AUCKLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9762, 12 June 1893, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

(Fbom Ocb Own Cobbespondbnt.)

Jnne 5,

Thß Ausklanders are in a pleasing stats of uncertainty as to when the Premier (Mr Seddon) proposes to come and addcess them, it indeed he will now do so, time being so limited before the tneetingof fcho General Assembly. McW. Kelly, M.H.P.., was desirous ttlaV, file Seddon should go to Eotorua, in order to unravel the tangled skein of Native interests in the new township and in Whakarewarewa, and also visit Taucanga go as to see for himself the blocks of land available for general settlement which have fallen into possession of the Government. Mr Seddon holds out no hope of being able to comply with either request on his vieit to Auckland, though he half hints that he may go up to Kotorua at the opening of the Hotoraa railway next season, if all goes well. Until the present uncertainty has been terminated ss to Native lands iv the new Government township Eotorua, the township will not go ahead. The residents have been so sickened with litigation in the past that they desire to see their way clear before they adventure any more capital in land speculations or in permanent improvements ; and it would be hard to blatno them for BO doing. After a good deal of delay, the Gumfields Commission has set about its duties. Its composition seems very fair, although the gumdiggers object to Mr Mueller, the Crown Lands Commissioner, on the ground of his being of foreign extraction, and tho labour organisations wonld have preferred Mr H. Wilding, who is serving on the Board of Education, to Mr J. C. >'ivth. The Government, however, intimated that they had settled tie appointment of Mr Firth before the nomination ot Mr Wilding was received. The scope of the comtniEsion is sufficinutly comprehensive to embrace everything relating to the gum industry, tho social condition of the gumdiggers, rate of wages, the truck sjstem, alien labour, and the conservation of the lights of the Crown in tho gumfields. The members of the commission aro thoroughly competent to fulfil the duty assigned to them, and their reporb may be regarded is a fair and impartial contribution to tho controversy now going on in the newspapers. They should ba able to furnish their report to the Government in ample time to enable tho letter to formulate a measure for the promotion of the welfaro of those epgsged in the gum industry and to submit it to Parliament duriug the coming session.

In view of the meeting of Parliament, three of the Auckland members are having a "last word" with their constituents. Mr W. L. Bees, who i 3 at present the stormy petrel of politic;', was the first to " faoe the music" in St. James's Hall. At the outsofc there seemed a possibility of a free fight, through two electors getting to loggerheads over a very simple matter—one maintaining that they had come that evening to hear the truth, while his opponent said they had come for nothing of the sort. A recently-created J.P. endeavoured to throw oil upon the troubled waters, but, not succeeding, he collapsed. After knots of politicians had argued the debatable points

over the heads of the report 3rs, Mr Rees at last got his innings and a good reception. The principal topic of his speech was of course Kative lands, and he a?seried that at the present time there were hefore the Native Land Court 3 enough land cases to occupy their attention for a thousand years. Ec explained the reason why nothing was done to remedy this state of things :—" There were so many people interested in private dealings in Native lands, especially in the North Island—sometimes it was the members themselves; somet'mes the leading constituents of members; sometimes these also pulled the strings in the constituencies." He held that no right existed to tax Native lands until the Natives were accorded full power to use, lease, or sell them, as the pre- empfcive right of the Crown was simply confiscation. Mr Rees succeeded in carrying the meeting so far with him as to secure the passing of a resolution in the direction of having a special inquiry into the administration of Native affairs generally. Mr Buckland, the member for Manukau, addressed his constituents a few dajs later. His address was _of _ a thoroughly Uncompromising character in its condemnation of the Government and all their works. He concluded by saying that he would probably not stand again for the House, though circumstances might ariae that would make him do so, but if he did contest a seat again it would b3 the one he then held. Mr Lawry also addressed his Parnell constituents the same evening, but as he had already since last session twice addressed them, there was little new in his speech. His object, apparently, was to make clear to his constituents that he intended to cont :st the electorate again, also to vindicate his report on the Ohira lands as to their adaptability^ the accuracy o? which had been called in question. From the general tone of his address it is clear that he will be a Government suppoi ber. The great sensation of the hour is the action of the grand juiy at the Supreme Court criminal sessions in bringing in a "no tiue bill" in the caso of Nicholson —charged with manslaughter, owiDg to the death of Richard Campbell Forgie through injuries sustained at the glove fight,— a»d in also similarly acquitting those charged with aiding and abetting. There is nothing else talked about, and the affair has greatly shaken the confidence of those who were opposed to the abolition of the grand jury system. The fiasco appears to have arisen, apparently, from the fact that scarcely any (if indeed any) of the grand jurors had ever, been in that position before, and seemed to be ignorant of the duties and functions of the office. The first thing that arrested the. attention of the spectators in court was the composition of the grand jury panel, which seemed formed of a different class to those usually serving, some of the men being simply subordinates in private establishments, and the general impression was that it was little better than an enlarged common jury. That explains, to a large extent, the whole business. These gentlemen went into the grand jury room, apparently, with the instincts and feelings of petty jurors, and proceeded to usurp the functions of the petty ury, and try the case, instead of confining themselves to the issue—was there aprima facie case to go to the petty jury. Among the other absurdities perpetrated by the grand jury, aftsr ignoring the judge's charge, and rejecting his interpretation of the law, was to ask Justice Conolly, at the close of the session, to give a homily on "things in general" and glovefights in particular, from a legal point of view, for the benefit of au unsophisticated public! Justice Conolly's refusal wa3 couched in cutting but dignified language, which must have stung at least some of those whom he addressed. The most extraordinary stories are current as to the scenes which took place in the grand jury room, one being that their original decision was reviewed and a " no true bill" subsequently returned, as regards everybody, by 15 to 8. The cream of the joke is that the foreman was in the minority, desirous of doing his duty, and when the trouble commenced in the press solemnly assured his friends, as to the fiasco, that he wasn't "in it." One thing is clear : if it is intended to liberalise the grand jury roll by the infusion of fresh blood it should be done judiciously, so as to have some jurors serving who are familiar with the functions and duties of a grand jury. Taking the affair altogether, it is regarded by the public generally as the gravest judicial scandal sinca the celebrated "Minister for Marine case," where the grand jury committed a similar blunder in usurping the functions of the petty jury instead of confining themselves to their own proper duties. Notwithstanding the miscarriage of justice, the promoters of and attenders at glove fights have got a good scare, and it will be a long time before another youne man is offered up in sacrifice to the Moloch of the prize ring. Nothing further has been done in regard to the case of Professor Aldis, the meeting convened of the Council of the University College having been found to be illegal, owing to Colonel Haultain'a seat having become vacant at the time he moved in the matter. His replacement by ".Mr Gerald Peacock, in the curtest fashion by the Government has caused a mild sensation. Professor Aldis's friends have bsen active and zealous, bo that his view of his notice of dismissal and his "caso" is well before the public. Singular to say, the chairman of the council (Sir G. M. O'Rorke) has made no sign to all the outcry which has been made, and whatever card he means to play, it is slill up his sleeve. Professor Aldis has greatly weakened his position by a claim to office for life, or during good behaviour, as his engagement was for fife years *with six months' notice on either side. All the other professors on the expiry of their engagements applied for renewals and got them, which clearly shows that they did not consider they had a life tenure of their professorships. Such a claim as set up by Professor Aldis would debar the council at any time from retrenchment if the finances necessitated it. What he is entitled to is justico and equity, neither more nor less, not exceptional treatment over the heads of his brother professors. The Hospital and Charitable Aid Board are beginning to get a little bit staggered at the airy way in which the hon. medical staff are proposing alterations at the hospital. With the same number of patients a3 in 1889 the hospital charges have mounted up to £1695 per annum extra, and although the nursing stiff has increased by 33 per cent, the death rate has not been reduced 1 per cent. The medical stiff has just proposed to the board a scheme for getting the hospital to give two fever wards 40 bsds in the space occupied by officers' quarters, &c, and erect the latter outside the main building, at a total cost of £4000, making the annual charges in excess of those of 1889, it is estimated, £3000 a year. To meet the earlier demands a levy of 25 per cent, extra has b:en imposed upon local bodies, whila to meet the latar demands another 20 rsr cent, extra would have to be levied. Some of the members of the board consider that the local bodies are unable to bear the financial strain, and either the medical staff will have to modify their proposals or the board change their views if peace is to bs maintained in " tha big building on tho Auckland is at present down with the measles, and the clo«ing of the schools does not seem to have been of much effect in arresting the spread of the epidemic. The aged and the youug, the rich and poor have alike been prostrated, and it is calculated that there must be several thousand cases at present in the town and suburbs. At no previous visitation has there been so low a rcsord of mortality. So far the complaint has not got intj the Native settlements, which i 3 fortunate, as owing to the general neglest of the laws of health the Maoris are specially liable to suffer from epidemics, ' An attempt is biing made by tho City Council and the suburban local bodies to come to some understanding as to the inspection, in the interests of the public health, of the meat killed for the citizens. As under the present law two justices and a resident magistrate can grant a license for a slaughterhouse without reference to the local body concerned there does not appear much hope of securing complete and effective supervision of such establishments. Diseased meat and milk from cows afflicted with cancer are said to be Bold occasionally in tho city, and one councillor communicated the gruesome information to the conference that a slaughterman who knew his business could dress up a bullosk afflicted with pleuro-pueumonia in such a way that it would be impossible to tell whether it was diseased. The City of Auckland went to great expense to buiid central abattoirs, and after this was done private parties were permitted to erect special establishments ; so that effective supervision is now impossible. However, some supervision is better than none, and there is a prospect of some concerted action being taken by the local bodies to appoint a competent officer as inspector, to prevent diseased meat being exposed for sale. . . A goodly number of Australians are arriving, attracted by the reports of tho improved times iv New Zoalaisd. Some of them have succeeded in getting employment, but the balanco will have to go to the gumfields, at least for the winter. Tho great number of the Australian "spielers aro tow in Mount Eden gaol, or harried out of the town by the police. Two of them were sentenced at tho late criminal sessions to long terms of imprisomneut;, ouo of whom, on a stolen railway pass, was figuring as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.