ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Times, Volume 2, Issue 57, 13 February 1844, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

[translated,] To the Editor of the Auckland Times. Sir,— The remaik that you make in your journal of the 6th instant, viz., that what I have said upon Free Ports does not at all bear on tire subject of enquiry, which is, simply upon what articles it is least inconvenient to levy the taxes lie cessarv for the Colonial revenue makes me desirous, that 1 may settle the q uestion so far as 1 am concerned, by observing to you that it w ould he infinitely better to adopt a system of taxes (direct) convenient and easv to the payers, and advantageous to the Treasury, inasmuch as they could be imposed of a nature not subject to fluctuation, and impossible to he evader! ; such 1 mean as those mentioned hv His Excellency the Governor in his speech on the opening of the Conn oil, which would not be prejudicial to the public inleiest like the system of Customs’ duties which is suffered to exist, and which is very disadvantageous and bur densome to the Exchequer, by reason of its unfixed amount, and the difficulty,even with the utmost vigilance, of enforcing its payment. It is, besides, intro meddling and vexatious, and consequently injurious to commerce, and it is a direct obstacle to the prosperity which a Free Port promises; for, disguise the matter how you will, under the name of a duty on consumption, it will remain in reality nothing more nor less than a Customs’ duty, really imposed upon imported articles, which it will be necessary to bond, and the system will bring with it vexations and expence incompatible with the freedom of commerce. In reply to your singular assertion, that it is those who practice the contraband trade that raise the loudest voice against it while they practice it, as you pretend, relying upon the incapacity of the Customhouse to suppress it, and who demand Free Ports—l ask this simple question, Whether in order to desire a system, it is not necessary that one should have an interest in it—what possible motive could those who practice the fraud, have to wish for the abolition of the Customs ? Evidently none ; on the contrary, it would destroy the source of their illicit gain—it cannot be true, that those who smuggle desire and clamour for the abolition of the Customs. I am, Sir, Yours’s, &c., C. DE WITTE, Auckland, Feb. 12,1844.

P. S, I hope you will have the kindness, as before, to translate this for me, and insert it in your next; and though I regret that my name should figure in a public print, you may place it to this letter, since you did so to the former one. [ We have much pleasure, now as in giving expression to Mr De Witte’s opinions upon public matters, and shall always be happy to do so ; we should not have published Mr. De Witte's signature if he had desired us to withhold it : but his modesty need not take the alarm, for his opinions will always be acceptable to the public, and to ourselves also, even when, as in the present case, they do not exactly

coincide with our own. We did not say that it was to the interest, or that it was the desire, of the smuggler to do away the Customs’ duties but, that the exaggeration of the difficulty of a preventive service was a cry raised as a ruse de guerre , by the smugglers themselves. It is still onr opinion, that the duty upon spirits, wines, and tobacco, (being one levied npon consumption alone), does not at all affect our foreign commerce; and «ve are quite sure, that the revenue obtained by those taxis is levied with less fluctuation, with less public vexation, and with less cost in the collection, than would be,— such imposts as His Excellency alluded to, as appropriate replace them —viz., House, land, and cattle taxes. — Ed. Times.]

To the Editor of the Auckland Times. Sir, —In your paper of Tuesday last, you mention your having called on Mr. Meurant in order to be informed as to whether there had been any further communication between the Emigrants and the Natives; his answer was in the negative. Here there must be some misunderstanding, as the Emigrants held a Meeting, appointed a Committee, who drew up a statement of the manner in which they (the emigrants) would wish to agree with the Natives, which statement was for; warded to Mr. Meurant without d«4ayand, further, that a copy of the same has been sent off to some of the Native Chiefs.

We would not have troubled yon with these obsi rvations, had not your remaiks implied an idea that the Committee had neglected the duty imposed upon them by their fellow-emigrants. I am, Sir, Your’s, dec., (For the Committee), GEORGE MKINLAY, Chairman. Auckland, Feb. 9, 1844. [We freely insert this, lest our observations of last week should be injurious to any intention of the Committee. Mr. Men rant’s information to us led us to suppose that the negotiation had ceased, A'liich we were not sorry to hear, because we thought it. an indication of returning activity in ihe business of the town. En ]