AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 902, 13 March 1869, Page 7

AUCKLAND.

(from our owk correspondent.)

22nd February.

During the past two or three years Auckland has experienced some ups and downs. At one time she was fairly at the bottom of Fortune's wheel, but another turn brought her well nigh to the top again. At present the tendency is slightly downwards. Trade is not so brisk as it was, and money is rather scarce. This arises, no doubt, from the state of affairs at the Thames, where business is considerably slacker ih.ui ifc has been. The Provincial Government has it, however, in contemplation to expend some L 28,000 (borrowed money) in the construction of tramwajs at the diggings. This, it is anticipated, will not only employ a good deal of labour,

and cause a circulation of money, but it will enable a large number of diggers to turn the labour of the past to some profitable account. It is a great pity that this cannot be done without borrowing, but considering- i\ e recent state of the Provincial J-xclipquer, that, in the hands of the pre&3iit Executive, appears to be impossible. So far aa the markets are concerned, I believe there is an ample supply of all kinds of goods, and I am not sure whether there has not been too much speculating. The anticipation of opening up a new El Dorado in the Upper Thames district has led a good many to be too liberal in ordering, and now that hope seems for the present to be frustrated, they find themselves with larger stocks on hand than they require. For all that, things are going on pretty comfortably in Auckland.

The gold fever in this province seems to be abating, and there are cheering indications of a healthy state of affairs supervening. The Thames newspapers do their bast to keep up an excitement ; but at the Thames their statements are taken for what they are worth — persona at a distance may believe their reports, the diggers do not. Last week, for instance, they published the astounding fact that Hunt's claim had returned some Llß,ooo to each shareholder for the past month. This may do for strangers to believe ; but it does not gull the natives. It is generally known to be a gross exaggeration. There are some lucky indivi- 1 duals, and I believe their number is j gradually increasing with the increase of machinery and appliances for mining. There is untold wealth in the Thames mountains ; but it will require steady labour and skill to realise it.

The Provincial Council is still in session, ami how long it will continue it is impossible to predict. Among the notable events of the session was the introduction of a Bill for remunerating country members, few of whom have attended this year. After passing a second reading it was withdrawn by the Government, on the ground that the Council was not sufficiently educated in principles of legislation to understand the Bill. It was originally proposed to pay country members JL'O a wf-ok and travelling expenses. In Council it was altered to L 3 a week for all the members, and the Ac became such a jnmble time it.would have secured payment to town members and taken it away from country members when neglecting to attend a day or t\«-o. It ibis Bill had passed it would have offered a premium for yam-spinning, aucl we should have two sessions a year, each of six months duration. The present Council has sat a^cvut three months ; and for one of that length, and supposing the 32 members should attend, the cost would be about LISOO. The proposition was considered by the public to be an attempt on the part of some members to benefit themselves at the country's expense.

There has been the usual aping of parliamentary practice, and this in the h.mris of some very raw and not overt right characters has caused business to drag alony in the miserable way it has done. The personalities between one member and another have been — it is not too much to say — disgusting. One neophyte— member for Newton — has deemed it right to inflict upon the House some teetotal lectures, with extracts from notable authors ; but as there are several publicans in the Council, it has been like casting pearls before honourable gentlemen. His meaning was good, his conduct foolish.

Some time ago a petition, signed by most of the publicans, was presented, praying for permission to sell beer on the Sundav — an impudent request on. their part, because they are in the habit of doing it now, and of making men "drunk on the premises." It is simply a desire on their part to legalise their wrongdoing. Another plea for disseminating the blessings of the sale of drinks was, that public-houses slioiild be kept open for the benefit of the steamers coming from the Thames during the night. As there may be sometimes one and sometimes half a dozen persons, in the course of a week, who prefer a public- house to a lodging-house, the request should of course he considered — the only objection viz — the extending the period of wassail and riot through the night for the sake of half a dozen passengers, once 01 twice a week, is exceedingly unreasonable. Another point on which the publicans desired tho Council to legislate was, regarding the adulteration of liquors. Here, and I dare say it is the same at Dune -".in, we have the most deadly compounds sold for stimulants, the Cl essential (oils" and other noxious drugs are so freely used as to be perceptible even to the taste and smell. Their effect on the public health is most disastrous. The beauty of tb.9 affair is, the people who signed the petition are the parties who condemn the practice. Every keeper of a pot-shop signing the petition haa de-

, nounced the iniquitous custom, and if r Council can do anything to put a stop to f it, they "will deserve thanks. A Bill was . passed during the session of 1867, by the 3 General Assembly, giving permission to - take action with respect to adulteration I of food and drink, but it is a perfectly - useless piece of legislation, and -will re- - main so. Permissive Acts are generally - useless. j On Thursday the Council passed a rei solution, by a majority of 13 to 6, affirming ) the right of a body of settlers to lay a veto t upon the issue of licenses for public i houses. The "permissive" clause, if the I spirit of the resolution is carried out, "will I be embodied in the Licensing Act. i I "will just give another illustration as l to the manner in which the presen t Cou ncil ■ has bxisied itself about public house busil ness. Some weeks ago an honourable member — a new hand — asked permission i to introduce a Bill for amending the ; Licensing Act. It got through a second ■ reading, and was then kicked out. On its publication it was found to he a private Bill for the purpose of granting a publican's license to one individual living opposite the New Music Hall, who fancied he could not wait until the next licensing meeting. This bit of intended favouritism cost the province some money, for the Bill, though exceedingly brief , was made into two foolscap pages, and placed in the printer's hands. It is right to legislate for private individuals who have suffered wrong, but it is a new feature in lawmaking to pass an Act to benefit one publican and a few sinners who might patronise him. The Government has done one good thing in passing a Bill for establishing and supporting schools in the Province ; and it was indeedhigb time they bestirred themselves, for almost all the schools in town and country have been closed for want of aid. New Boards are to be formed for the purpose of levying rates, establishine and managing schools, and building the necessary premises, under the management of a central Board. The Act, upon the whole, is a good one. It fails, however, in making Education compulsory. It has one great fault, and that is, in limiting the salaries of masters to a sum that would not secure the service of a mech anic. Any defects of that nature will, no doubt, be corrected after the thing is brought to bear. In their desire to conciliate the public, the Government has acted far from wisely wiih regard to the distribution of poor relief. A committee is to be appointed at a general meeting of the citizens, to act in concert with the Government ' This 13 looked upon as a stupid piece of busi- | ness. It will be nobody's business and nobody will know whom to blame. It would have been far better to have appointed a committee of the Council to act |as a Poor Law Board. The question of poor relief is in a very unsatisfactory state. A Committee of the Council was also appointed to consider what could be done ! to benefit the country districts, and the announcement that a comprehensive Rural District Bill would be brought forward was received with pleasure, and grea f things were expected If it was not a Bill for securing everything to everybody, it was to accomplish wonders. A miserable abortion, for which we do not know whether to thank the Commi+tee or the Government, was the result. The great Rural Districts Bill was simply a compilation of +he Highways Act, the j Thistle Act, and the Dog Act, each slightly altered to make one fit the other. Highway Boards are to be formed for taxing the country districts, but that had already been provided fcr. Thistles are to be eradicated, but unfortunately the Government are the most to blame in growing crops on their waste lands. Industrious settlers don't want compelling to do it. The laying a tax on the dogs of settlers who can scarcely provide food for themselves and families, is a gratuitous piece of taxation that might have been dispensed with. TheEstimateslaid before the Councilhave been of a most lavish character. "Various j departments have been increased. The contrast between the go-aheadism of the present session and the pauperism of that held six months ago, fairly bewilders us. Then the poor, the lunatic, the hospital patients, and a host of clerks were to be turned adrift for want of funds. Now there is money for everything, and addresses recommending additional sums to be placed on the Estimates are innumerable, His Honour even recommending LSOO each for Provincial Secretary and Solicitor, and L2OO each for three members of his Ejceciitive without folios, in all L2IOO for his own department without reckoning clerks. He even went so far as to ask "the Council to make the thing sure by passing a Bill. This the Council would not do, and only passed L4OO each per annum for Secretary and Solicitor. Where all the money is to come from I cannot say. I believe the Government is basing its calculation on an income from the Thames, and by borrowing to meet

the expense of improvements there they expect to satisfy the digging community; and if some public works are pushed forward vigorously, it is anticipated that the Thames people will not too closely inquire how much of their revenue goes to the general account. A decision of the Supreme Court has rather unsettled a nice arrangement with regard to the diggings. The Government had imposed a licence of L 5 a year on all business sites. One poor cobbler who had set up his tent in Shortland to repair shoes, was asked for his L 5 ; he therefore struck his tent and made a pilgrimage elsewhere ; but, according to Judge Arney, all | this is illegal, as the land is ! native land, and the native title j is not extinguished. How far this will interfere with the Government programme cannot be told, for the Government is as close as possible on such matters. No clear and detailed account of the sources and amount of income from the Thames has been published, and the Executive are exceedingly anxious that lump sums should be passed for those departments. Thames affairs are still \mder consideration, and 1 fancy the Government will b8 enabled to tide over the difficulty for this session at least. The formation of a Mining Board is now being advocated by the Thames representatives ; but the Government will allow no interference with their management if they can help it. The news relative to the murders by the Natives at Taranaki caused a painful sensation in Auckland. The Rev. Mr Whiteley was well known here as an old and faiihful missionary, and his death will be regretted by many of his friends. The English Government must have some queer notions as to the management of British Colonies. We have here an army living in idleness, and their quiescence says to the settlers in the colony, on the part of the Home authorities — "Your being murdered is a matter of indifference to us ; W6 will not interfere unless you pay us. Pay, and we'll fight ; refuse, and the troops shall be taken elsewhere, where they are still less wanted. " I should like a subscription to be got up for purchasing crape to bind round the arm of each soldier in Auckland, and to put the colours and band in mourning. Yo\i know better than I do, Mr Editor, how the enormous expenditure of the war is to be met. I regret to say the public health is very indifferent. Whooping-cough is very prevalent, both here and at the Thames. In several cases the complaint has had a fatal termination. That the public health should suffer is not to be wondered at — when we consider the dirty state of the town and suburbs. The main sewer of the town is allowed to discharge itself at the end of the Queen street wharf, and the stench at low water is enough to poison the father of mischief himself. In ecclesiastical matters there is nothing special to irention. Mr Douglass is rousing the Conuxegationalists and Primitives to a sense of duty, and Mr Kempthorne is doing a little fighting for the Queen's supremacy — a matter the public generally knows nothing about and cares less. It is a pity Mr Kempthorne cannot be made a martyr of. I think he would like to be in as awkward a position as the Bishop of Dunedin. Unfortunately he cannot raise the least excitement on his favourite topic. It is announced that the Duke of Edinburgh will be here in May, but not a sin.-le move has yet been made to do him honour, although only a few weeks intervene between the present time and his arrival.