NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Look’s Strait Guardian. Wednesday, January 26, 1859.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 1407, 26 January 1859, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Look’s Strait Guardian. Wednesday, January 26, 1859.

On a former occasion (December 18,) we drew „ attention to the Superintendent's proclamation " bringing into force the Streets Sewerage and Drainage Act over a portion of the Te Aro District of the Town. On Saturday last a Proclamation was published by the Sheriff, calling upon the electors in that portion of the Town comprised within the proclaimed , boundaries to meet at the Resident Magistrate's , Court, on Monday next, the 31st inst., at 12 o'clock, for the purpose of electing twelve Commissioners to bring into operation the provisions of this Act, we therefore take the opportunity of again directing public attention to this subject. Possibly very few of those who read the Proclamation, unless they have a Map before them and trace the boundaries as therein set forth, have a very distinct idea of the exact portion of the Town to be brought within the provisions of the Act,, and whether their interests are affected by it ornot. It is therefore necessary to observe that the District in question comprises all that portion of the Swamp south of Pirie street (acontinuation of Ingestrc street) and thence southward, including all those , Town Acres to the eastward and southward of the Barracks towards Berhamporo Farm. It is difficult to conceive a greater act of folly, absurdity, and injustice, than this attempt to force on tho inhabitants of Te Aro the ob. noxious Act which caused such discontent anil dissatisfaction at Thorndon. The first expe. riment was tried in one of the most thickly inhabited parts of the town, where there were tjw greatest number of rate-payers : on the present occasion the experiment is repeated

in a part of the town where there are the fewest number of inhabitants, and those least able to afford to pay the tux. The attempt is a Burlesque on the Act. The preamble ol'tlie Act recites that, “ Whereas it is essential to make provision for the management of tho streets, anil the sewerage and drainage and pre. novation of the health of the inhabitants of towns and populous places within the Province," &c., and it is then brought into operation in the least populous part of tho town, where there are very few inhabitants, and, consequently the least occasion for it.

What has induced the Superintendent to commit this absurdity f Who could have persuaded our petty despot to put forth bis decree that all the Southern portion and least in. habited part of the Capital of the Empire State should be taxedNo public demonstration of the inhabitants, no public movement of any kind that wc are aware of has been made shewing any general desire that the Act should be brought into force; the proclamation took the. inhabitants by surprise, for no one except those who were in the secret and whose convenience it is intended to promote had lhe slightest conception that anything of the sort was intended. The only probable explanation wc have heard of the affair is, that tho road at present leading to Burnham Water and Evans s Buy either is or will shortly be interrupted by the enclosure of some town acres over which it passes, and hence this attempt to make a road at the expense of the owners of property at the southern extremity of the Town to benefit those who will not in any way contribute to the undertaking, because their property is not within the limits of the Town, and consequently not affected by the Act. .So the first experiment was tried, because the powers that be wanted to make, a road from the Superintendent’s house to the Provincial House of Parliament, and the experiment is to be repeated to make a road to Burnham Water. But we hope the owners rf property which is affected by the Proclamation will take care to be at the Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and defeat this insidious attempt to tax them without their consent. If once they allow a Board of Commissioners to be elected, they are delivered over to the enemy bound hand and foot. When once a Board of Commissioners is appointed the rate payers have no further power, they must remember that the Commissioners are elected for two yeais, and have full power to levy what rates they please, a rate as high as the value of the Re simple of the property if they choose, and with full powers to recover by summary proceedings before the Resident Magistrate. So that if those whose interests are affecti d by the Proclamation neglect to attend on Monday, and by their indifference allow the Act to be brought into operation they will only have themselves to blame. But we object altogether to this Proclamation law ; we maintain that under Representative Institutions it is a most arbitrary stretch of authority that the Superintendent, whenever be pleases, shall have the power of imposing direct taxation on any part of the community, whether they consent or no. The very men who, in Sir Geouge Giir.v’s time, were most clamorous against the exercise o f this power by the Governor, now tha t they are entrusted with the administration of the Government, just to show their consistency we suppose, are themselves the most ready to exercise this power on all occasions. In Sir George Grey s time, such a power in the hands of the Governor was absolutely necessary, and was always very carefully exercised ;—but now the time for the exercise of this power is past, and it should be abandoned. In the last Session of the Provincial Council, an Act to establish a Municipal Corporation for the town of Wei lington was passed, which gave full powers to the inhabitants for the improvement of the town, without inflicting any heavy amount of taxation ; but this tho Superintendent chose to lay aside, without taking the slightest notice of it If a road is required to Burnham Water, and there is no legal power to raise the necessary funds let those most interested subscribe together, or let the Superintendent call the Council together, and obtain from them the requisite authority. But this wc know he is resolved not to do if he can help it. As long as the electors will allow him, he will continue to play the petty despot of the Province; it is their duty then, whenever an opportunity offers, to resist and try and put an end to a tyranny as odious as it is contemptible; and we hope that on Monday next those who are interested in the matter will, at the meeting at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, shew their determination not to submit to this attempt to put the screw on, and to introduce direct taxation for the benefit of a few individuals.