduct, foremost to oppose such establishments as sheep stations, or the introduction of white people, but believed there were too many for the district. Report tells us that as early as September, 1848, the natives were cautioned against allowing people to make roads, and one powerful argument was, that greater facilities would be given the 1 troops to spoil their land and spill their bloodjand then walk eff with their .wives and daughters in triumph, and thus add insult to injury, and create in the breast a dislike for. the white, men J?y .engendering early animosities. But, unfortunately for the cloth, a Ju3a3 Wai" found iri the -painp at , the very commencement, and, from that time uk--til the present there ■ have been found njenV.hose history has been marked with dark deeds of JtS&achery. The impeachment will not end in the charge of misanthropy, but must^charge them with trdfficing with the tremendous -realities beyond tjie grave, as with their stock in trade, and theic- fellow Bettlers are made to feel the influence of their powerful legerdemain in seeing vast tracts of the country locked up by their priestly interference. We have seen the runholder enter amid difficulties, natural and otherwise, and'invest his all ; but in the past, we see more than his sufferings, we also behold hjjSh. security. And his security is found in the^oun'try not being opened up by roads, aijd the, rough runs which, then were found in the country, and which must in a great measure be reduced: ■to order, and.^resources be developed.by hiS otojn personal labour. Ne^p jflfjer . years, of ; , toil^. jiuei- . bersyhave bvercome^fi^^^i the former difficulties" only to increase thebi|nKnger and place themselves at the mercy of some capitalist; for, under tHe present system, what security has any man who k has not sufficiently bought on his run to secure himself. He knows nofc that to-morrow all 1 , the'l efforts of his past life will n6t be placed to. the credit of eoine. new-comer, and he not allowed to participate in the fruite of his own labour, but must

at once hand over his run as gracefully as the circumstances will permit— knowing that his right in., the. soil must be sacrificed to the might in the purse. While the present system is continueduo man can be .certain one hour as to the issue of .the next, and this very, uncertainty must ever •cripple the energies of the squatter, and be most detrimental to. the advance of any new province ; for .runholders will hold^their runs as long as possible without incurring expenses ; and improvements will in a great measure stand still as a consequent attendant on the present system ; or the runholder must be driven as a last resort to borrow large suras of money for the purpose of making himself secure against any invasion. What the effects of such a course is we need not travel far to find out ; we see the effects of the system in our present money market and the late cris.s. I will not now attempt to discuss the intermediate causes which in all human probability played such an important part in the concatenation of circumstances as leads at first to reduce credit to such a low ebb ; but, in conclusion, I would ask, Mr. Editor, can the squatter in this or in any other district, borrow money at 10 per cent., and that probably from an absentee, without Cinflipting an injury on the province ? If we in the province create such necessities for borrowing money, we know it must be detrimental to the onward progress of the place, knowing so much must be paid every year in the shape of interest, and thus circumscribe the means of the squatter. His improvements must stand still until his income will pay interest and leave a surplus in hand ; but how much more will be the loss to the province when every year we find the money sent out of the place altogether to absentees. I fancy already I have far exceeded the space in your "Open Column." I remain for the present, Yours truly, Air Obsebveb. Napier, \ Oct. 12, 1859.

To the Editor vftlie HawJce's Bay Herald: Sir, — You will greatly oblige by inserting the following questions, and answering the same as the common illumfnato^of the people : — , 1. Did William Colehso Esq., siirn the war rants in the month of September, as Wm. Colenso, Auditor, acting for T. jl . FitzGerald Esq. 2. If William Colenso' Esq., did sign the warrants as acting for T. H. FitzGerald Esq., Superintendent, was the act legal without his having been gazetted as Deputy Superintendent. 3. Can his Honor at any time he thinks proper depute another man to use the powers vested in him by the Constitution Act, without notifying the same in the |"Gazette." 4. When William Colenso Esq. signs warrants as acting for T. H. FitzGerald Esq., is Wm. Colenso Esq., not then nominally Superintendent. 5. Can you inform the public how they ought to address the Provincial Auditor, as his offices seem multifarious. I think his title must be doubtful, and- more particularly so as- the Returning Officer addresses him simply as "William Coiehso Esq.," and people take theKeturning Officer as a high authority in such matters. Yours truly, Enquieee. Napier, :"' ?Oct. 12, 1859.

"Learn temperance, friends: and hear without disdain the choice of water." — Armstrong. To the Editor oftheHawJce's Bay Herald. Sib, — I think it right that we should attend in time to, what is now merely a source of great annoyance and expense, but which will, in a short time, be the source of ill-health, to say the least of it, to the inhabitants of Napier. We all know that fueHias been scarce and dear, and we now begin to feel that water is not only scarce, but bad, that tbcere is not a sufficient supply to be had for mere cleanliness' sake, and that 'for health's sake, the quality of the water is very its appearance alone, from the quantity of ■organic, insoluble matter-held by it in suspension, rendering a chemical analysis of what its further soluble constituents are, in the shape of lime, magnesia, carbonic, and probably hydrochloric acids, perfectly unnecessary. It is sufficient to say, without consulting Dr. Faraday, that it is nauseous, and is so strong that it requires to be largely diluted with whiskey or strong brown brandy to render it palatable or of a decent colour ; — and hence, Sir, are to be traced the evils resulting from intemperance in this place — for, where is a man to' get s, drink of clean water in Napier ? I am glad to see that Mr. Wright, the Engineer, has again arrived. With his able report on Drainage and Water Supply to back them, our members in Council, .peeing' the grave consequences, physical and moral, sure to result from inattention to co important a matrter, will not allow (another session^q pasS'by without some effort to siootain -a remedy" for this just and reasonable cause of complaint. ' ;•.. ..:>: ■ •■• Aqitaeitts. Napier, Oct. 12, 1859.