Original Correspondence.

Taranaki Herald, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 April 1853, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

TO THH EDITOR OF THE " TARANAKI HERALD."

Wbanganni, March 26, 1852.

Sin— Some unprincipled writer under the assumed name of "Colon" bas taken advantage of my absence from New Plymouth to publish statements in a letter in the Herald of the 9th ult, totally at variance with truth, and were ir<o sujTcr bis charges to go unanswered, my silence might possibly be construed into an acknowledgement of their accuracy. I therefore claim as a matter of justice your insertion of this letter.

First«-This writer regrets that I should have affixed my signature to the production of another person, I deny bis assertion, and inform him that I have both the power and inclination to express those political opinions which he in common with the other Soluus representing the wealth and inlcl" Icot (as they say) of thU settlement stand so much in dretd of.

2ndly— lf expressing in plain language my opinion of the higher authorities bo " bullying and im suiting" I stand convicted and glory in tho enormity ; and intend resolutely to persist in showing up the illibcrality/of the present government towards the people of this settlement on every fitting occasion .

3rdly— l admit giving a pledge that 1 would not introduce politics, and I challenge any one to prove th.it I violated that pledge, or, that I w.is called to order, as the writer of the letter I am observing upon has stated, for any language referring to CapT' Fitzroy or Sir George Grey. I

•4thly — With regard to any accusations I may have made against that model Governor Sir George Gny, I am prepnnd to prove the same by docu ments in my posses lon.

Bthly "—l again aisert, and It it notoriously true, that a large portion Of the property now owned by Moj'ir Lloyd, was set apart by F D Bell, E'q, an a public cattle run, tind that old settlers who after wailing 12 jears are still without their land were excluded, and that new comers were allowed the privilege of choice.

In conc'.uslon, I would infoim Colon tint if he or others think to write mo down, or prevent me exprsssing mj opinions of the unjust oi d eppres. sive conduct of Sir George Grey to this settlement they deceive themielvei, and may test assured that so long as I remain a Taranski settler so long will I make my voice beard fearlessly against his despo. tio acts.

Your», &O. , Vi. K. Holke.

P. S,— Since writing the above I obierve in the Herald of the 16th ultimo, a letter to Mr Game ligned Charles Clare which fully bears out mjj' past and present observations on the mi(.apnrb4 prlatlon of the Omata cattle run. I

AUCKLAND.

Our contemporary, the ' New Zen Under,' observing on tbe prices at which tho Commissariat contracts have bcciytal en, has some very judicious remarks on tbe present high prices of the necea« sarles of life, which we copy. They art as follows :— I

" In the two most important articles of consumption, the prices of which must, though not formally, yet in effect bo to a great extent regulated by the contract prices, we may onngratulutc our local readers on tbe prospect of a diminution in the prices they have (or come time been paying. It of course would bo most unreasonable to expect that butchers and bakers will ic'll by retail, wait on families, and, in most instances, give longer or shorter credit, at the same figures at which tbe contract supplies are charged. But on tho other hand it is not to be expected that families will be willing to pay GJ or 7d per Ib. foi beef and mutton, when it is ascertained that it can bo supplied for less than 4d t nor is it at all to be expected that they will be willing to continue paying 6d for 21bi. of bread, with the fact palpably before them that Iho Commiiiarlat Department can procure tho loaf for less than 4d. Indeed wo have heard repeated complaints lately of the price of bread as out of-proporlion to the greatly lowered prico of flonr. Now we may. hope that, with this additional light before our worthy purveyors, tho bakers, •bey will themselves see that the time has arrived for/such a reduction as— without depriving them of 'a fair profit, which we should be the last to advocate or wish for— wilt yet bring; the charge to their customers into fuller accordance with the coit at which good bread can bo actually produced."

Th* Chuiitoh Testimonial.— Wo are grati-fled-to learn that tbe number of subscribers is so lirgats that, notwithstanding tbe limitation of

the amount of any single contribution to si, a aum ii likely to be realised sufficient for the erection of a Testimonial in tome degrse adequate to express the general estimation in which Mr. Cburton was held by all clssses of the community. A very pleating feature in the movement li that the soldiers of the 58th Regiment have subscribed to freely end generally that about £2h has been raited by their contributions here, without calculating on any addition that may be expected from the portion of the Regiment stationed at th« Bay of Islands. This is honourable, not only to tho memory of the deceased chaplain, but to the military themselves, as inJioatlng their juat appreciation of hi" faithful exertions for tbeir benefit.

The Gold Field.— The ' Now Zealander' of the I2th ult. has tbe following on the above subjeot « All we can gather of the state and prospects of the auriferous district does not materially add to or modify the information which had already from time to time reached us. We have still accumulating evidence that gold is to be found in silrll quantities through a wide range of country where* evor the prospectors are at liberty to pursue their researches. The character of the country also has been found to interpoio considerable obstacles, particularly the dense bush with whioh much of it is covered, and tvhioh would require for its removal over any large spaco a greater number of labourers than have hitherto been engaged in tbe work. In addition to other hindrances, the wet weather, | which has prevalcd this summer in a decree to which the memory of the oldest residents of the colony does not furniili a precedent, has ncccssarily interfered with the efforts of the diggers. We would not, however, be understood as intimating that the Auckland Gold Field has proved a failure. Far from it. Mr. Cadman assure: us that throughout bis prospecting (and ho has been one of the earliest and niojt constant in the field) ho scarcely in n single instance dug a hole without finding rnoro or less gold. But we have still to fall back upon our repeatedly made statement— that tho field hitherto has nol been tested lufliciently to warrant tVen a conjectural estimate of thy value which a wida md p*r*cvcring exploration by an adequate number of practical diggers might developc.