Auckland, This Day.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 599, 14 January 1879, Page 2

Auckland, This Day.

Sir Richard Colson was arrested on Friday charged with maliciously breaking a pane of glasa m Lamb ton's shop, the tailor's, Shortland-street. The prisoner thrust his hand through the window while m a state of intoxicationColson is only recently out from goal on a similar charge. Arrived, James Wishart from London, 90 days out. The James Wishart made a passage of 85 days to the North Cape, but since then has been becalmed on the coast. Captain Burns reports a fearful gale m the English Channel. The decks were swept, and all the cargo carried overboard. The Seagull has sailed with timber for the South. All the grocers closed their premises on Saturday at two o'clock, being the commencement of the half-holiday movement. « Great sensation was created m Queenstreet on Saturday by the publication of a now weekly journal called the "Auckland Free Press." This journal was projected some time ago, but was deJayed pending arrangements. Meantime, Mr. Wickham, of the Thames, a sharebroker and agent, became acquainted with the intention, and anounced a paper under the name of the intended paper, which had leaked out m the circulars of the projector. The Auckland Free Press" took time by the forelook, and registered the name of the paper, defeating Wickham, who changed his advertisement, and announced the " Auckland Free Lance." Both papers came out on Saturday. The Auckland Free Press has four pages, and its size is double news. The other is mei-ely a demy folio. The former, m its leading article, says: — "While the Free Press is not issued m the interests of any political party, it cannot fail to discern the signs of the time. At the close of last session of Parliament, the New Zealand Government had but a bare majority m the House, and it was only the personal influence of the Hon. John Sheehan which preserved it from certain defeat on more than one Ministerial question. The speech recently delivered by the Premier at the Thames is practically an admission of the weakness of his position. It requires no gift of prophecy to predict that next cession the Government will rely upon an ultra-liberal policy and an appeal to the country, m the hope of being reinstated with a working majority. A great political struggle is impending. On the one hand there is a compact phalanx, well generailed, well organised, and with a common basis of action. On the other there are all the elements of a grand army split into independent divisions, with no strategical combination, no plan of action, and no agreement amongst its* leaders. Its motto is apathy and tolera- 1

tion — toleration to the extent of weakness and pusillanimity. Meantime its enemy — the enemy of enlightenment, liberty, vii.l progress — is vigilant and active, having ever before it the motto "Divide and conquer." The paper Counsels block voting at the next elections, remarking that if any Government shall sacrifice the dearest interests of the people through timidity or a selfish desire to secure political support, that Government must be driven from place and power by an irresistible strength of numbers at the ballot. The Free Press is understood to be published m the interests of the Protestant denominations. The Free Lance announces that it will be democratic to the hilt, and has the Royal arms, with a toppling crown, m the heading. This paper indulges m slang. It publishes an article from the Lyttelton times on Sir George Grey's speech. The Thames paper is mostly made up of sports and mining. Neither paper has very many advertisements, Public opinion is that both papers will be short lived.