AUCKLAND, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2S, 1863.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 38, 28 December 1863, Page 2

AUCKLAND, MONDAY, DECEMBER 2S, 1863.

The most important question before the Provincial Council at the present time, is undoubtedly that of the construction of a railway from Auckland to Drury, the first step towards that chain of iron bonds which wHI, ere long, unite the chief towns of tho Colony of New Zealand—'Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Raglan, Ngaruawahia, aud other settlements yet unfounded—with their great capital, the city ot Auckland itself.

I'or years past this very important question has been mooted and discussed, and, however desirable its attainment may have appeared to the majority, the diilicultv of obtaining lunds for its accomplishment, as a public work, has been the chief obstacle to its commencement. Now, however, tins difficulty has been removed, and the opposition to the scheme has merged into a- mere partisan leeling of north against south, an unequally sustained combat, in which tho narrow-minded resistance offered by a few against the expenditure of public money in one particular half of the province must, give way to the general interest of the community, for to say that tho development ol the resources of bv far the largest and most

important division of the province can be otherwise attended than with a direct benefit to the welfare ot the whole is simply absurd; nor must it be forgotten that that which the south of Auckland now seeks to obtain, communication with the capital, is already possessed by the north in an eminent degree, in the ready means of water communication which naturally exists. The south, therelore, may be said to have a first claim on the capabilities of the province, that it mav be placed on a footing, as far as cheap and easy means of transit for its productions, with the more naturally favoured districts of the lwrth.

But even supposing the claims of eith-er north or south to be equal, there is a thinl and most important division in the countrv, which, into whatever scale it throws itself, must decide the matter—and this third party is the city ot Auckland itself. We cannot imagine a more short-sighted or suicidal policy than that taken by several of (he Auckland members of the Provincial Council against the formation of this railway. Shelve the question ot' the Drurv railway ; settle the lands of Waikato and the interior with the thousands ot'military settlers which the General Government have already introduced. and still intend introducing, and. as surely as you do so. at the mouth of the \\ aikato. and on the Thames, will spring up cities which will rival Auckland, and cut otf from her the trade which would otherwise have ilowcd into her warehouses, and made her harbour —as nature designed that it should be—the emporium of commerce in the northern island of ]N'ew Zealand. The very railway, the construction of which they would oppose, will become the main artery through which the wealth of the colony will flow into Auckland as its heart.

Vo need not enter now into the advantage to the districts themselves to be opened up, which must result from the construction of a railway through the centre of the country, touching upon the AVaikato Kiver, and passing on, 'with its diverging lines, from settlement to settlement, for such will be the ultimate result of the undertaking now before lis: but it is worth while to notice that it is the very want of a cheap means of transit from one of the finest wheat crowing districts in the colony that lias caused the otherwise inexplicable tact, thai this province is unable to grow the wheat required for its own consumption ; nor do we hesitate to assert, that, as far as Auckland is concerned, not one bushel more wheat or potatoes will be [frown bv the thousands who may be settled beyond the Maungat::hiri than will be consumed in their own immediate districts, unless this railway be carried out.

While t:i- natives pive their attention to agriculture. iiM.i <;rew wheat ioj- the A tick - 1 11;i< 1 market. thi ir o;:!y means ot' conveying it was down the Waikato. hy canoe. into the i!iou:h. an.l up the Awaroa creek to I'ura I'ura. a village some two miles from the head <>i' the \\ a:uku creek. Carried over this portage. it was re-shipped in Waiuku. and transported hv water to (Inehuiisja. still six miles dhitant from Auckland hv land. Only i! ;se who. like omsel*'es. have witnessed the na\ iiration of the Awaroa in the aati;:i!!i. when it v.as only possible to haul the caiityes u:> the .stream bv buiMitiiC a dam across ;t below trieni, and thus obtain nuiHeient water until another rise in the river's bed necessitated another dam, and so on. ean justly estimate ilie tod and labour required to transport the produce of "\Vaika!o to Oiu'liuutra. ; nor. were the Awaroa deepened, and a tramway laid across lVom Pura Pura to AVaiuku, wouid the result, as Home anticipate, be of much practical use. There must be direct communieai ion belv.-ecn the capital and port, and the country itself, if a sound and healthy trade is to be established, and 111 no way can this be more thoroughly ruid withal more cheaply effected than by railway.

Our renders will recollect that, of the half-million loan which the Provincial Council authorised tho present Superintendent to raise, a sum of nearly £200,000 was set apart for purposes of emigration. This was done, of course before the commencement of the present war, and when the I'rovincial Government was the sole agent from whom the European population could obtain the alienated land of the natives. Circumstances have since rendered it extreme]v doubtful whether the Provincial Government will ever resume this position, and therefore any such appropriatioinnaybesuid to have become useless. The Provincial Government are, consequently justified in diverting this sum from the design for which it was then set apart, and reappropriating it to any other work of public usefulness which may seem to their, most fitting, and most calculated to advance the interests of the Province as a whole. One ot the chief arguments against the present scheme is, that it intended to devote money to the purpose of the railway which had previously been thus appropriated to the assistance ot immigration. The labours of tne Provincial Government have, however, nearly ceased in the matter of immigration, which has already virtually passed into the hands ot the General Government along with the land itself : lor whatever government administers the one must necessarilv retain the control ui the other also. The Provincial Government indeed, is not justified in inviting emigrants to settle hern for whom tliev have 110 hind suitable for settlement, nor need they do so in the face of the \c-ry comprehensive .scheme initiated, and already in process of being carried out. by the present Ministry.

Perhaps the most import aut scheme before the ( ouncil, now that immigration has been taken out' ni their handH, is the rendering ot tue country practicably habitable, and this only can be done in one of two ways,—either by the Provincial Government, in connecting the agricultural farms of the interior with the port and city of Auckland, or by the General Government in the establishment- ot sea ports on the Thames and AVaikuto, and so rendering the newly settled county independent altogether ot this city. Ave leave it to our fellow citizens which of these two coursed is the most conducive to the general interests of the Province, and lo their own.

We have spoken of this line all nlozig n.s of one opening up the entire country south of Auckland. "We know that the proposed railway is intended at first to be carried only as far an Briny, but, if undertaken at the present time, wo believe that every assistance would be given by the General Government —that extensive railway reserves would be set apart, from the confiscated lands for the continuation of the line

ai l. brandies, nncl_ still further assistance anordea. in continuing it to some point upon the \\ jts existence at the present time is a political necessity, which must be met, cu'ii were the interest upon the expenditure lost, for several years to come. Such, however, will not be the wise. All experience goes to prove that the line should be to as producing the traffic, not that traffic should first be produced to warrant the speculation of forming the line ; ,l "V- U>U We Iho l ' os t of construction ot tins hue to Drury at £150,1)00,the largest sum named, we shall lind the annual interest ol this amount, ;512,U0, some £8,000 less than the annual cost ot repairing the South hoad as it at present exists, with all its deficiencies and inconvenience. Even were the undertaking in its actual ret urns able onh to cover its own repairs, and the cost of the salaries ol its officials, the ditlcreiice between these two sums would be an annual gain (o (ius Province, the Great .South Jioad, thussuperseded, itself becoming a local charge upon the several highway districts through which it runs.

CHKLSTMAS TIDE. Xowitustamiim; the threatening aspcct and rain ot Thursday night, "Friday morning broke upon as fair and beautiful a day as the most anxious -Christmas enthusiast could desire. The horizon was cloudless; the atmosphere balmy and genial; with just a sufficiency of wind to swell the sails of marine excursionists who, precluded from chartering steam, were obliged to content themselve-s with canvas. It was a day dedicated to seasonable enjoyment. By land ami by water, Auckland poured forth her pleasure-seeking thousands. The city went out of town, ami the sea and suburbs took her into safe keeping. Xever, even in infinitely more populous places, did we witness a more earnest desire to celebrate the Christmas lestival in more enthusiastic fashion. The merchant shipping in harbour were superbly decorated,our own favourite Auckland clipjK>r " Kate," in command of Captain Sherlock, being positively gorgeous, and bearing the belle from* all competitors. Enuring blended with wreaths of evergreens were charmingly inlert wined, stretching from mast head to mast head ; from jibboom end to fore royal mast head : from main royal mast head, extending to main roval. main-top-gallant, main top-sail, and main vard arms to the deoc on either side: ami all from thcmizcn top-mast head to the tatlrail. Thi' whole arrangement was beautiful, and spoke volumes for tile good taste, of the popular commander.

The elipj >er ' Ida Zeigler ' was the next ship most elaborately decorated, being covered with bunting. and ornamented with wreaths which passed from the pbboi.m end to the fore royal mast head, and from thence from mast head to mast head down to her tatl'rail.

• Bombay ' and • Hclvellyn' had handsome garlands at each mast-heads and yard-arms, and revelled in a display of brilliant colours ; with which latter the Ilobart Town bri<f

' Pet.' the ships " Queen of the Ule.rsey.' '(liven .Jacket.' barque "Constance.' schooner ' A Ibatress.' and craft of different rigs. were gaily adorned.

We. wen- wroiii; when we said there Mas no steam To be chartered, for we had the

"Gvmuotus' wagging her electrieal tad all n.iy long, and conveying load after load from the pier head to tno North Nhore. which, from the beach at Holmes', to the crown of the hill at Dudor's. was studded with nierrv groups of picnic loving votaries. During the afternoon there was a tolerably heavy shower, but not sullicient to mar the festivities. to which the 'Ilelvollyn' and 'Ida Zeigler' added lustre in the evening by a pyrote-clinical display.

.Saturday was still more of a holiday than the previous day. Tho public olliccs —the various houses of business-- were .'ill considerately closed : the weather was enehanpinglyserene; and many who stayed at home to enjoy their happy Christmas," made up their minds for a row, a ride, or a sail.

During the rain which set in before evening of Christinas day, the citizens enjoyed themselves with the usual antipodean amusements. Tho Takapuna ijake, one of the most beautiful spots around Auckland, was visited by large numbers of persons, and the harbour was studded throughout the day with white sails of the numerous pleasure boa's and small craft, which passed to and fro between the wharves and the hays and inlets on the opposite shore. The little steamer

' G vmuotus' was busy all the day, and those who joined the party in the ' .Mary Ann' brigantine. enjoyed a most pleasant day. cruising off the Kawau and around the island of Tiritiri Matangi.

The Domain was filled throngout the day with family groups, and here tho young people most, loved to congregate —the usual loneliness of its forest walks and lawns echoing merrily to their laughing games. Ou Saturday most of the shops, ana all the merchants offices, and all tho principal places were closed, and the citizens gave themselves uj) to Ihe celebration of Christmas witli even more hearty good will, if possible, than on the day itself. On Christinas evening, the weather having again cleared up, the wharf formed a delightful promenade for hundreds, who were further amused bv the fireworks displayed on the • Hclvcllyii' tin J the ' Ida Zeigler.

AVe trust that while the citizens themselves, enjoyed the good things of the season, the poor were not neglected, and that those whose duty it was to see that such was done, did the utmost in their power to render all such as cheerful and happy, for the day, as the administering to their more pressing necessities would admit.

Tti another column will hi; found a letter from a soldier's wife. We recommend its perusal to our readers, and trust that such action will be at once taken, both by the authorities, as a permanency, and temporarily by the citizens themselves, as shall remove, for the future, so terrible a stigma as that which will rest upon the colonists of iSew Zealand, if the wives and families of the men who are lighting our battles, living in our midst, arc suflered to feel thepinchings of poverty, and as we have since learnt on enquiry, in some instances even actual want. Let this blot upon our character for hospitality ami justice be at once wiped mvay, and let us as a people through _ our Government, and individually in our private capacities, take up the good work 111 earnest.

The efforts which aro being made by many soldiers at the front to save the merest trifle to eke out the. scanty sustenance of their wives and families in town, is worthy of nil praise, and of substantial assistance. Auckland has never been backward in such good wishes, and we believe that it is but to make kuown that such a state of things exists, to cause it to be speedily remedied. Our homes are rendered safe and happy by the services ot' these men, —sliall not the comfort of their homes be a charge and a welcome charge upon our gratitude ?