AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1141, 5 April 1870, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

[from a correspondent.] March 29, 1870. As. your, readers may not object to a few details other than those given by newspaper reporters respecting the meeting held on the evening of March 21st, for the institution of an Auckland Ragged School, I will describe briefly what impressed me at what I consider an assembly of no ordinary significance. In Auckland there is what is called a " Young Man's Christian Association ;" its members meet in a building containing library, reading and lecture rooms. In the largest apartment, which is capable I should say of holding 500 people, and is situated on the first floor, the meeting took place. The room is lofty, well ventilated, nicely furnished, and lit up with gas. It was crowded long before His Excellency the Governor arrived, by well dressed people, who, during the proceedings, seemed highly interested, and behaved with perfect decorum. The vice-regal party arrived at ij?-past seven. His Excellency wore the riband and star of his order. He was received by the audience standing. A small suite accompanied the Governor and Lady Bowen, who is an interesting pleasing looking lady. From many whispered remarks, I gathered that both Sir George and Lady Bowen were I very popular, at any rate with the classes of people represented by those I saw at the meeting ; indeed, I should say the feeling in their favour is, I think, something more than mere popularity. A few minutes after the Governor, the Hon. the Premier arrived. His Excellency advanced and. shook hands very cordially . with Mr. Fox, to the evident satisfaction of

the audience, -who cheered foth gentlemen lustily, after which the char, was taken by His Excellency. I had on more than oneoccasion read disparaging remarks in soinj newspapers respecting Sir George BowenN speeches at Wellington and elsewhere, bvi; being unable to find justification for ceisure in the matter of those speeches as reported in the papers, I Lad set it down that something was amiss in the mode of delivery, and expected at this meeting to find my conjecture correct, but was never more agreeably disappointed. The fact is Sir G. Bowen is emphatically a " good speaker," aid as his clear, calm, beautifully constructed sentences fell most melodiously upon the wellpleased ear, impressive and effective, it was not difficult to understand why he is a decided favourite with the Auckland public. His Excellency's speech was often interrupted by the unanimous and earnest applause it well merited ; and certainly it was no common privilege to witness the enthusiasm with which he that night came forward and set the seal of his approbation to the benevolent work of ameliorating the forlorn condition of that little army of juvenile ragamuffins, who swarm night and day in every place of public resort, and who, unless the evil is met and nipped in the bud, will grow up to be a curse to themselves and society. Of Mr. Fox's address I will only observe that, as usual with that gentleman's speeches, it was worth going far to hear. He made a profound impression ; and when it is considered why he was there, it will be admitted that to step aside from the heavy responsibilities of office to perform the part of the good Samaritan was a graceful and becoming act on his part. After Mr. Fox, the Rev. Mr. Cornbury made a lengthened and impressive speech, every word of which told well. There is something in every gesture of this gentleman which forcibly reminds me of descriptions I have seen of early puritan divines. Zealous to an extreme, he appears to possess the faculty of embuing his listeners with no inconsiderable share of his earnestness of purpose. The other speakers were Lis Honor the Superintendent, whose oration was a capital piece of special pleading ; his lordship the new Bishop of Auckland, a stately, handsome man, with a magnificent black beard, who, as a new comer, said very little, but much to the purpose ; Dr. Maunsell, whose diction and imagery were uncommonly funny, for they seemed the counterparts of a species of oratorical display, once pretty frequently witnessed in those early times in Hawke's Bay, when 2,000 or 3,000 natives speechified at the great Maori land sales ; and lastly, the meeting was addressed by Captain Daldy, in a few homely and sensible words. The results of this meeting were these : a series of resolutions voted by acclamation — one gentleman gave a building for the use of the poor little children it is intended to benefit ; his Honor Mr. Gillies promised to use his influence with the Provincial Council relative to obtain a grant of an estate ; a, committee was appointed to meet and initiate the good work three days subsequent to the meeting. Thanks were voted to his Excellency,. Mr. Fox, and the other speakers ; the Doxology was sung ; a goodly pile of silver was collected on the collection plates, as I can testify, by what I saw on my way down stairs ; and everybody went home delighted that at last our small fry of City Arabs were to be rescued from vice and want. That these boys are at present the veriest young imps of darkness, was to me made manifest the night but one after the aforesaid meeting. This is what I saw whilst taking a " constitutional " down Queen-street. A pretty white heifer, with soft mild eyes, being desired by her owner to advance in the direction of the wharf, preparatory to being shipped, and objecting to walk in the way she should go, by reason of being scared by confusing gas-lights and noisy swiftrolling cabs, was perforce impelled against her inclinations to. advance, "will ye, nil ye," by the attachment of an extensive coil of ropo, of which one end was looped round her neck. At the remainder of the rope there tugged and strained some eighty or ninety young scarecrows, in every stage of dilapidation, who were swearing, bawling, and shrieking with delight ; but, planting her fore feet wide apart, the white heifer made small progress, excepting what time she made a wild rush at her puny tormentors. " Git on her back," " set fire to her behind," " twist her tail; Bill," " hooroar ! here's a stock-whip, give her pertickler fits ! " " oh, crikey ! here's a rummy go," " let's try and carry her ; never mind the ' bobby,' there's enuf on us to lick him.'" And so the procession slowly got on. Whether they succeeded in embarking the poor beast " history sayeth not ; " I imagine they found her one too many, as I recognised the same wild uproar just before midnight, coming from somewhere in the same direction. On the 24th the Morning Advertise 7' and three Thames newspapers collapsed. The former was known some time back to be all but on its last legs. It was an opposition journal, but respectably conducted. In that respect it compared favorably with other cheap prints which survive it, perhaps for a few weeks or months. The telegraphic summary per Hero came on the 25th. By it we learn that a certain gallant Colonel has gone to Melbourne, to be invested with the companionship of St. Michael. Some innocent people here really believe that Col. Whitmore took Ngatapa pa, and receives the decoration in consequence. As the truth cannot be too widely known, and as it is essential that excommanding officers be not permitted to sail under false colours, I have taken pains to explain to many people how Ngatapa was in reality taken, viz., by Ropata, a chief of the Ngatiporou. Of course the truth will be ultimately known throughout New Zealand, and, perhaps, even in England ; in the meantime, Ilopata is being robbed of his right, the decoration conferred on Whitmore being properly Ropata's due. Apropos of those decoration?, there is a non-commissioned officer who was present at the battle of Aliwal, for which the gallant Colonel just referred to received a medal, though by the non-commissioned officer's account, the aforesaid Colonel, during the battle of Aliwal, was just 300 miles away when the battle occurred. Nor does the statement rest alone on one man's word ; it so happens that Auckland contains many men who once served in the Imperial forces, and who can tell some amusing passages which occurred between General Cameron and his consequential little ex Secretary, "Companion of the Order of St. Michael! !"