AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 657, 2 July 1864, Page 7

AUCKLAND.

(FROM THE DAILTT TIMES OOBRESFOBWiefI 17th fiu.« H. M. s s. Alexander arrive! in port laft-eas*. ing from Tauranga. All was quiet in tfcet <***.■ trict, and there were no signs of the natives rw*. rying oat their threat of attacking the p ■sifwn held by the forces. Neither are there any ne- * from the other scenes of strife, so that now

" Find we a time for frighted peace to ptnt * Tbe absence of all exciting intelligence 4to afforded time for reflection, and, amongst $be #*- ral public, there is an ardent wish that " No more the th-rsty entrance of this-asfi Shall daub her lips with her own cMSfirssfe blood. No more shall trenching war channel nwfeairtt, Nor bniise herflowreta with the armed kdote Of hostile paces." I need not say that Governor Sir Qeo. Grey.is flte one who most ardently desires this consumitsfi^s, and from what I have heard there is retsserto believe that his Excellency is at variance irVk his Responsible Advisers on this matter. 14 < there is a split in the. Cabinet is beyond & Souta. and the peace question is said to bathe ea« n. At present it would be idle to speculate ,up«a four the matter may end. (

The good people of Auckland haye nowtwapte time to turn their attention to their o:vnlneC affairs ; and first, the state of the roads ufi streets has demanded their attention, an<3 f<e City Board has come in for a well merited -4iv« of abuse. A vote for lending the city L-20.0M m security of the rates, was pa^e'i nf. tbe lite et««« sion of the Provincial Council. They had n» sooner got a few thosands info thefr posftsew %, than they launched into some gigantic projt^b which would have besn better left alone frr a f-tr months, Jn Albert street they have effected * tremendous cutting, so a=i to form another ou'J't from the wharf to various parts of the cUy. Tfct^have left straight perpendicular walls of c!«,y in<l soil that bid fair to bury spmebody or somsi'if |? by their fall. Their second piece of amsamm. ite folly, was to raise Queen street several feet iv tt« centre. • This wns a desirable project, heir * commence it just as the wet act in, wt« Sfcfc short of madness. Queen atreer, is now a l*««if mud with a bottom of sticky clay. Tie ;«"idents which, occur would be ludicrous V* they not annoying and dangerous. E n«r the other day, a horse dragging .« heavily-loaded car< with the axles almost b»'<B in the mud— the horse was unable at last to fate his fe°r out of the clay and the weight of thei-« precipitated him forward »ctually burying ftot> greater part of the animal's head in the' -el.e 1 . .y. When extricated it was found to 1 be muchirju ot» A. lady the other day was crossing the street «c rather tryine: to do so, when she stuck fusfc, *•&' it required the unitel efforts of four gentleroe -to get her placed safely on the cduseway f<« " Oaity Southern Cross" has written two or rh-ae smart leaders on the sut j?i;t, wbich seems to hive made the City Commissioners som >&at ashamed of their doings, and they have susp^i !«& active operations until the return of summi s-

Even in important matters our leading -eft can scarcely conduct themselves decently, '.vat Saturday a public meeting was held to consst 1 w to the best means of doing honor to the ns -« -ty of the brave Colonel-Nixon, who died in 4 s< hbcof the Queen's authority. Captain Holt atse I<-S. as the representative of his Excellency Sir -iqc Grey, and suggested that one way of show!?, ; ntspect would be to aid the late Colonels two i-if©*; wholiad been dependent upon him and wko *t.« left in. straitened circumstances. This propo-n-WKi emanating from a kind-hearted mm, as I tniie^. Governor Grey to be, raised aery again/-* £r-u which I cannot but consider ill-timed and »<•.* unfeelinsr.

Our Provincial Government have b?ea d;sfcitvguishing themselves during the past week by c mist original piece of engineering It wsk found desirable to obtain a supply of w ifei- fa the shipping, and this could be had from tli<- <\»- main. Now to convey it to the Wynyard' Pi<%. which is on a lower level, the simplest tii»c would have been to carry the pipes over tlie adjoining hil" in the full assurance that tbf wit would find its level Our wiseacres were afraid tfaal wafer wonld' not find its way up hill and iW«, again, and felt sure that the best plan w* *< have a gentle incline all the way. The pip<* have, therefore, been laid on the eaaia «T Mechanic's Bay which have been hitherto a ettor solid, but when once disurbed will not h- « again for some time to come. There .wi'l tie a gntt disadvantage in unloading vessels witlt firewood in this neighbourhood. On leavi«« tin? Bay, the pipes will have to be carried tiroagfe the rocks, bat how that is to b2 achieved is tfc present a mystery. Truly it is an astotiisshit* piece of engineering, and will do credit to Hm Zealand.

- The allotment of shares in a new Bntririag Company, to be called •• the Bank of Aucklattij* took place on Tuesday last Considerably aw*B than ten thousand shares were applied for in tte first instance. To meet aa far as possible the views of all parties concerned, the ProjrM*a-fl Directors allotted the full number to all those **» had applied for a small number of shares. Ttereduction requisite to bring down the nvtufier 4£ shares applied for to the number «ct««By<!»fW for allotment was effected by curtailing tike qu»ber allotted to those who had applied for* Jm^' number of shares. This arrangement, hns considerably diminished the number allowed 6» tw of the Provisional Directors themselves. • Mi t,:* shares have been freely given to, the paHit, the exception of a very few lrhloK have txxxi ?«. served to meet engagements which may psriltJjr be on the way from distant parts of the'Fffratim. The intelligence we receive from tike >.«*:*■» Han Ports makes it apparent that the"«n»p* € flour from that quarter will bebelow yrhts va^M have been expected. We hare had nowetv itcent intelligence of the proapectsof the C«&«rnian crop. Shbuld those prospects prove unO**. able, a very high price may be anticipated for bread before the winter is over; This' will 1« severely felt by men with large familieß-d«p«i — ing on their exertions. 4 1 present the#rwe«f bread is double what it was a tew montto s*». For years gone by, the ports of South A«bp«w» used to supplement the defloienoie? of <he A«»tralian markets, but it' fa very." doubtful -Wbethor the supply obtainable, from that quarier «fl suffice for the present emergency. „• . -- » - . The weather during the past three 3^ ton been unusually stormy, and the wind ewaerimtslr boisterous.' ThVcold has been more' ! sSri&vtJißa : has been known for years pastJ ; ThVolAjiit *£*. nists do'nnt remember the triad so pieicjpggy-<!«9tt. The result is very prejudicial .upon 'the mrlwm*, wbicb are barren of food for cattle. For A«<*.. load, we shall be glad when tbe winter k.f»*.