OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 15

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

(From Ova Own Correspondent.) June 5. The Ausklanders are in a pleasing state of uncertainty as to when the Premier (Mr SeddoD) proposes to come and address them, if indeed he will now do so, time being so limited before the meetingof the General Assembly. MrW. Kelly, M.H.R., was desirous thab Mr Seddon should go to Rotorua, in order to unravel the tangled skein of Native interests in the new township and in Whakarewarewa, and also visit Tauranga so 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 visit to Auckland, though he half hints that he may go up to Rotorua at the opening of the Rotorua railway next season, if all goes well. Until the present uncertainty has been terminated as to Native lands in the new Government township Roborua, 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 blame them for so doing. After a good deal of delay, fhe 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 beiDg of foreign extraction, and the labour organisations would have preferred Mr H. Wilding, who is serving on the Board of Education, to Mr J. C. Firth. The Government, however, intimated that they had settled the appointment of Mr Firth before the nomination of Mr Wilding was received. The scope of the commission is sufficiently comprehensive to embrace everything relating to the gum industry, the social condition of the gumdiggers, rate of wages, the truck system, alien labour, and the conservation of the rights of the Crown in the gumfields. The members of the commission are thoroughly competent to fulfil tbe duty assigned to them, and their report may be regarded as a fair and impartial contribution to the controversy now going on in the newspapers. They should ba able to furnish their report to the Government in ample time to enable the latter to formulate a measure for the promotion of the welfare of those engaged in the gum industry and to submit it to Parliament during the comJDg session. In view of the meeting of Parliament, three of the Auckland members are having a "last word" with their constituents. Mr W. L. Rees, who is at present tho stormy petrel of politics, was the first to "face the music" in St. James's Hall. At the outset 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, nob succeeding, he collapsed. After knots of politicians had argued the debatable points over the heads of the reporters, Mr Rees at last got his innings and a good reception. The principal topic of his speech was of course Native lands, and he asserted that at the present time there were before the Native Land Courts enough land cases to occupy their attention for a thousand years. He explained the reason why nothing was dona 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 ; sometimes tho leading constituents of members ; sometimes these also pulled tha 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-emptive right of the Crown was simply confiscation. Mr Rees succeeded in carrying tho meeting so far with him as to secure the parsing 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 days 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 arise that would make him do so, bub if he did contesb a seat again it would bo the one he then held. Mr Lawry also addressed his Parnell constituents the same evening, bub as he had already since last session bwice addressed them, there was little new in his speech. His object, apparently, was to make clear to his constituents that he intended to contest tho 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 supporter. The great sensation of the hour is the action of the grand jury at the Supreme Court criminal sessions in bringing in a "no true bill " ia the case of Nicholson— charged with manslaughter, owing to the death of Richard Campbell Forgie through injuries sustained at the glove fight,— aiad in abo similarly acquitting those charged with aiding and abetting. Thero is nothing else talked about, aud 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 thab position before, and seemed to be ignorant of the duties and functions of the office. The first thiDg 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, witli the instincts and feelings of petty jurors, and proceeded to usurp the functions of the petty jury, and try the case, instead of confining themselves to the issue— was there aprimafacie case to go to the petty jury. AmoDg the other absurdities perpetrated by the grand jury, after 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 poinb of view, for the benefit of an unsophisticated public ! Justice Conolly's refusal was 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 tha 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 since 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 tbeir 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 younpr man is offered up in sacrifice to the Moloch of j the prize ring. | Nothing further has been done in regard to the case of Professor Aldis, the meeting'convened of the Council of tbe University College having been found to be illegal, owing to Colonel Haultain's 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 been active and zealous, so that his view of his notice of dismissal and his "case" 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 still 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 five 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 justice and equity, neither more nor less, not exceptional treatment over the heads of bis 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 as in 1889 the hospital charges have mounted up to £1695 per annum extra, and although the nursing staff has increased by 33 per cent, the death rate has not been reduced 1 per cent. The medical staff has just proposed to the board a scheme for getting the hospital to give two fever wards 40 beds 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 been imposed upon local bodies, while to meet the later demands another 20 per 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 be maintained in " the big building on the hill." Auckland is at present down with the measles, and the closing of the schools does nob seem to have been of much effect in arresting the spread of the epidemic. Tha aged and the youDg, the rich and poor have alike been prostrated, and ib 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 record of mortality. So far the complaint has not got into the Native settlements, which is fortunate, as owing to the general neglect of the laws of health the Maoris are specially liable to suffer from epideiMic3. An attempt is being made by the 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 licensa for a slaughterhouse without reference to the local body concerned there dce3 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 sold occasionally in the 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-pneumonia in such a way that it would bo impossible to tell whetber it was diseased. The City of Auckland went to great expense to build 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 batter 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 the improved times ia New Zealand. Some of them have succeeded in getting employment, but the balance will have to go to the gumfields, at least for the winter. The great number of the Australian "spielers" are now in Mount Eden gaol, or harried out of the town by the police. Two of them were sentenced at the late criminal sessions to long terms of imprisonment, one of whom, on a stolen railway pass, was figuring as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

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