AUCKLAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 45, 13 August 1872, Page 2

AUCKLAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

August 10. t As if to confirm the old ml ago " tli.it there's ! many iv slip between the cup and the lip," it . is now rumoured that the commencement of; the Waikato railway is likely to be still | further delayed on the ground of the uusuit- ! ableness of a portion of the x\>ute surveyed ; | notwithstanding the freq.ient telegraphic items , emanating , from Wellington to iho effect that ! " operations are to be commenced at once," i ami " that the work is to be completed in : three month?," backed up in the " Star" of; Saturday, with the news that Mr, Henderson lm.l left" Wellington by the Phce ; .)e, to commeiue the Auckland an I Mercer railway. It is pretty certain that a re-survey was made last week by one of Brog-den's surveyors, accompanied by one of our local contractors, and that his report was not of the most favorable character. Be that as it may no further delay should be allowed to take place on mere technical difficulties having , their existence only in difference of professional judgment. Deaths in the bush are of very frequent occurrence. Information has lately been received at the Thames of the finding , of the body of a man named 'Thomas Bruce, about twelve miles from Whaiigamate. The deceased had been gum-digging, and had left his mate to procure stores. Not returning next day a search was made, and the body was discovered about a hundred yards from I the track: It is supposed that he died from i exhaustion, as he had been suffering from j fever and ague. I The City of Auckland sailed from London on the 30th May. She has a goodly number of immigrants for Auckland, a list of which j appears in the " Cross" of Saturday, The I selection appears a desirable one, consisting of families. I should inisgiue the Waikato district is likely to benefit very materially I from the stream of iminigran s which is now j setting in, and I know of no district which j offers superior advantages. One thing only is needed —railway communication. ■ Late advices from Sydney stated the Hero to be still in quarantine. Advantage seems to have been taken of tb.6 fact by a rival company to spread the report that the steamer was generally in a filthy condition, which has met with a prompt and emphatic

denial from the whole of the passengers on bourJ, many of whom are esteemed Auckland residents. The Government, too, is charged with gross favoritism, and with some truth. Afc any rate their system of quarantine is inconsistent. It appears that the Alexandra ; was allowed to proceed to Sydnay, although in addition to having the Nebraska's pas- ; Bengera on board, she had not been more tnaii seven days from a declared infected port, while a vessel from Sin Franciso, 51 days i out, and all on board healthy, was put in , quarantine. \ An interesting and instructive lecture was • delivered at the Mechanics' Institute last ! evening by Mr. Moss, formerly Treasurer of ; Otago, the subject of which was Provincialism J versus Centralism. The subject was well I handled from a Provincial point of view and ! displayed on the part of the lecturer, an intii mate acquaintance with the Constitution of ! New Zealand. j The proceedings instituted against the I Captain of the Nebraska for u breach ,of the i Harbour -Regulations have ended in smoke, I the Captain escaping on a rather lame plea ; that he did not know what flag to hoist, and I that the da ase on b >atd was not of an in. i fectious character. Tliis is rather good, and I anything but a flattering commentary on the J action taken by the Wellington authorities j with regard to the same vessel. I I mentioned in a previous letter that our i Resident Magistrate was at issue with one of the. fraternity of the B.ir, and that the aggiieved, Mr. J. B. Russel 1 , had forwarded a ' petition to the House, asking f>r an inquiry I into the conduct of Mr. Beckharn. This has i been granted, and an ex officer ol the Supreme i Court is to be appointed to conduct it. The i inquiry is likely to give rise to a good deal 1 of feeling on the part of respective partizanp. 'Already sidis are forming, Mr Brookfield, 1 Crown Prosecutor, having stated in Court ! that the Bur were prepared to give him their j support in the inquiry. This statement on ! the part of Mr Brooklield has drawn forth a I strong letter from Mr llees, in which he denounces the toadyism of Mr Brookfield, and questions the truth of ihe statement that any J me' ruber of the Bar so far forgot the dignity ■of the profession as to volunteer his support. I So the quarrel is likely to spread, and figuraI t'velv we shall have a Kilkenny cab strife. Acts of philautrophy in mining eirelea are of rare occurrence, especially when the donors i ate a class of men who ace usually not credited with a weakness that Way. For apparent generosity, however, the act ot the directors of the Shotover (Hunt's) deserves reording, by which they have given .the free use of the I claim and battery to the Kuranui Company j fot seven months. ' It is not of ton that one hears of the small sum of £15,000 worth of : property being handed over to an adjoining i company without some equivalent or the con- ! sent of the shareholders obuiiued, but such ! seems to have been the cast: in the present instance. No one for a moment supposes ! tint the directors of the Sliotover have any ! interest in the Kuranui, but that the gift has I been made purely in the interest of the share- ; holders of the Shotover, but yet it is felt by ! the latter that they have been treated cavaUierly by the custodians of their property insomuch as their consent to the gilt was never ; asked.