The New zealand Herald SPECTEMUR AGENDO. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1864.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 264, 16 September 1864, Page 3

The New zealand Herald SPECTEMUR AGENDO.

AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1864.

Give every mmi thim* ear. but fttv thy voice: Thko tneli man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. Thi* above all, —To ttimo ownself bo true; And it must follow, us the night the day, Tbou canst not then be tulso to any num."

Thk coming session of the Provincial Council will be :i very important one. Questions dec, ply a f lex-ting the vol fore of this Province and city will, or ought to bo, brought before it, am! ihe ability of the members will be tested by the manner in which they treat those important questions, and the natinc of the measures they bring forward to remedy and to remove crying evils that exist in every quarter around us. "Whether the present Executive will he found prepared with extensive measures thai are so very much needed at the present time, we of course do not know ; but we trust they are. for it is to tliem the people has a right to look for the introduction into the Council of comprehensive schemes for the good government of this Province, designed to lurther its interests, and develope its resources to the utmost possible extent. Onesided partial and crude legislation, dictated by a narrow and confined view of our present and future wants arid requirements, has been for long years past a great evil.

The authorilics must grapple with acknowledged evils and difficulties with a determination to remove them, and assist us onward in the path of progress. The only fruit of legislation either provincial or mumeipal ought not to be a crop of promises, and abortive attempts at patching up old garments that are totally worn out. More money may be frittered away in mending and repairing what requires thorough renewal, than would be at lirst required to do the thing in an eflieient aiul lasting manner. And the utmost amount: of inconvenience and expense may be caused to private individuals by the manner ill which the executive carry out their duties as a Government. The want again of business arrangements in carrying out even what they may decide upon, Avotild be another evil that wotild call loudly for a remedy ; and a disposition on the part of the majority in the Council to further spend the public money by paying a subsidy to a Company in order to make that Company's profits secure if they run a steamer on the last Coast, would be looked upon by the general public as a foolish scheme for squandering the money so much needed elsewhere.

There is a great highway needing 110 rerepairs, no metalling, no engineering, 110 expense in itself', —the ocean around us. The duty of the Government is not to pay a public Company so much per month for carrying the goods and parcels of private persons at 11 cheaper rate than they otherwise would do along this great ocean highway, but to give facilities l'or trade by making harbours, and docks, and jettys, so as to complete the land termini ot' that highway. Once that is done by the public money, not a penny should be spent more, and a chargc should and weukl be readily paid by the public for the use of the accommodation provided, and thus refund the Provincial Exchequer both interest, and gradually the principal, that has been expended on these real public works. Make inland roads 011 which people can go to and fro and carry their produce, and there will soon be steamers to carry that produce away.

The apprehension that it is just possible that the country is very greatly kepi back ami the interests of the people neglected, is founded upon wliat is seen around us. And if tiie want of anything like attention to pressing wants or much-needed requirements is keenly felt by those in the immediate neighbourhood of .Auckland, will it be expected that the interests of the country settlers in the outlying district a far distant from the seat of Government, and with no eyes but their own to see tho evils around them that require removing, are better attended to than arc the interests of tho community of Auckland. There lias been for months past a loud and incessant cry ior extended wharf accommodation in Auckland. This means a cry for extended trade, extended commerce, more work, more wages, more expenditure in the shops, more revenue to the Government, and more general prosperity. The same cry is echoed from various parts along the coast. " Koine, wc know, was not built in a day," nor do we expect that all our requirements in the shape of that first great necessity for any country, good internal roads, and then docks and wharves and such

like works, cau all be furnished in a day, but we do firmly believe that these things might he furnished much more rapidly than they have been, or there is any appearance ol there being at, present. And if there are any instances where knowledge and a ready will could obviate and remove many great obstacles li> the development of trade at their own doors, men arc led to the conclusion that there may bo greater neglect and carelessness for the material advancement of the Province at a distance from the capital. They argue from the known to the unknown. They look at the action and line oi conduct pursued in one place under given circumstances, as a means to draw a pretty correct conclusion as to the probable line of conduct pursued under similar circumstances elsewhere. And this line of argument may be pursued, not only in conncction with general measures, but also in the carrying out of the details of particu: lar measures. Take, then, only one specimen of the utter want of anything like the application, we do not say of any legislative capacity, but of ordinary, business-like common sense. The Provincial Government ' and (he Cily ]3oard, after a great deal of discussion between the two powers, decided that a wall should be built at Preeman's Bay, to prevent the sea washing away the I remnant of mud, left to the wayfarers, and called a road. After all this circumlocution was at an end, the two ruling powers agreed that each should do a certain portion of ihe work. This took place something like six months ago. The city, lor all practical purposes, finished its portion some time ago, and the Provincial Executive has, only within the last, few day s, laid a stone of their part, and ihe stale of the road itself actually beggars description. Could it be possible that a road on the eastern side of the city should have been allowed to get into such a state, there would have been a general howl of indignation that would long ago have caused the authorities to look to the public interests. And it cannot be said that there is any lack of officers to superintend the erection of a few yards of rough stone-wall. Any ordinary mason would show skill enough to carry out that work, butwehave engineers, with stall's of assistants and clerks able to carry out far more extensive and important works. An impartial observer, who calmly looks to this state of things, can come to no other conclusion than that local self-govern-ment is capable of more extended action, and that it is high time to shake oil' the lethargy of the past, take a wider and more business like view of our position, our duties, and prospects. As certainly as we fall short of this degree of energy so certain will mis-management continue, and the rates and the public purse being constantly frittered away in result less efforts at patch- ) ing, we shall find to our cost that a very heavy amount of taxation will of necessity have to be imposed upon us, and when the shoe begins to sorely pinch the tender corns, then will there be howling and lamentation and bitter expressions at the disastrous state of affairs. In writing thus wc have said publicly what every one says privately ; but it is our duty as public journalists in bringing before the public notice all examples of faulty legislation and remissness in our Legislatures, whether Geneial, Provincial, or Municipal, stating the truth plainly, and as plainly pointing out evils that cry aloud for a remedy, and that are most closely interwoven with the future prosperity of the Province. Prom the performance of that duty we shall not shrink, when the prosperity of the country is at stake, and theintcrests ofthe Province and its inhabitants should be paramount to private feeling or mistaken motives of delicacy. The best friend ofthe Colony is not he who shuts his eyes to the evils around him, taking things easily ; but he, who, with a firm hand removes the evil and infuses renewed life and vigor into the body politic, securing a health}' action through all its parts, and furthering the prosperity of the entire community. The duty ofthe Executive is to see that its staff of officers both devise and carry out extensive: schemes for the public good, for in tlie.se matters they must of necessity depend greatly on their professional heads of departments. The Province ungrndingly meets the expense.

THE SOUTH.

Tuk ' "Wellington ' arrived yesterday in the Manakau from the South. She arrived oil' Ihe Manakau on "Wednesday evening, but owing to the state of the weather, lay-to till morning, and finally dropped anchor oil'the "White liluir at 11.43 a.m. of yesterday. By half-past one Mr. Brewer, of H.M.C'. brought 011 the Mail to Auckland, only one hour and three quarters elapsing between the dcliviry and the time of the steamer dropping anchor. i'rom Taranaki wc have no news, for when the '"Wellington' arrived oll'jSew Plymouth it was blowing a gale of wind, and a high sea was running. The steamer h-.y on and olf, but was ultimately obliged to proceed to the Manakau without having any communication with the shore at Taranaki.

i'rom "Wellington we learn that the Seat of Government Commission had returned from "Waugaiiui by tlic ' Jfangitirn.' .It appears that they contemplated leaving "Wellinglon for Picton at an early date and proceeding oil I'rom thence to iNelson. In the meantime, they were bound for a trip to the Upper liutt district, and afterwards to "Waivarapa. The relative position of the Ministry and Sir George Grey, and the possible mischievous influence the latter may attempt to bring to bear in impeding the satisfactory government of the country, is freely descanted upon by the Southern press. The Wullhujion Independent, alluding to the position of the Ministry, severely censures the conduct of the Colonial Treasurer in London. It says:

"Whilo firmly assorting their right to curry out the policy ol' tliu Assembly, mid protesting against the unconslitutional power of interference conferred on ■Sir George Grey, by Mr. Carilwell's despatch of April; their colleague in England appears to have committed himself seriously by stilling that there was nothing in that 4e.~patch, which did not embody the views both of himself and tliu other members of the Legislature. He goes even further, and prostrating himself in the dust before the head ot the Colonial Ollieo, tolls him that ho possesses every necessary power to coerce both Ministry and Assembly, " by refusing to .send troops except upon his own terms, or recalling them if those terms are not satisfactorily complied with." it is not wonderful, after such a specimen of colonial submission, that Mr. Caidwell should act on the suggestion, and writo to Sir G. Grey, telling him to take whatever measures ho thinks proper, whether hia Ministry coincide or not. Hut the latter have tho remedy in their own hands, and should Sir George Grey act on Mr. Cardwell's advice, they can appeal to the Assembly.

It IS their duty to carry on the Government so loii<* us the wishes of the Assembly aro not set aside ; so lony; as its policy i» auLered to ; 60 long as they continue to bo responsible Ministers; but -when these conditions ;ue iiilringcd, the time ivill have come whi-n the tribune of the people must again bo called together.

l'rom Marlborough the only news is the election by the Provincial Council, on the sth inst., of Mr. Seymour to the office of of that Province.

lhe wreck ot the Otago Company's steamer Scotia,' h:is, it seems, temporarily disarranged the plan projected by Nelson for the regular transmission of the outgoing English mail on the lStli of the month, in time to catch the English mail, which leaves Melbourne on the 26th. But- for the temp orarv disarrangement of the plan the people of -A el son would have been able to have answered European letters one month sooner than the}'' and we now do. Erom Canterbury there is no news, and from Dunedin we ]earn that a meeting of Ihe several agents of the Insurance Companies had met and passed certain resolutions ot importance, which will be found ill the report oi the meeting given in another column. "Wilson, the man apprehended at Canterbury, and charged with the murder some eighteen month since, of a man named Yorkey," at Miller's Elat, in Otago, has been liberated, a clear and satisfactory ease oi alibi having been proved. The work oi the Kew Zealand Exhibition is rapidly progressing. Among the articles received for exhibition is a box of geological specimens from England, received bv the ' .Beautiful Star.'

3<rom Invercargill the news is scant. Tlio "Duily Times of the 4th says :—

"We have 1 nyenargill papirs to Hie Ist instant, liie local nivvs is quite lianeii oi' inteiest. GLhe iXii'/ZiUiin? 'hints mijs:—l he fine weather still continnis, uml is having tin: i-llccl ol' giving a great impetus to agrii nltmal inatteis. "The roads in the interior aie more favorable for tiaflic than they have been lor t-cine months past. 'the opening ol' tlio ".\c! I ]i< in or Oi'cti Jine oi railway is looked forward to willi much interest by ever}one, as it is cxpccte<l Unit it will give a great impulse to trade with tlie -nterior, in addition to the advantages it will confer on settlers along the whole line. The opening-day is (nr the present iixtd for Ist Oelober, by which time the vhole line will be in a perfectly complete stale lor liie purposes of passenger ami goods traffic."