WELLINGTON.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1591, 26 March 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[raOM OUB OWN CeBBEBPOITDENT.I March 22nd. After two or three weeks of intensely close, muggy, disagreeable weather, we have been been quite refreshed yesterday and today by a delightful cool breeze and blue sky, which has made most people feel quite well and hearty again. It is as much owing to the want of our much abused wind lately, as to bad water, that we are indebted for the great amount of sickness which has existed here. There have been two large failures this week—one that of Messrs Williams, Cameron and Co., saddlers, of Wellington and the Wairarapa. In this case, I fancy, there will be some good pickings for the gentlemen of the long robe. The firm's liabilities are roughly about £9OOO, of which about £7OOO is due to Messrs Jacob Joseph and Co. At the mo ting of creditors it transpired that a bill of sale, over all the stock and book debts was given to Messrs Joseph and Co., only as recently as about the 6th of this month, which was registered about the 14th. Mr Williams admitted that when given it was known that the firm was insolvent, but said they thought it only fair that Messrs Joseph should be secured, as they had long before been promised a bill of sale. Mr Joseph also admitted that Meisrs Williams and Co. had offered him a bill of Bale a good many months ago, but he then refused it, as he thought Messrs Williams and Co. were then some £2OOO to the good, and the giving a bill of sale would only injure their credit. A committee has been appointed by the creditors to investigate (lie ciroimfitancet attorning the bill of sale

Und the estate generally, and to report to an adjourned meeting of creditors. Unleßg Messrs Joseph and Co. choose to take up the estate and pay the other creditors, I think the validity of the bill of sale is sure to be contested. No doubt the legal defence of the bill of sale will be that it was given for a part consideration—viz., an advance of another £250 at the time of its execution. Whatever the result of this case, it furnishes another proof of the urgent necessity that exists for an amendment of the law relating to bills of sale. No bill of sale should operate to secure paßt advances or the payment of goods already delivered if bankruptcy ensues within six months, or even a year, after registration. Let it be good so far as relates to past advances, or for goods supplied after registration. There is much to be said also in favour of having bills of sale gazetted in the newspapers. "Of course all persons can see what securities are given by searching at the Supreme Court offices, or by taking in the trade gazette; but there are many people who can scarcely afford to do this. The other failure which has much surprised people has been that of Mr Wm. James, the large cabinetmaker on Lambton Quay, He represents his assets at from £20,000 to £30,000, and his liabilities at only about £6OOO. Bad aa things are his assets must be very large indeed. His premises on Lambton Quay, whioh are leasehold, having a good many years to run at a very small ground rent, bringing in a rental of £2OOO a year, conaist of his own and other shops, several houses, and an hotel, the upper floor of his shop being let to the Port Nicholson Club at along rent. It is understood that he filed owing to the bank having seized his stock under a judgment on a dishonored bill for £3OO odd, and in order to protect his other creditors. The first meeting takes phico next week, when it is to be hoped some arrangement will be come to by which he will he able to resume business. It is said that the above statement of liabilities does not include mortgages to the tune of £SOOO, but I do not know how far this is true. Anyhow, this failure has eaused a great feeling of uneasiness, aa it shows how, in times like these, a man with such large assets, in proportion to his liabilities, can come to grief for the want of a little ready cash. The treatment of Mr Jackson, the late Chief Surveyor of this provincial district, by the Government, or rather by the SurveyorGeneral has caused a good deal of indignation. The circumstances are shortly as follows: Mr Jackson's system of survey, in use in this province before Abolition and the appointment of the Surveyor-General, was an entirely different one from that which the Surveyor-General, Mr Thompson, supports. To explain the difference, concisely, it may be said that Mr Jackson's system though slower, and consequently more expensive, insured much greater accuracy, and was in fact a more scientific one. Mr Thompson's, on the other hand, enabled surveys to be completed much more rapidly, and consequently facilitated aettlement, while at the same time attaining a reasonable degree of accuracy. On Mr Thompson's taking office he, naturally enough, insisted on his system becoming general throughout the oolony. Mr Jackson, aa might be expected, did not like having to abandon his own system, and, ever since Mr Thompaon'a accession to office, there has been bad blood between these two officers. This culminated lately in the Surveyor-General preferring a aeries of distinct charges of insubordination against Mr Jackson. A commission was appointed to investigate these charges, and here it was that the first mistake was made. The commissioners were Messrs Fountain, Gray and Hamerton, holding respectively the offices of Under-Secretary for Justice, for the Post-office, and for Stamps. They are all of them, in every sense of the word, chief clerks, and utterly incompetent persons to conduct suoh an investigation, which, turning as it did so largely upon matters of scientific technicality, would have taxed the abilities of first-class men. It ended in their reporting the charges as in the main proved. Thereupon a most ungracious letter was written by the Surveyor-General, nominally by the direction of the Minister of Lands, calling upon Mr Jackson to resign, in whith case he would receive £6OO aa compensation, and stating that failing his accepting these terms, he would be dismissed. This insolent letter brought forth a very dignifiod rejoinder from Mr Jackson, by which he threw upon the Government the onus of dismissing him, as the offer had been made in auch an offensive manner. Of course the Surveyor-General eagerly seized the opportunity of the next issue of the " Gazette" to announce Mr Jackson's dismissal. I am quite prepared to believe that such was the ill-feeling between these two officers, that it may be for the good of the service that Mr Jackson should retire, as even if none of the charges could be actually proved, there can be little doubt that Mr Thompson's system could not be heartily worked by such an opponent of it as Mr Jackson. But nothing can excuse the manner of his dismissal, and also the selection of the tribunal by which he was tried, which ought to have been a much more intelligent and impartial one. No doubt, Mr Thompson and Mr J- ck aon are able men, but Mr Thompson ia one of those priggish, conceited Scotchmen who can make themselves intensely disagreeable to a gentleman like Mr Jackeon—a man of high attainments, and with all the polish of manner which a naval officer of so many years' standing ought to have. I daresay nothing in the whole proceedings so astonished Mr Thompson as that any man should under any circumstances refuse £6OO. However, there will, doubtless, be a good deal more heard about this next session, as Mr Jackuon has a great many influential friends, both in and out of the House. I am glad to say that there seems now to be every prospect of our having a Harbor Board. The Chamber of Commerce has been again moving in the matter, and a proposal from them to confer with the City Council on the subject was considered at the last meeting of the Council, and was very temperately discussed. Fortunately, it is well known now that the Government, and indeed the Legislature generally, are strongly opposed to the giving of harbor endowments or Harbor Board powers to Municipal Corporations, and it is the recognition of this fact which has made our Council willing to consider the matter now. lam very glad of this, for our Corporation are certainly not fit to have the control of our harbor. If we get a Harbor Board, we shall be able to secure the services of some of our best men on it, and, unless we get it, I fear we shall gradueilly lose all the advantages which the natural excellence of our harbor ought to confer upon us. The Council is not quite so bad aa yours, but very nearly so.