NEW ZEALAND HERALD, AND AUCKLAND GAZETTE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1842.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 41, 8 January 1842, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, AND AUCKLAND GAZETTE. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1842.

Our contemporary, the Wellington Spectator, c,gptinugs with dogged pertinacy to heap abuse on the povprmnent, from the Governor down to the , hunkblest official—to sneer atjjur town and deprei our AccStrdmg Jpm, we vegeon"mu3 AMs —our lands- are cursed witfel sterility— nay ! the elements themselves «ieet with Lis especial displeasure. At stated periods he enjoys a dignified repose after his charitable Jabours; then, bursting forth with a of trumpets, he rouses himself to eulogize Port Nicholson as possessing the safest harbour, the finest site for a town, the richest surrounding country, and the greatest advantages of climate and position, that the circumference of these fine islands offer : after which he again empties the vials of his wrath on the devoted heads of the Government, and garnishes his columns with whatever articles of a disparaging nature regarding the town he may have picked up, or of invidious gossip he may have listened to. Now how different has been our course of proceeding : our columns have never been sullied by abusive attacks on, nor by invidous comparisons with Port Nicholson, If it really possesses the advantages described, we rejoice at it: the prosperiry of one part of the Island must benefit all other parts. •- > If Port Nicholson be superior to Auckland, it will very soon be found out by self-interest; but if the inhabitants of the latter be satisfied with their lot, why should their pleasing dreams be broken by the “ reveille” of the Wellington Spectator. We have been led to write thus, by perusing a letter signed “ Matinga Nu'i,” addressed to the Editor of the Sydney Herald, which is re. printed into one of the last Port Nicholson papers, and which meets with the heavy displeasure of that journal, who denounces the writer as a hireling fee’d by Capta'ik Hobson, to “ exalt Auckland at the expense of Wellington,” and paid, we presume, by Port Nicholson money, for there is scarce an item of government expenditure, which according to it, is not met by money extracted

from that settlement. Now it appears hard to us, that a gentleman cannot' express his opinion without being thus stigmatised. This extreme sensibility betokens weakness, and we regret it, for we should wish both Auckland and Wellington to progress together—rivals only in wealth, energy, and improvement. Auckland has been selected as the seat of government, after mature deliberation, and that selection gives it some advantages, but we deny that at the expense of Wellington. Would government have put the high price they did on their crown lands, had they wished to entice settlers ? That piece of impolicy has been sufficiently reprobated in our columns, as tending rather to drive away, than to allure colonists. Ye could make many other statements to prove that nothing has been done to “exalt Auckland at the expense of Wellington.” As to the large sums of money which it is dolefully stated are daily sent away to Auckland, where else can the Custom duties be sent to in the first place, than to the seat of Government ? But we have yet to learn, that these sums are to be expended in the improvement of our harbour. Enough has been said to prove that we regret the unkindly spirit which seems to pervade Port Nicholson regarding Auckland. We in no way encourage retaliation, but trust that a generous rivalry may spring up between us and our countrymen of the South, alike honourable and beneficial to both.