AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4396, 22 March 1876, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

(KIIUI.I (UIU OWN COHKKSrONnKNT.)

'I'hn dispute between tlio Pro-iueinl and (ieneral O.overnmcntsas to tho stoppage of tlio capitation allowance lins taken :i now nnd interesting phase. Of if:! liniiii features ittiil "f tin; iiiti'iition of tlio Superintendent to apply for it mandamus on tlio legal points I have already tolil yon. 'I'lio Board of Education in since involved, and in tliis wise. Tlio Education Aot provides Unit there hliiill ho nn iiiniii.'il household rule, not exceeding '-'ds for tlio he.'ids of households and 10s for all men uver 'Jl who arc not heads ~f households. The Lime is drawing l.igh for levying tlio rati!, ai.d the Hoard was called together for its eonsidcration. AI. the meeting', tin; Provincial Secretary stated he liad li.-.-n distinctly promised L(!(),0()'(1 liy Un; late Colonial Treasurer, and that in that sum provision was made to do without the Kduoation Rato. lln hoped to get tho promise curried out, and if so there would lie no necessity to levy the rate this year, as tho Provincial Uovornment would cut down expenditure in other directions to avoid the further imposition of this very unpopular tax. The members of the Hoard were taken aback, and there was considerable dill'crcnce of opinion, sonic holding that the l„x should be levied, others (hat no action should lie taken till the result of the lispnto between tlie two (iovernmenls was known. Nothing' wan done, and the matter was deferred till next meeting. The peculiarity of the position lies in tho fact that the Hoard (ix the rate, but tho Superintendent levies it according to tlio Act. It was, as a matter of convenience, mado payable at the Provincial Treasury, lint only after considerable hesitation on the pait of the Provincial (,'ovei'iiiuent of the time. If the Hoard insist on its being levied, the Superintendent, will doulitles.s do so, but being bent on severing it from the Provincial Treasury will be likely to appoint the Hoard as receivers, or ask the Oeueral (lovi'i'iiiiicnt to appoint receivers, and take tho odium of collection on themselves. Keeling runs high over it. People generally arc of course delighted at the prospect of being rid of the tax. The Centralists call it, an unworthy trick. Proviueialists remind them ..tliey liavo always held out the certainty of funds for education being obtained from tho general revenue, and so getting rid of this tax, as one of the most attractive results of Aboiition. Tho Provincial (Invernmeiit hold that the Council being prohibited from acting, nnd abolished for the time being, there i.s no reason why the funds should not, at onco come from the general revenue, if the people are not being deceived by f.lse promises. At all events, the Superintendent will not play into liis opponents' hands by doing an odious and unpopular work for their benelit, and in this view lie is receiving universal support. Of course, if the (ieneral (iovornment insist, on its being levied, it will be so, but they too will avoid tlie odium, no doubt, if they can. The Board is not a political toy, and the menibers aro anxious generally to save being mixed up in tho dispute. The Hoard consists of the .Superintendent and Kxeeutive, Uio Speaker of the Provincial Council, four members elected by the Council, and three members appointed by tho Chief Justice or .Resident Judge.

Sjicakiug of the Provincial Council, thero has' been an election for a mouther for Kden, to replace the late AY. T. 1 lackland. Vory littlo interest v. as felt in the election, and the gentle man jiroposed and returned, without his consent, was one of tlio most pronounced Abolitionists in the Province. He tells me he intends to retain the seat so as to be in at the death, and to do all he can to make it as speedy as jiossible.

Nearly 1300 Thames minors have aceejitcd terms ottered to them by Air (lakes, of Wellington, mul it i.s rumoured tlio (lovernment intend placing the Luna. ;it ill' Oakes's disjios.il. This exodus would not be necessary, if there were any tiling like fair play to the Thames in the shajie of jiuhlic works. Still less would it lie so if there were anything liko fair-jilay in dealing with the Native Lands. They are heen jiiekod up by big capitalists from the M.aoiis in blocks 'of o()00 tv 50,000 acres. These buyers get tin ougli the meshes of tho law, while net an acre can be got for a cabbage garden by anyone else. Tho Government liavo been boasting of tho hundreds of thousands of acres bought, by their agents during the last four years, and now Dr Pollen tells the Thames people openly that it is all wrong --that the Government have not an acre afc tlieir disjiosal. Such is tlie result of the .system of land jmrcliiusc, which jieojilo here havo been crying out against so loudly and so long, in vain. Not even an agricultural lease, can be taken up on the level land obtained from the Maoris nt Oliiiieiiiiiri. To prevent this, the boundary of the g.ild field has been wirefully run along tlie margins of the hills,, in the most serjiciitine manner, excluding all the magnificent agricultural land, which is reserved apparently for the cnpit.tli.st buyer or lessee. Men would gladly give 20s or.3os„au acre for the land, or more, if they could get it' in "iO or 100-acie blocks ; but they are not. strong enough to fight the Government,. and cnuriiit therefore deal witli tho Maoris, whilo the Government are doing nothing themselves, if you want 50,000 acres, nnd are too strong, for the Government to (juarrel with you, the case would be different.

Let me ask you to imagine a goldfield at tlioMaungatua Ranges, and Lhe great Taieri,. Tokomairiro, and Clutha Hats under.-the- eyes of your miners, unused and unavailable. Thus you could understand how deep is the dissatisfaction here. A river navigable for. iKb mite without difficulty. A magnificent- stretch of siuh arable land—and not a settler-to bo seen. That is the picture Thames men luuie-before tbem. and which tliey know would have been so different had there been an honest desire to open the country for settlement, instead of most audaciously playing into the hands of powerful speculators. It is not the speculators that are blamed. They are only doing tlljeir best for themselves; but the system that allows them to do so at the cost of poverty aiul depression to the whole district cannot bo shaken off till you in the South leave tho people here to manage tlieir own affairs. You will understand too how the position- taken up by Hir George Grey, with reference to these native land purchases, has made liim such bitter enemies, and on the other bund, has secured fur him the enthusiasm, of so many ardent friends.

Another excitement among the Thames people is promised by a movement to escort Father Chataignon.Sa Roman Catholic priest, to the wharf when arrestee! for tits education rate. A good many peonle have been arrested in one place and the other in collecting the last rate. Father Paul, cf Onehunga., would have lieen, but liis friends paid it for him. Dr Wallis, of tlie Independent Church, was in tho same position. Father Chataignon, it is said, will not allow it to be paid for him, and his friends tire to muster in great numbers and escort him with a band and banners, and all kinds of excitement.s, to Auc'dand. Can you wonder at the Provincial Government being anxious to get rid of this rate ? It is the uufairness of its incidence only that makes it unpopular. More fairly adjusted to wealth, it would be gladly paid. The Provincial Council hud not tlie powers necessary S3 to adjust it, or it would havo been done.

As to Native affairs, there is evidently fa-eat discontent and disquiet, especially on tlie "East Coast. I cannot jiretend, however, to do more than enclose you extracts from the newspapers on tlie subject. They say all is wrong and unsettled, but they have hardly said -so when some contrary account comes'from some one or other connected with tlie Native Office. 1 can only sny that no one here places the least reliance on the latter accounts, any more than they over did on the magnificent tracts cf native land being purchased by the same department in tbe Thames Valley. The Tainia wizard slayers and the Epsom murderer (Winiata) are believed by everyone to be in the King country, despite the reports about them constantly appearing in the same way from inspired sources in the Wellington and Napier journals. > The Acclimatisation Society intends confining itself to the introduction of grasses and fruit trees for some time. It will endeavour to -et salmon also frcm Tasmania, but not try any Eudish shipments. I should add that judge (xillies did not introduce thi destructive grub from Ota;.'.) as reported, but traced it only as the same insect, and so connected his name with it iv the most innocent fashion.

Di]jhtheria has been very fatal to some families here Tn one case three fine little girls were carried off in ter-. days-the last two"the day after each other. The season altogether has been unusually sickly, and among adults there has been bronchial inflammation—fatal in some cases and painful in all. Dr Pollen is still, I am sorry to say, ill, and report says more seriously ill than was at first thought. Another of our leading men, Afr W. C. Wilson, the proprietor of the New Zealand Herald, has been ill for some time, and is still con fined to his lions?. Mr Wilson is one of the oldest settlers and most respected man here ; Jtas a huge family connection, and troops of warm friends, who will gladly see him about again. The Hon. S. D. Hastings, Chief of the Good Templars, had a meeting in his honour, and was enthusiastically received by the broth-en and sisters of the Order, who had assembled to say farewell to him before he left for America. He spoke well and gratefully of his treatment iv Australia^ and New Zealand, and had tlie highest (million of their prosperity, especially of New Zealand. He took the opportunity of correcting many popular fallacies about Americans, and stated he liad stared with surprise at some of the questions asked him by apparently iiittdligt-nt people. Among otiier things, he mentioned that he had heard 'more "me-a!'' pruiiuiieiat.-'!! i" the colories (lining his visit than tie bad throughout ail his career i.i hi;

The Kurai.ui, Long Drive. Ali.i -. \i. and Shotover, all famous ( '.-mpaiiies in their day, at the Thames, are to he wnimd up ai,d re|.;:tl OfD. lo h,- , ; int in diivii g tin- ■!.■;■): <);,-m.

11. i.. KM f, .-f deep tr.'tll tli!- I'r.Upil.g Assecin. ■ iuii's shall, Thea.- drives Mill prospect thtiu,