AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6190, 10 December 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUCKLAND.

(FKOM OUR OWN COBUESrONDKNT.) November 26th,

The people of Auckland are now settling down in real earnest to consider the question I of the general election, and the merits of the several candidates. Rival policies or pro-gra-umos thero are none, and the contest promises to degenerate into one of men rather than of measures. In addition to the other disturbing elements, the Good Templars and Orangemen are casting special votes <or certain candidates, apart from their Liberalism or Conservatism, so tliat matters are considerably mixed up, and it would be hard to predict what will bo the ultimate expression of the popular will. , . , Hii* Ui',ir<--e'Grey's address to the electors ot City Kast, at tiie Choral Hall, indicated forcibly, what had been long suspected, that the Liberal party here is largely disorganised, and tiie power and prestige ol" Sir George Grey on tlie wane. At no previous meeting was there so small an attendance, while the absence of the representative men of tlie community was most marked, liven tlie ladies seem to have abandoned their allegiance; for instead of the orchestra being crowded, as of old, with tlie beauty and fashion of Auckland, some dozen ladies, wives of small tradesmen, alone appeared therein. As Sir George mounted the platform his eye glanced inquiringly at the empty benches of the orchestra, and thence wandered over the hall, but three-quarters full, while a shade of disappointment tiitted over his countenance. Ere the address was finished casual passers-by dropped in, and the hall was in the end comfoi'tably'filled. With the exception of some half- jocular remarks on the Native question and false prophets, there was not a topic i-ef erred to which he hadnot previously discussed and re-discussed. Tlie whole of the local papers referred to the speech as "disappointing," and the phrase fitly expresses the feeling experienced. His party were left at tlie close of tho speech without a platform, without a policy—without even a good electioneering cry to start with. His remarks on the Native policy of the Government were received with ominous coldness. The practical uuccoss of Mr-Bryce's movement had rendered the topic somewhat dangorous, and the utterances of tlie speaker were rather a discreditable evasion of a subject which could not be decently ignored than the utterances of a statesman who had tlio courage of his opinions. Enthusiasm there was nono, but the meeting maintained, with the decent courtesy duo to Sir George Grey's age, servioes, an attitudo of passivity which would have utterly disheartened any other public speaker, and was not without its influence even on so practised an orator as the great proconsul. This state of things, on the support offered in the electorate, determined the Mayor, Mr J. M. Clark, to contest City East with Sir George Grey. A few years ago the man would havo been declared a lunatic who would have dared to do such a thing ; but times change, and men chaiigo with them. Mr Clark is universally esteemed for his integrity and ability, and has just boen re-elected Mayor without opposition; but a groat many of his friends think he has placed himself in a false position by refusing to stand far City East when the seat went a-begging two months ago, and coming out at the eleventh hour jigainst so formidable an opponent. It has on-' -gendered a feeling that the Government desire to oun'f. Sir George Grey from tho councils of (iho Colony, and many men utterly opposed to his policy will vote for him because thoy regard him as au excellent linger-post pointing to ii road he never travels, and though, lacking* in performance, invaluable in Opposition, as ieeping tho Government up to the mark. The practical failure of his first moeting led ■his friends to induce him to addreos the electors a second time, and it is but simpje justice to state that tho second meeting was in eyory. respect a success. He carried the audience with him from beginning to ond, and the enthusiasm displayed at the conclusion of the proceedings reminded one again of tho old days. Of course the excitement of a contest aud tho spur of opposition had n- frreat deal to do with tlie feeling displayed ; but still, making due allowance for that, the result was eminently satisfactory to his friends. The whole interest of the Provincial elections is gravitating around the struggle in City East, which will, to some extent, test the relative strength of parties in the city. Mr Clark will make a gallant fight, but he is heavily handicapped. A battle, however, is never lost till it is won.

The famous Central Committee Js beginning to bestir itself, but it is a mere wreck of its former self. A few men still hold to their first love, but the able influence, power, and organisation of the Committee are gone. It has been deemed prudent, under these circumstances, not to attempt the high-handed tone assumed at last general election, and this time the candidates for t)m several electorates will not be selected in Que.*;) street, nor will tlie candidates be sent out furnished with a passport and labelled with the trade brand of the Committee, "without whicli no article is genuine." Perhajw tho most remarkable meeting of its kind that has ever been held in this city was that whicli took place the other evening, when tiie labour agitato;*, Mr Garrard, addressed tiie electors of City North, Never before has Communism, pure and simple, been put before an Auckland audience in so clear and straightforward a manner. He proposed, in the case -of working men, that arrears of rent and of interest and principal on their mortgaged cottages should be made a State debt. Tlio project was cheated to tho echo by his heavers, but, it is to be hoped, more in a spirit of malicious fun than otherwise. One of tlie most remarkable features of the meeting was that it was first presided over (self-ap-ix>;nted) by a gentleman holding her Majesty's commission iv tlio Volunteers, who appeared to bo deeply agitated, and his voice bursting with emotion. At a critical juncture in tho proceedings ho roso, for about the twelfth time, to " a jioint of order" at tho nomination of an opposition .candidate, when Mr Garrard threatened to eject him from the chair—a calamity which was averted by his abruptly descending from tho platform. Mr Gjirrai'd wore upon his breast a " good -conduct "| •mefjal from the Turkish Government, which: : some hag suggested must havo boon given to Jiiin for services rendered as a Bashi-Bazouk. Jt must hayf! gladdened tlie heart of that champion of the (political rights of women—Drj Wallis —to see ilr£ Garrard at the close of the -/neeting mounted on a form discussing the political situation, in a speech which was interspersed with domestic reminiscences of her 'old man." Nothing could moro forcibly illustrate Jtjio political liberty enjoyed undor: the New Zealand Constitution than tho strange and remarkable scene abovo referred to.

One of tlie moat gratifying features in tho present political campaign in Auckland is tho steady support whicli Mr Sheehan is giving to the Government on the Nativo question, on tlie ground that it is one removed from the region of party politics. In this respect he, stands alone, as none of tho members of the Liberal party have had the largeness of heart ,or sense of common justico to accord to their political opponents tho credit due to them for what lias been accomplished at Pariliaka. Mr Moss oven \vent so far as to say in his address to his Parneli constituents that he would oppose to tho utmost tho confiscation of the Native reserves on the West Coast, or making the recusant Maoris bear the charges incident to removing them from To Whiti's stronghold. JJ.owo.ver, ..the temper of ..an Auckland audience at the present moment is such that tliey will not toferato with complacency such utterances, and Mr Afosn, popular as he is with his constituents, found it discreet and advisable, from certain manifestg.£i?ns, to say a.s littio on behalf of his Maori ■froUnes as he possibly could. The Thames contingent returned from the West Coi?-;!. bronzed and sunburnt, but all the better for tfyo roughing and practical knowledge imparted to them "by servico in the field. The Auelclaiifl Volunteers very discreetly -kept out of tlpe way, being evidently .under the impression that ''comparisons wore .odorous," and tlie contingent- on its march to. the Thames steamer had to sing itself down to {tiie wharf, tho usual military courtesy of a tnuwl not being vouchsafed by the Auckland corps. There was a great improvement visible; an the arjll of tho men, and on hearing •marching oid.ers the stalwart Thames miners looked tlio beau-i^eal of what waa needod for bush warfare. Some difficulty has arisen ro-; .specting their pay, as tjjey claim for the two ■Kiouths' service guaranteed Jhem, as well as a free kit; but it is believed ijt will be satisfactorily settled. It would certainly be a queer way of .impressing the Natives with a sense of the honoiy and fjood faith of tho'Colonial Government tij.flt it nearly broke witli ita own* .servants in the hour of victory—with men who' had placed their lives and fortunes at its disposal in order to present a desolating war. liven with their two months' pay the Thames Volunteers will be serious Josers. ' Some of than were earning £1 a day as tribnters in goldmines, while quite a number, in order to keep their engivi'onients, were obliged to hire substitutes at .Ss a day, while they themselves served the Colony for («, and even tliat subject to deductions, 'fha.t is i.wt tlie only loss, for tlie uniforms of the Thames Navals and Scottish ara badly damaged, owing to their fiold equipments vat being served out at Opv/j^ke, through the bungling of the Store Department of the Defence Oflice, as well ns by the very .remarkable haversacks issued ' t.o tliem. fX)i<i presiding genius of thai; do-part'-* ■moid had evidently taken a wrinkla from1 a reetsfft. Auckland agricultural show, and had these articles " lampblacke'd," for the .scarlet unU**;ns of the Thames Scottish are -.completely gi^djroned with the pigment used, a«.d the Navals h&yp fared vory littio bettor. To r.ipWe tho damaged clothing will make a ,-serioj-tt hole in the allowai-iijo, and tho Thames men appenr.to have got a jjij/fl* requital for ihoir patriotism and self-sacrifice, f)jia thing .is quito certain, that in the evont of tfyi? Government not fulfilling to tlie letter tlio agreement under which Hie Thames contingent gave then- services, thoy will ask iv vain for men on ithe goldfields in any future omorgoncy. Thoi Government is not out of the wood yet with j the Native difficulty iv the Uppe- Thames and Witikato districts, and in view fit possible eventualities can ill afford hy shortsighted parsimony and discreditable sharp practice M lose its hwVJ upon the good-will of ouo of thoi finest bodies hf Volunteers which this provinco can boast.

Something very ilk*} a roign of terror is boing established m Aucldaij<l through tlie numerous burglaries which have .bee* committed with impunity recently. L*dood, s&flps, knuckledlisters, life-preservers, and i'ovoJyu*; rjre being 2-apidly bought up for purposes of sejf.-.pjwfec ttion. The detectives appear to bo uttorly pL iaidt, ne not even tlie ghost of a clue has been' obtained, aliiieugh scarcely a night passe.without two or three burglaries being com mitted «' attempted. In despair of obtaining

a capture in the ordinary way, the authorities nre adopting other measures, by bringing into requisition the services of picked men from the rank and file of the police force, and distributing them at night throughout the town in plain clothes. Hitherto their have not been attended with success. Such a state of distrust and disquietude lias not been felt in Auckland since the Waikato campaign of 1863, when garotting was introduced by the criminal element in the army and the Australian military settlers ; and it is now positively dangerous to pay friendly visits at night, for fear of being mistaken for a burglar and ' revel vered." Thoso whose duties require them to traverse the streets at all hours of the night have brought homuto them very practically the reign of terror oxisting, as every second house or so, especially in the suburbs, where police protection is scanty, has its light burning* :dl night in readiness for nocturnal marauders. The scene presented reminds ono of Colonel Gold's celebrated "candle proclamation " iv tlie town of Taranaki during tho first Taranaki War: "lv tlio event of a night alarm every well-disposed householder will kee|) within doors, and place a lighted candle in tlie front window." The criticisms of the, Press on the nonsuccess of the police force in tlie detection of the burglars, and a proposal lo form vigilance coinniiltees,*at last woke the .authorities up to more vigorous measures. Many of the burglaries hunt remarkable family likeness to those committed by Prod i'lummer during his previous residence here, and it was determined to look him up. The police knew tliat he had been working on tlie Waitakerei railway contract a littio before last Christmas, but had suddenly disappeared, since whicli all trace of him had' been lost. By mapping the city out, and instituting a systematic surveillance, a. clue to Plummer's residence was obtained, and his capture effected under very suspicious circumstances just before daybreak. Nothing has transpired publicly to connect him with the burglaries, but as he has been living in seclusion for six months, rarely, going out after dark, and following no occupation, or having no visible means of support, llie police have felt justified, in view of his antecedents, in charging bim under the Vagrant Act. They are in hopes by his detention of getting a clue, or of connecting hill) witl) 'tjfe mysterious threatening letters sent to Dr Philson and Mrs Dobson' for the purpose of extorting money. On the goldfiolds matters are tolerably brisk, and the return of tho Thames contingent has given again tlie necessary amount of skilled labour, which was needed, and led to a Rigorous resumption of some of thetributing operations, which were suspended by its departure for the West Coast. Good returns have 'come in from tlio Upper Thames district, and witli the fine weather 110W uPon va> facilitating exploration aw} prospecting, the ensuing- summer promises to be ii busy pne for the minors. During his address to the Thames electors Mr Sheehan said there was little doubt that at tlio present time Auckland was the most prosperous city in Now Zealand, and everything goes to show that it was not a mero comphmont, begotten of electioneering tactics, but tho sober truth. I have not at any time during tho past 10 years soon tho working classes so contented and thriving, Work is steady, and wages, especially in tho building trades, on the increase. All kinds of building materials have advanced in prico, owing to the extensive operations going on. East and west and south tho eityof Auckland is spreading out its suburbs, until the old boundaries of its first municipality will be again resumed—namely, from tho Whau Portage to t)ie Tanifiki, and back inland to Onohunga, covering the whole isthmus with a thriving population, Several largo joint-stool**: enterprises are now being floated successfully in tlie city—ono for the manufacture of boots and shoes, and another for tho preserving and freezing of meat for Home export,—tiie latter by the purchase of ono.of the largost butchering and f ellmongeriiig businesses in the North Island. It is understood that Mr Thomas Russell is one of tlie most active promoters of this undertaking. Carey's Pjratos of Penzanco Company have closed a fairly successful season at the Iheatre Royal, whicli is now lying idle. The erection of the new Opera House is being rapidly proceeded with, and bids fair to bo an ornament to the city, as well as destroying tho monopoly at present oxisting through thore only being one decent-sized place of amusement for theatrical and operatic performances in Auckland.