New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 9, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 619, 9 July 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 9, 1851.

A meeting of Magistrates was held on Monday for the purpose of considering the propriety of presenting a requisition to the Governor to issue a proclamation, bringing into operation in the town of Wellington the provisions of the Town Ruads and Streets Ordinance, passed by the Provincial Council of this Province in 1849. Of the thirteen Magistrates who were present, eleven were in favor of the course proposed, but as the Ordinance enacts that the requisition shall be “ from a majority of the Magistrates of the district in which such town is situated, and as there are twentyeight Magistrates in this district, we understand the requisition will be sent by the Resident Magistrate to those Magistrates who were not present at the meeting, in order that they may have the opportunity of expressing their concurrence in, or dissent from, the course proposed to be adopted. There can be little doubt, however, that the majority of the Magistrates will decide in favor of the requisition, and consequentlv that the Ordinance will shortly be brought into operation, as it is well understood that there is a very general feeling on the part of the inhabitants of Wellington in favor of this course. We have often advocated this course, and are therefore glad to see that the provisions of this Ordinance are likely to come into operation, as we believe they will be found to be highly conducive to the interests of the town, and be the means of allowing several highly important improvements to be made. It may be desirable, at the present juncture, to give a brief outline of the provisions of this Ordinance It provides the means for repairing the streets of Wellington (or any other town into which it is brought into operation), and for making other local improvements, by yearly rates not exceeding sixpence in the pound on the property assessed. The whole power is placed in the hands of the rate payers, who have authority to elect not more than five nor less than three

Commissioners, whose period of for one year only, and who h a^ Ce ’ S thority to levy rates, & c> , fo r repairs, and for making Another clause (25) provides, Un der U nalty, that all owners of carts residing 2 j!' four miles of Wellington shall takeou • censes, the fee for carts plying f or hi re °- Ut town being from £3 to £4, while fo/ and waggons belonging to country.dist? the fee varies from £2 to £3. seen from what has been said that this c/ dinance provides the machinery for the habitants of Wellington (or any other t in the Province in which it is brought i operation) to have the entire ofjlocal improvements and by the annual elee tion of the Commissioners to secure a com’ plete control over these officers. Thepresent state of the thoroughfares in shews the necessity of doing Unless this measure is brought into tion, the only other resource is by volant subscription, in which case the willing for the unwilling, and too often, for of the necessary funds, what is required fo be done is imperfectly or ineffectually done By the operation of the law, all will equally contribute pro rata for improvements in which all are interested, and by which all will be equally benefited. The absentee will no longer hold back and refuse to contribute to improvements which increase the value of his property and which enables him to demand an increased rent, or refuse to allow his land to be occupied until his ex. travagant demands are satisfied. If this Ordinance is brought into operation all must contribute rateably according to the value of their respective properties. The effect will be to diminish the amount of taxes at present paid in the shape of voluntary subscriptions by those settlers on whom the burden of these repairs now mainly falls,'and to give greater value to town property by providing a greater amount of funds for improvements, in the contributions of absentee as well as resident proprietors, and to re. duce the demands of the former for their land by making them contribute to local taxation for local improvements. As the whole power is placed m the hands of the rate payers, who by election appoint their own Commissioners and who only continue in office for one year, it is difficult to conceive any reasonable grounds of opposition to the measure. The only exception hitherto made to it has been that the Ordinance was passed by a Nominee Council; but as such an objection (if it deserves the name) applies equally to all the laws passed since the colony has been founded, if it were allowed to have the slightest weight it would practically establish a state of anarchy and lawlessness subversive of the constitution of society.

On Wednesday last a meeting was held at the Athenceum for the purpose of establishthe “ New Zealand Society” the constitution of which will be very similar to the Royal Society of Van Diemen’s land, and is briefly explained in the resolutions that were passed. The meeting was very numerously attended, and its proceedings were marked by the general feeling of unanimity that prevailed. The Society already numbers eighty members, and we doubt not will receive, stu further accessions to its numbers, as it’ objects become more generally known, R 2 formation of the Society is in a great meaS' ure owing to the zealous exertions °‘ l s Secretary Mr. Mantell, which appeared o be duly appreciated by the Meeting. ® believe the Society will receive assistant; from the Government in the P romo^°® ) ;£ > the objects it has in view, and these are . ficiently important to ensure the good wis and hearty cooperation of every s et ® ’ Men of all opinions are included among 1 members, one of its chief objects ° eu ‘^? e collect and diffuse useful information on natural productions of New Zealand, Evr.n!b c:_ n pn — G rsv was elected tn first President of the Society not fi 2J n nt ' e ]i as was appropriately observed by Mrin proposing him to the Meeting, ’ capacity as governor, as for the re P u o f he has deservedly acquired as a science and an explorer, and by name is very generally known m J nat j olb We may also observe, by way of exp a . that the Society having been estao i the resolutions of the- meeting, a " A o t, election of a President and Vice r

it was decided that: all members should in future be elected as is usual in such Societies; and to obviate the slightest objection to be made at any future time to such a law, Mr. Mantell, who as we have before said has been mainly instrumental in forming the Society, was the first elected member. It will be an object of laudable ambition among the members of the Society by their zealous co-operation to give interest and value to its proceedings, and to make it a means for developing the resources and promoting the prosperity of the Colony.

B Y the Supply we have received copies of the Lyttelton Times to June 28. The Eudora, Sir Harry Smith, and Raven, had arrived from Port Phillip with cargos of stock, and other cattle ships were expected to follow. A very severe gale was experienced on the 27th, which, we regret to learn, was attended with calamitous results to the shipping in port. The Torrington, John and Charlotte, Salopian, and Pauline, were driven on shore ; of these, the Torrington became a total wreck, and the John and Charlotte and Salopian received serious damage. A melancholy accident occurred from the upsetting of a boat, by which two brothers, influential settlers, of the name of "Ward, were drowned, whose loss seems to have occasioned very general feelings of regret. Only one of the bodies had been found previous to the departure of the Supply. A vessel, supposed to be the Jane Dixon, was off the mouth of the port when the Supply left. We have published (from the Blue Book) in our present number, Sir George Grey’s* despatch accompanying the letter and resolutions of the so-called Settlers’ Constitutional Association, with Lord Grey’s reply. We may take a future opportunity of making a few observations on the subject.

We understand that the Lecture at the Wellington Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute on Thursday evening will be delivered by Dr. Ralph; the subject is “the Microscope—its history, discoveries, and [uses. Should the weather prove unfavorable it will be postponed until the following evening.

The weather at Wellington during the month of June, 1851 :— [ Days of continuous Rain 8 ' " Showery Days... . .t ;'.'. ... .. 8 Days on which no Rain fell 14 Quantity of Rain—B inches, 5-tenths. Highest. Mean. Lowest. Barometer ...30-17 29-64 29-11 Thermometer. 61° 51° 41°