AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 157, 7 January 1854, Page 5

AUCKLAND.

[From our Auckland Correspondent, Dec. 3.] Tiiekk is little to inform you of, except that public business is at a stand still in the Auckland Province. Chancellor Bacon tells a story, how " Mr. Popliam, when he was Speaker, and the lower House had sat long, and done in effect nothing, coming- one day to Queen Elizabeth, she said to him,' Now, Mr. Speaker, *vhat has passed in the lower House ?' He answered, 'if it please your Majesty, seven weeks.'" Our Provincial Council has also sat for seven weeks, with an equally barren result. Nothing has been done as yet beyond the transaction of someroutine business, and the bringing in a few unimportant bills; nor is there any reasonable prospect of increased activity. The Constitution, framed as a skeleton in Englnnd,- to be clothed with integuments in New Zealand, seems likely to remain a skeleton still—dry bones and nothing else. For the Superintendent is resolute to do nothing that he can help. He has laid no constitutional bills whatever on the table: indeed if he were to die to-night, we should find I ourselves on the morrow without any provincial i Government whatever. He leaves all to the Council, in which the Government is not represented : so that the necessary hills for the " peace, order, and good government of the Province" are left to take their chance for in- ' troduction among individual members. What is every man's business, is no man's business ; and, as might have been expected, no such bills have been introduced at all. These at least, should not have been left to chance; it is possible indeed, that they may be unofficially brought forward, even yet; but what can be expected from such bap-hazard legislation as this. This obstinate inactivity almost amounts to a breach of trust. The cause assigned for it, by those who ought to know, is that he expects to be attacked, should he afford an opening, and therefore declines assuming any responsiblity that he can avoid. He need have been under no apprehension whatever of attack, for those who had opposed his election had openly signified the intention of affording him their support, if he would only exert himself to the best of his ability for the good of the Province ; but even had it been otherwise, I am unable to see the validity of the excuse. It appears to me)that a Superintendent's business is to do his duty ; not to consider whether or not he is to be hit at for so doing. " Fie, my lord ; a soldier and afeard!"—He can stand fire well enough ; like Corporal Nym, he " can wink, and hold out his toasting iron ;" but is altogether wanting in moral courage. So much for the "combination of qualifications," set forth in the famous requisition. The Council themselves have been workinghard : the special Committees are indefatigable. But they get absolutely no assistance. What they need is information, and access to 'public documents (I should rather have said what ought to he public) ; but far from this being volunteered by the General Government, the very returns which they apply for, are kept back, whenever any excuse for refusal can be made. Perhaps His Excellency approves of learning to swim without corks, and wishes the Provincial Councillors to acquire the virtue of self-reliance. But " while the grass grows,"— says Hamlet — the proverb is somewhat musty. It does appear, indeed, as if some of those in high places, by creating needless difficulties, were endeavouring to drive a certain amount of ex post diclo truth into Sir George Grey's declaration that the Northern settlers were not fit for self government. Conceive the laying of blank estimates on the table by the Superintendent, for the sake of avoiding responsibility! On this subject Ido not enlarge, as you will receive'the Southern Cross, in which the question is examined, along with my letter, by the Fantome's mail. Also conceive a project, which at one time was seriously mooted. That the Provincial Council should choose among themselves a sort of amateur Executive (not Provincial Officers, none of j&-hom will belong to the Council), to consult F with the Superintendent, and thereby to relieve him, in general estimation, from responsibility. Is not this placing the pyramid upon its^apex ? With regard to the meeting of the General Assembly, nothing has transpired ; but it is beginning to be wished for. On this subject, public opinion is undergoing a change. Tune has been, that the Assembly was a bugbear—a monster that was to swallow up local rights and privileges, to over-ride the Provincial Council,

like a night-mare, and by a majority of Southern members, to inflict all possible mischief upon the North. But we are at last beginning to perceive that Governor Grey began at the wrong end when he enforced the prior summoning of the Provincials, who are checked in their endeavours to advance the several Provinces, through want of those additional powers, which only the Assembly can. confer. An impression is likewise creeping in, that the Southern majority might possibly not be guided by regard for Southern interests alone, but by a spirit of fair-play to all alike, and by a desire to benefit the colony which they represent. But I regret being obliged to admit that a contrary impression, for reasons which you will easily appreciate, is being assiduously fostered by the partizans of Governor Grey. The Government Brig is still among the Islands, with the Governor and Bishop on board. She has been expected since Wednesday last. They return to England by the " Commodore," which is under engagement —so I am assured by the schipper—to sail not later than the 26th instant. NELSON. I provincial council, Dec. 9. The Empowering Bill, with the several amendments of his Honor the Superintendent, passed the Council this day. Upon the motion of Dr. Renwick, the salary of the Clerk to the Council was fixed, after some discussion, at £100 a year. Upon a message from his Honor being read, stating that the Governor had granted 414 acres of the Native Reserves in the Motueka, to found an Industrial School there for children, both European and Native, as well as the children of the Islands of the Pacific, the Bishop being the Trustee, Mr. Elliot moved the adoption of the following protests, which was seconded by Mr. Hough :— "1. That a grant of the Reserves set aside for the benefit of the Natives of New Zealand for purposes other than those contemplated by the Terms of Purchase of the Nelson Settlement, whereby the proceeds arising from the same are liable to be expended for the benefit of Europeans, and of natives throughout the Pacific Islands, is a violation of the contract in virtue of which the Settlement was founded. "2. That in endowing with public lands an institution for education and industrial training, the utmost care should be taken that public property js not made subservient to sectarian religious teaching, and a blow thereby given to religious equality, but that an institution so founded should be established on a basis which would admit the children of all sects and creeds to partake of its advantages; whereas .the grant given to the Bishop of New Zealand and bis successors of nearly 1,100 acres of the most valuable land in the district of Motueka, is made over without this necessary restriction to the head of a particular church, who may use it as an instrument of proseylitisin and religious aggrandisement. "'C3. That this Resolution do form the basis of a Memorial, to be prepared for transmission to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and to the General Assembly of New Zealand, praying that the necessary steps may be taken to set the above grant aside." Dr. Monro, in moving the previous question as an amendment, thought a great misconception existed as to that act of the Governor's. So far from being an act of spoliation, it was, in his opinion, an act. which deserved the stamp of approbation. This act of the Governor's was one of the many which he had done for the amelioration and improvement of the native race. With respect to the gross spoliation which had been mentioned, he would observe that the Natives had about twelve thousand acres of reserves in this Province, and the spoliation in question consisted of appropriating 414 acres of this land to the purposes of their education. Dr. Monro then referred to docu- " ments published in the Auckland Government Gazette, relative to the schools established in the North, from which it appeared that a grant of land had been made to the Roman Catholic school, and a grant had also been made to a Wesleyaii school. In fact, it appeared that the Governor hud been very liberal in bis grants of laud, and among others bestowed some endowments on the Trustees of the Trust Funds of the Nelson college. It might appear a little singular to some gentlemen that die Church of England should be singled out to receive the grant they were now discussing, but at Motueka i

a clergyman of that church had been kept for the last six years, and great and successful attempts had been made to ameliorate the native race there. He pledged himself that if any other religious body had made equal exertions, and were equally established, they would receive assistance from the Government. Mr. Sinclair could not but consider this last act of Sir G. Grey's one of gross spoliation. Afterwards Dr Monro remarked, "if the object of the Governor had been simply to create an endowment, he could as easily have assigned lands at Nelson as well as at Motueka for this purpose, but the object he was endeavouring to accomplish was the establishment of an industrial farm at Motueka. He imagined, in a country like this, there was little danger of one religious body acquiring a predominance over another, but he thought there was danger lest the jealousy of one sect with another might be carried so far as to interfere very materially with their respective usefulness." The Protests were adopted by a majority of 2. Tuesday, Dec. 13.—Mr. Adams brought in a bill to authorize the levying and collecting rates on land for the making and maintaining of highways, and other public works, in the province of Nelson." The principle features of this bill are:—That the Superintendent shall be able to introduce it into any districts in the Province he may appoint, excepting the towns of Nelson and Waitohi. A board of commissioners, elected for one year by the owners of land in the district, to have authority to carry its provisions into effect. Clauses 8 enacts, that the c: Board of Commissioners shall have power to make, scour, cleanse, and keep open \ all ditches, gutters, drains, and watercourses, and also to make and lay such trunks*, tunnels, or bridges,as they shall deem necessary in and through any lauds or grounds adjoining cr lying near to any highway, upon paying to the owner or occupier of such lands or grounds for the damages he shall sustain thereby ; and in case of disagreement as to the amount of such, damages, the same shall be determined by two arbitrators, one to be chosen by the said Commissioners, and the other by the owner or occupier of such lands as aforesaid, or by an umpire to be chosen by such two arbitrators. Clause 9 enacts that if any person interfere so as to obstruct the work of the Commissioners, they shall be liable to the expense of reinstating the same, and to a fine in addition. Clauses 10, 11. relate to the apportioning of the rate. "For the purpose of raising the means for carrying into effect all or any of the powers hereby given to ihe Board of Commissioners, and for defraying of all expenses incident thereto, the Board shall make and levy, in manner hereinafter provided, a rate for the year, Jat a certain uniform sura per acre, not being more than sixpence, nor less than twopence, upon all land within the district, except as hereinafter is excepted. Provided nevertheless, that upon any land which shall have been purchased from the New Zealand Company for a less sum than £l per acre, or from the Crown for a less sum than 10s. an acre, it shall be lawful for the Commissioners, if they shall think fit, to levy a separate rate, not being less than one penny per acre. The rate shall be paid by the occupier of such land, or in case there shall be no occupier, then by the owner thereof. Commissioners may seize upon and sell goods upon the land, or the land itself, for arrears of rates. Statements of arrears to be annually posted. Clause 17 gives to the Board power to " impose such dues as shall be reasonable upon all persons making use of any market-place, jetty, wharf, quay, landing-place, or other public work, established or maintained under the authority hereof, and in case of non-payment of such dues, forthwith to levy the same by distress and sale." Clause 21 imposes a fine of not less than forty shillings for damage done, or obstruction caused, to the said roads; for furious driving, or not keeping on the rigb.l side of the road, a penalty not exceeding Xo; and any injury done by cattle, the Commissioners may recover the amount from the owner, or impound the cattle, the same as when trespassing on enclosed ground- The remaining clauses refer mostly to the accounts.

The proposed estimated Expenditure of Provincial Revenue for the year, exclusive of Roads, &c, is 4305 S .*> For Roads, Surveys, &c., 6050 0 0 Toral £10355 &