FIRE AND WATER.

New Zealander, Volume XVII, Issue 1551, 27 February 1861, Page 5

FIRE AND WATER.

[From the “ Auckland Weekly Register,” Feb. 25<]

The Provincial Council seems determined to carry out its factious and fractious career. Happily, the session approaches towards its close, and in a few months more the Council itself will be among the things that were. But for this, and for the intermediate formation of the Electoral Roll, by which much fresh blood will be imported into the constituency, it might have been an act of prudent propriety on the part of the Superintendent to have asked for a dissolution to determine whether he or a splenetic clique possess the confidence of the country —whether he or they have the interest of the Colonists most at heart.

It was only natural to expect that they who played the game of the Insurance Offices by snuffing out a Fire Bill, and so enhancing the already exhorbitant rates of premium, should have no scruples in treating a Water and a Harbour Bill in the same summary and intellectual manner. Yet those, forsooth, be our Provincial statesmen—the Solons by whose fiat fire is to be permitted to work its way unchecked—through whose prejudice and spite a large portion of the Province is to be denied the long and earnestly coveted blessing of pure water —and a port, at this moment of the utmost consequence to New Zealand and Her Majesty’s ships employed in her service, must remain unbeaconed, unbuoyed, and unimproved. Evil is the condition of a country when the force of spleen can be carried so far, —when the public good can be wantonly sacrificed to private pique.

We endeavoured to point out the injuries likely to be entailed upon us by the rejection of the Fire Bill; those which must accrue from the throwing - out of the Water Bill will be even more sensibly felt. The Bill was one carefully considered in the General Assembly, and so framed as to take nothing from the Provincial revenue, but on the contrary to throw all the profits into the Provincial fund ; at the same time that the greatest good would have been conferred not only on the inhabitants of Auckland, but on those of Onehunga, and the long and thirsty district of Epsom. '1 he people of Onehunga are apt to tax the people of Auckland with undue jealousy and of casting obstacles in the way of their harbour improvements. We recommed them to study the votes and proceedings of the Provincial Council, and to require of one of their representatives upon what ground he sacrificed their interests to his prejudices. The time, however, will speedily arrive when the voice of public opinion will speak out. Whether the present Superintendent purposes again coming forward we know not. But sure are we that he who has been twice returned, once by the largest majority that any Superintendent ever had, and once unopposed, need have no doubt as to a third result. Look but on this picture and on this—to the countless improvements iu roads, bridges, and other country works—to the formation, metalling, draining, and improving the streets and thoroughfares of the City—to the partial completion of a harbour and wharf, the admiration of all intelligent shipmen, and one of the grandest aucillaries to commerce throughout New Zealand. Contrast those works with the triumphant obstructions of a vindictive few of the Auckland Menagerie—the burking of a Fire, a Water, and an Onehunga Harbour Bill, —and, retire into private life whenever John Williamson may, the true and faithful services lie lias rendered this province will live in the grateful memory of its inhabitants long after the petty spite of his obstructors, and the obstructors themselves, shall have passed into nameless oblivion.