AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6383, 28 July 1882, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

(raw 008 <M 2 eonßE3PONmnt.^ The Pu I'^ Work 3 StotemaJ has, on the whi Sen satisfaction to the peo^e <* «"» whole, gu en { ir an province, and is >. onsmnou _ a/ » A ,',< l. , ~ .„. loan as could be maa» Hi of the three million iaau ■, . j-«{..,if w , ~. ~ . , -esta and the dimculty view of conflating into. <»% Northern settlor of pleasing everybody. J... . flccor ded to are jubilant over the liberal ;"„ more than their district, though it is nothi £ the unthey are fairly entitled to, owing Some equal apportionment of former loana. Vtlers idea of the way in which the Northern se.' .. have been treated may ho gathered from t.. fact that in the allocation of the provincial halfmillion loan, the enormous sum of £500 was expended north of the Waitemata. We have at last done with our naval visitors of H.M.S. Nelson. Commodore Erskine seemed at last to be apprehensive that the perpetual round of festivity going on was fatal to strict discipline, and when the city tradesmen proposed to give a ball to tho petty-officers, the Commodore simply put his foot upon the proposal. The men complain that the drill is now

as incessant and severe as in the Gorman navy, but the error, if it is ono, is on tho right side. Some good-humoured badinage Das been exchanged in the Press over the Mayor's going to Kawau on shooting expedition with the Commodore and ofLrsof the Nelson. After the very lively interchanges of opinion which took pa cob etween Sir George Grey and Mr J. M. Glaik over the City East election, and the refusal of Sir George on that occasion to accept Us proffered hand, it was scarcely expected that that gentleman would be found so soon one of tho guests at Sir George Grey's beautiful U home. The political quidnuncs are greatly puzzled as to how it all came about. The police force seems to be having a bad quarter of an hour' at present. The dismissal of Potectivo Varrell, tho enforced resignation of another old Auckland detective formerly servin* horo, and tho scandalous rumours now in circulation concerning Sergeant 0 Urady (m chai-go of the Thames sub-district) are not calculated to inspire confidence on tho part 01 tne public or to increase the morale of tho force. The alleged charges against Sergeant 0 trrady are the outcome of the Farrell inquiry, bor-Keant-maior Pardy, who was temporarily in charge of tho district' during the absonco of Superintendent Thomson > Australia, at once took steps on tho rumours reaching his ears to deal with the matter, by directing tho district constable at Mercury Bay to investigate the reports and see the husband ot tho woman upon whom the alleged ottempt at rape was said to have been committed. The constable's report and the statement of the husband are both in possession of the authorities, to whom thoy have been forwarded. On Mr Thomson's arrival here, lie went to the Thainos in connection with the charges preferred by Farrell; but ho lias left the responsibility of taking action with the Wellington authorities, to whom he has furnished his report. One of tho alleged charges, as already stated, is one of attempted rape upon a respectable married woman, which Farroll appears to have been the medium of compromising. There is considerable discontent in the local force at the difference of treatment extended to the two officers—l'arrell being first lined in a civil court and then sent to the streets, after 34 years' service, for tho very grave error of judgment of which ho was guilty; while tho other officer is not even suspended pending an investigation of the affair, though tho statements bruited about would, if true, involve a charge of felony. The public have no feeling of partisanship for, or animus against, either officer, and they are anxiously and curiously awaiting Mr Bryce's action. He has given so many proofs of'firmness and decision of character, that confident hopes are entertained that he at least will not shirk his responsibility, but will tako stops either to vindicate Sergeant O'Grady's innocence or, in the event of an adverse conclusion being arrived at after duo investigation, remove him from a position for which he would in such a case have proved himself wholly unfit. Unless a straightforward course of this kind is adopted, the public con Science in tho force will be completely shattered, and they will cease to respect a body of men who apparently, do not respect themselves. Liko Ctesar's wife, the police should ba above suspicion. Our Harbour Board is actively moving m the question of tho defence, of the harbour, and urging the Auckland representatives in the Assembly to stimulate the Government into taking immediate action. At present the only defence of tho port is a solitary 40-pounder Armstrong posted on the North Head for practice purposes. Its companion - piece is simply old iron, somebody having contrived to split the vent i« fooling with the gun in experimental methods of cleaning it. Nearly 20 years ago Colonel Moule, R.E., prepared plans for the defence of the harbour. These comprised a land battery on the Tomaki shore, a water battery on the Bean Bock (now used for lighthouse purposes), and another battery on the North Head. The conditions of modern warfare have altered greatly since then, and it is believed that a heavy battery on the North Head, Iwith totpedoos in the Bangitoto Channel, would be sufficient for all practical purposes. One of the disadvantages connected, with the new dock site is that it is within shelling range from the Narrows, and that any attempt to destroy it from thence would draw the fire of gn enemy upon the city, as it is in line with it, It lifts been suggested that unless the Bangitoto shore is &Jso occupied it would be possible for ft beavily.-arined cruiser to parbuckle some of her guns up its northern slope, command the North Head battery by a plunging fire, and bombard the town over the low isthmus between the North Head and Mount Victoria. I understand that during the Commodore's visit to Auckland the Harbour Board placed Colonel Scratchley's report and plans of harbour defence at his disposal for perusal, wd that he fully concurred in the scheme Ls'et out. The heavy glins imports.'} hy the Grey' Administration lay for some tjroe on the railway reclamation, covered with dirt and neglected. The present Defence Minister, Mr Bryce, has had them placed in , store, and properly feept s.le?n and looked ; after, and they are now fit; for mounting when- I ever the exigency arises. . " The Supreme Court Criminal Sessions have been marked by the falling through of a large number of the cases on the calendar either by acquittal, no bills, or owing to the committing Justices, through ignorance of the law sending offender? to the Supreme Court for trial who should bays boen dealt with by themselves summarily. The rfesjjlt is that persons have escaped punishment of whftse guilt as to the minor offence the Grand .Jury"were perfectly assured. It can scarcely be wondered at that \\\ \ view of such a state of things they should have made a presentment to the Judge deprecating the serious gxpense thus entailed ■ upon the country, to nkf npthing of. the serious miscarriage of justice fnvolvfed. So long as Justices of the Peace are appointed from political considerations, or out1 of compliment, instead of for' social standing, probity, educational ability.'^nd same Jltije knowledge of common law, this sprt'pf thing willpo on. In some out-distl'ists the clerk of the Court is the real administrator of justice, the ..J.P. s aimgjy registering his edietg. I saw a warrant lsaQed the other day by a bush Justice, and the phonetic character of the spelling was simply appalling, while it is a stretch of courtesy to say he " signed " tho document, and he is by no means singular in this respect. The absorbing event of the sessions was, of course, the trial of Winiata; and his death-sentence was prouounced under circumstances of more than ordiaavy solemnity. Just as Justice Gillies put on the black cap, a hailstorm swept overhead, the hail rattling on"lhs skylights above, while the vivid flashes of lightning and the sullen roar of Heaven's artillery added to the iinpressiveness of the scene. Through tho gathering gloom of the winter's afternoon could just be. descried the stern face of the Judge, the cnrey.opi countenance of tho prisoner in tho dock, and the seething crowd in the background, amid whom were two or three women vainly struggling for a viewpoint. Winiata. met his doom with his usual impftssiveness, but the convulsive twitching of the fingers as he grasped the railings in front, and the swaying?pf fhe body to and fro, showed he was not unmoved. In a vain attempt to have a "last word" with the Judge, he was seized by two stalwart warders and hurried by the covered way to the casemates beneath' the Court.- "I"understand that he has privately confessed ttije crime, and in all probability will make a full'confession /unless he acts contrary to t)je custom of"his race) before the supreme moment' for' facing' the fataji "drftp" has arrived.

The weather during fcho past fortnight has been more tempestuous and severe t1j9.11 nas been felt at this season of the year for many years past, and the constant succession of gales and deluges of rain has almost brought the public works in hand in the city and suburbs, so far as street drainage is concerned, to a standstill. As a result there has been a good .deal .of sickness, fever in all its forms beinfr rife, while the Bpj4e™'9 o£ measles has swept through the public schools OT<J greatly lessened the averago attendance; Notwithstanding the unprecedented severity of the weather, building operations in town and suburbs are being prosecuted with vigour, What with the greon timber hurried from the mills to meet the imperative demand, and the bricks similarly turned out from the kilns, some will have reason to repent their precipitancy. To keep pace with the progress of Auckland, the Bank of New Zealand are about to extend and improve their present promises, and whet} the alterations are effected the result will be .the most magnificent building of its character in the $fsy, Messrs Sargood, Son, andEwen, of Dunedin, Ijaye hitherto delayed the erection of their projected handsome branch premises in Auckland, owifig to the difficulty in getting seasoned building materials. They arc njjw in the market for 300,000 bricks, as per sample ' T^e sample is a Dunedin brick, at which"tfe local manufacturers look father askance; as for'working", sleight, and'apj&yint durability, we have 'jiotfyhlg filfg it; 'Tho plans of iha new -warehouse are expe&ea to arrive by the incoming niail, and th'e'Auckl&nd branch premises of foe" firm will be a credit to the firm and an or»ame»t to the city. It is anticipated that the new city tramways scheme, to which tho City Council has at last assented,'will greatly promote the extension of settlement in the suburbs, as well as alter the cosujifcion of business in the city, where Queen street an 4 tho thoroughfares immediately leading out of jt b&VQ hitherto monopolised the lion's share of ttie tiuda,

On the Thames Goldfield matters are tolerably quiet, and the month's yield fif gold under 3000oz. One discovery has been made wUifiJi sanguine miners regard as marking a new era on the fiold —namely, the securing of good anecimens in one of the mines at 5G7 feet below the surface, or 547 feet below the sea lovel. This is the greatest depth at which gold-mining has been attempted or gold got on the Thames, and is regarded as highly encouraging to the promoter* of the £eep Loyel Tribute enterprise. Tbß Qoyomandei Gojdfield is still yielding fail- returns, tot in the Qubaroa dwtrict (Upper Thames), the y\M of to Martha, & test mine, from general stuff, has not come up to expectations, being only Joz to tfro ton. In tbe older districts of tho Upper Thames aywythiit" ia quiet, the severity of the weather interfering with the transporting of quartz to ttl« batteries. Cnptaiß William Jackson Barry, who has been up to the Ts Aroha district and, it 13 said, invested in a half-ml<im(jt in one °* tne Proms [nc mines of the district, is $t present on a tour in the Wsikato settlements, a^d has succeeded jn infejryiewing Maori royalty, *nd been hoavitably treated by the Kingite chiefs. The • •Hftifi does not .seem fcp havo been overawed ft:' t :- presence of the djjgty monarch, even °y tn" \ a had been ■'■' born tv t|;e purple." tnougiii. xi& ififs,\]y be expected, seeing ft»t the formei naa fi . tho ohie[a and. °r,P drawn <™m »>s "wn good advice, drawn ■ nt

There has been quite a plethora of amusements and junketings during the past fortnight. Mr J. Hall's tlioatvi«al company havo closed their season at tho Theatre li°3'al. having latterly had indifferent patronage. Iho fact is that they fell upon evil times, llm hospitalities to the officers of tho Nelson and Carola had pretty well cleaned out tho dres:icircle class, wliilo the most sparkling comedy evor produced had no chance with tho pit and " stalls" against "iwesonts" from Zulu Thompson at tho panorama. Mr Hall bore his ill luck philosophically, and in going boutli he notified his intention of again returning in a few months and giving tho Aucklamlers an opportunity of redeeming their fair fame. Hie Zulu War' Panorama has done an immeuso business at the Opora-hoiiso, by exciting the cupidity of the attondoi-H with a distribution of gifts. It is rather humiliating to think that tho legitimate drama should bo played at tho Theatre Royal to a beggarly row of empty benches, while tho Opera-house should havo packed into it 2441 souls on tho strength of getting a gift. On tho opening night of Kohlor'a Waxworks 1200 persons streamed in and out of the building, tho great attractions apparently being PurnoU and Michael Jtavitt. The Australian Circus is also doing a fair business in tho Wnikato settlements. In iact it may be fairly questioned whether another community in tho Colony, in proportion to population, expends so much money on amusements as the people of Auckland. The delivery oy Professor Deuton ot his course of lectures has led to a lively controversy in the Press over the vexed questions to which he referred, and in which matters ended pretty much as they commonced, in each party boina; more firmly convinced of the soundness and accuracy of their views. There has been considerable contention over the desirability ot his addressing tho public school children through the medium of a popularised course, unless he would forego the expression of his views on Treethought and collateral subjects. Mr Denton made a trip to the Ihainos liold-fu-ld, whero ho wai well received, and was highly pleased at the result of his visit, botli professionally and otherwise.