AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1863.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 19, 25 December 1863, Page 2

AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1863.

Tin: s.s. ; Beautiful Star,' arrived at Waikiito Heads yesterday afternoon, at 4 jJ.m.. bringing the tclegnuns of the October Englisli niiiil. By the courtesy of a gentleman in town we were favoured, at a late hour laut. night, with a copy of the second edition of the " Sydney Herald" of the 1-lth instant, which wc transfer entire to our columns.

The ' Beautiful Star' Ims on board one of the AVaikato gun-boats built in Sydney by order of the N T e\v Zealand Government.

CinusTMAS has come round once more. Not as of old, heralded in by the blustering voice of ice-bound Winter, but stealing unexpectedly upon us with noiseless steps upon the flowers of more gentle Spring. Even as wc now sit with easements wide, thrown open, and with the thermometer at SO ° in the shade of the cool verandah overgrown with its fragrant honeysuckle and clematis, and with the large moonlike flowers of the passion plant peering in upon us, we can scarcely realise fhe idea that this is the return of that same Christmas for the coming of which we looked with such anxious expectation in more early youth, and in another land. And yet it is so. " The skies but not their souls they change, Who cross the seas from sphere to sphere;" and Christmas, let it overtake us under what altered circumstances it may, is Christmas still. The anniversary of a day on which Peace and Goodwill set forth from the lowly stable of Bethlehem on their wandering, civilising mission through the world, and when fhe observance of the sterner requirements of the law were replaced in the human heart by the more gentle inliucnce of Love and Faith.

And thus it is that ever as the day comes round our hearts grow glad, and all the springs of social life and joy are loosened.At home, whore the extremes of wealth and poverty exist; in a far greater degree than here, the comforts of the poor, for this one day at least, become the special charge of their more favoured fellow mortals. And even hero in our back streets and crowded lanes there may be found those, in the promotion of whose physical happiness for the once, the rich may add another drop to their own overflowing cup. To many, verv many here, the return of Christmas brings with it, we know, a strange sad mixture of chastened joy and sorrow. The mind is absent in a distant homo, and old and dear familiar faces, never again perhaps to be beheld, come between us and (he mirth wo fain would summon wherewith to celebrate the day. A\'e cannot ali-forgef the happy family reunions—the glad carols, the 'laughing mummers and the merry waits, and more than all t hi musical vuoleome of the old church bells that ushered Christmas in. Choke down these recollections as we will they still recur, nor would we wisli that they should cease to do so. But look again upon another phase of this same Christmas we so much regret, and let us even now be thankful for the changed aspect, tinder which it greets us hero. Lift the thin veil of gaiety and pleasure that lies spread for a few days, ami but for a few clays only, in the whole year, over the miseries of millions in the old world of Europe, and few in this new land of affluence and plenty will regret the heightened joys, but at the'sametime the cares and sorrows that must fall to tbc lot of the millions they have left behind them there, and few indeed will there be found amongst us who would change the new land they have made to smile around them for the anxious elbowing, struggle in the crowded wave of their old home, to be once trodden down in which was to be swept away for ever in flic relentless undertow of helpless destitution.

But who shall say wc have not our own special enjoyments here. In smiling country districts, where the ruthless hand of savage war has left no touch, the husbandman, laying aside the busy sickle—for the early sown oats are ripely waving on the sunny "slopes of Tiiany a rural district north of Auckland —gives himself up to lazy enjoyment, and wandering over his own well' tilled fields, and among the sleek cattle in his meadows, blesses the hour when, with stout heart, he flung his scruples to the wind, and made the distant colony of IVow Zealand the land of his adoption.

Jn the city the busy hum of trade is hushed awhile, and the white sails of numberless small craft, bearing a.wav for svlvan nooks that lurk and nestle in the lovely bays and islands of our harbour, tell us of'many joyful groups intent on passing a merry Christmas amid the cool fresh haunts of Nature. To all such, whether in town or country, nor less to those who, in fighting our battles, enable us to pursue in peace the enjoyments of the season, we heartily wish a Mivimy CiiuiST.M-.vs \ya \ Happy New leau.

Aucki,a>-d, the capital and most important city of New Zealand, possesses one of the finest, most accessible, commodious and secure harbours of any in the known world • whether regarded in a military or maritime point of view, its geographical position is probably unequalled by any in the southern ocean. As a port of refreshment and refit, it has long enjoyed a well-merited reputation ; and as a naval station it may well be regarded as the outlying picquct of the Australasian group, it is a haven not only excellent m itself, but as chief of a network oi havens which stud the gulf of Houraki, on its eastern shore, and of those which are to be found in the waters of the Manukau, the Waikato and other estuaries on the. immediate, western coast, the advantages of Auckland cannot perhaps be over-estimated"

Her citizens plume themselves mightily upon these immense natural superiorities— and yet, despite all these, Auckland, through neglect of the proper authorities, is rapidly acquiring n most injurious and unenviable notoriety with the mercantile and maritime community doing business in her waters. Attention has again and again been directed to the utter inadequacy of two or three all important branches of the harbour service: the great and increasing deficiency of wharf accommodation —the absence of an adequate pilot department—and the entire neglect of coast and harbour lights. Whilst Auckland was in its infancy— whilst bare poles were the rule, and a signal lbr an approaching sail the exception, with the flag-start" on Mount Victoria, merchants and ship masters might have remained content to go on and grumble in the old way ; but now that Aucidand has become a, great commercial city—now that ships of 1200 and 1500 tons are replacing schooners and brigs of a 100 and 300 tons—now that a score of large square-rigged ships occupy the place of live or six fore-and-aftcrs—now that the wharfage dues are vended at a goodly annual rental,—it behoves the harbour authorities to make immediate, ample, and satisfactory nrovision for every branch of the harbour service, unless they be content to sacrifice the best interests of city, port, and province, by failing to keep pace with the urgent and growing demands that are daily pressing upon them. However sullicient the accommodation afforded by the Queen-street wharf four or live years since, it is entirely and helplessly incommensurate with the requirements of the present time. It is neither long enough nor wide enough ; it lacks a great many cross T's; and above all, a long and strong its extremity, thrown out into such a sufficient depth of water as would enable two of the largest and longest ships of modern construction to occupy those seaward berths, and that too without their heads or sterns overlapping the pier. At present an ordinary sized single ship greatly overlaps the pier head, and must partially discharge before she can haul in and keep afloat.

Day by day—week by week—there is an incessant scuttling and scrambling for berths, with which it is not in the Harbour-master's power to furnish the applicants. The consequence is, that day by day, and week by week, vessels arc compelled to remain idle at their anchors, waiting impatiantly lor a place to discharge, to the serious loss of ship and owners, and to the great detriment and disgrace of the port too slovenly and supine in provision of such indispensable commercial requirements. The absence of a sufficiency of landing place, is dinned everlastingly into our ears, with the request that -\vc may continue urgent and incessant in our remonstrances until the much desired end shall be attained.

'•(.){' what use is the crcai ion of Murine Boards (we have been asked), unless they look after the maritime interests <>(' the colony r" " What is the Chamber of Commerce about (say others) that they do not stir in these matters, upon which the Superintendent and Provincial Council appear to have gone to sleep?" These are questions to •which wc, of course, can make no rcplv : but they arc questions deeply aifecting tlie present and future prosperity of the port, and the answer they should receive ought to be by a prompt and effectual provision of the accommodation so imperatively required.

"With respect to the pilot service, it calls for a total reconstruction, and a very liberal reinforcement. For the last eighteen years it has been carried on" <'ri its original contracted foundation, Mr. J3urgess and his brother discharging the onerous and arduous duties which demand the constant attention of a large auxiliary force. Mr. Burgess has been a long and well tried public servant, faithful and indefatigable in performance of duties which have latterly pressed upon him so severely, that unless he receive additional and effective assistance, he will have to choose between relinquishing his post or dying at it. Is this a slate of things becoming a city aspiring to the position of a great commercial emporium? From 1850 to the close of 1803 the pilot service has never been enlarged, unless by the addition of Mr. Burgess' brother, springing during that period from boy to man, and acting as his senior's assistant. These two officers, with a small cutter.—in which they are constantly wet, instead of a powerful and comfortable craft in which they might make moderately fair weather, —constitute the entire pilot establishment of the port of Auckland, with the exception of three or four hands to navigate the cutter.

Contrast this with the numerous relay of pilots employed for serv ice at Port: Chalmers, and the inadequacy of the Auckland establishment will become at once conspicuously and shamefully apparent. Two men, bo Ihcir energy, industry and ability what they may, are altogether msuilicient'to conduct the pilotage of Auckland in a manner calculated to do justice to themselves, credit to the port, and give satisfaction to the shipmasters compelled to pay dues, pilot or no pilot.

A few days since, four ships went out of port. Of course the brothers Burgee*, could take charge of but two. The other two, we presume, played the part of li follow'my leader." All four paid their fees, which fees do not go into the pockets of the brothers Burgess, but into the Provincial Treasury. Ought such a state of things to be continued longer ? Or should harbour and pilot services be placed upon a footing commensurate with the necessities of the port ? \\ r 0 have no hesitation in asserting that they ought. There, are no branches of the public service which demand more urgent consideration than the safe conduct of ships into and out of harbour, and in furnishing them with every facility of loading and \lisehar<>iii" whilst there. In all these matters Auckland is greatly deficient, and the complaints in consequence, are loud, universal, and rational Jt behoves the Provincial Council, now that they are m session to investigate the subject closely and carefully, and to use every pi'-ic t.cable endeavour to redress grievances of such long standing and increasing magnitude. ° °

Respecting the third source of complaint, the absence of coast an] harbour lights, wc refrain from present comment, as steps have been taken to remedy those deficiencies.

The Annual festival oftheLoval Panic il and the -Loyal bood Intent Lodges will 'be celebrated by «. .inner ami ball, to be held in the Odd Fellows' Hall, or. ALouday evening next.

The Government Offices, Hanks, Insurance Companies, Auction Marts, and the principal phcos of business in Auckland, will bo closed to-morrow, Saturday; and, in order to give the employees in thin establishment a holiday to-day, wo shall refrain from issuing our usual copy of the Xew Zealand llhualii to-morrow. Should, however, any matter of important interest occur-, wc sluill issue a special extra for our readers. rosTi'ONEMEXT of llokse _ Sams.— Mcssra. Styak and Hunter have issued a notice that their horse sale, which would in the ordinary course of business havo been held to-morrow, in the Durham Yards, will bo postponed until Wednesday, and will be held at Newmarket at one o'clock, before the cattle sale takes M ahine Excursion.—Wc are glad to see that the people of Auckland will havo the opportunity of spending a dav of pleasure amid the beautiful sconerv of the 1 laurak'i Gulf. The. clipper brigantine ' Mary Ann,' a large and commodious vessel of 'ASQ tuns, witli every necessary accommodation for the comfort and enjoyment of'the rni/ai/eitrs, will leave the Queen-street Wharf this morning at half-past eight o'clock", on an excursion trip to Hauraki, round 'j.'iri Tiri, and in full view of his Excellency's private retreat at the Kawau. .Should the weather prove favourable we anticipate that many will avail themselves of this opportunity of cnj?ying the day, and wish tin-:;: a merry Christmas and a pleasant voyage. The Maohi riusoNEiis—The gentlemen of Wukato were yesterday removed from H. M. S. S. ' Curaeoa' to the hulk ' Marion,' which has been fitted up for their reception. The guard consists of a detachment of the -lord .Regiment, under command of Captain Smith. The Late Mis. Dcckow. —The remains of this gallant young officer arrived at Drury yesterday at 2 p.m., and were expected to reach the Albert Barracks last night. The funeral has been appointed to take place, with the accustomed military honours, at four o'clock on Sunday next.

Tin-: Honorable the Colonial Secretary (Mr. Fox), accompanied by the Native chief Paul of Orakei, and Mr. Kite, start, for Kaipava at 5 o'clock this morning.

r.U'.xr.i.L Wi'si/eyan C'hai'Elj Bazaar.—On Tuesday next, a bazaar will be held in the school-room of tho above chapel. The good people of Parnell are making most laudable exertions not only to free their place of worship from debt, but to render it really attractive. But recently the choir, on their own'responsibility, imported a valuable harmonium from London, the debt on which was cleared by their soiree of Tuesday ; and now an effort is to bo made, by means of a bazaar, to discharge the debt on tho biulning. Visitors are to bo entertained by music, and amoi'gst tho articles for sale is a valuable sewingmachine. Wc wish them the success they enjoyed in their recent undertaking.

CIItCULATIO.V Of AcOKI.ANn NEWSr-AI'IiKS.— 111 Chapman's Almanac for tho year ISBI, is a stalistical table giving' tho number ol' editions which havo been made by the several existing Auckland journals since their commencement. To many who have not carefully read the explanatory title of this table it has appeared, that the figures given refer to the numbers of copies issued on each edition of the papers respectively, whereas it simply refers to the number of days on which each paper has been issued, and tho paper which has been longest established is consequently at the head of tho list. The "Weekly has only put forth its sixth number, and therefore the figure (! set agninst it indicates the number of weeks it has been in existence, not the number of its subscribers.

OT-inriiir Nkw Church.—On Sunday next the new Church at Olahuhu, will be opened with Divine Service, at eleven o'clock, by tho Right Kevd. the Lord Bishop of JSew Zealand; and in the evening a servico will be held by tho Right Bevd. Bishop Patteson. at half-past six. Collections fowaids defraying the cost of I lie building, will be made on botli occasions.