AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, 26 August 1858, Page 4

AUCKLAND.

We extract the following intelligence from the Wellington and Ahuriri papers. The White Swan was being detained till the end of the Session, to re-convey the southern members to their homes—her owner to make one intermin trip to Kaipara. A Bill entitled the " New YProvirices Bill" : had been introduced, under which the Governor in Council is to have power to grant separation to any district having a population of one thousand, and having one million acres of territory, upon the requisition of three-fifths of the resi-. dent elector.. : Y ; A Bill'to- impose ari: export duty of 2s. 6d.; per oz. upon gold was also under consideration. Ministry do not intend to advise the Governor to depart from the intention to hold the next meeting of the General Assembly at Wellington We refer our readers to the motion made by Mr. Ward on this subject and published below. \ The New Tariff has been fixed, and will also be found at foot, but it is to be; sent home for approval beforecoming into operation. Y THE SEAT OF GOVEENMENT QUESTION. .. From the New Zealander, July, 31. In the House of Representatives on Tuesday . the ,27th July, Mr. Ward, in accordance; with notice, moved "That it is desirable that this House be informed of the intentions of the Go-; vernment with respect to the Seat of the General Government, and the place of Session of the General Assembly, for the future." . The hop.; member said he did -not desire now to raise! the question of where the Seat of Government should be placed, but simply asked that information as full as possible should be given on the views and intentions of the Government on the subject. The demand was put in the form of a; resolution, that hon. members might have an opportunity of speaking? to it if it was desirable but chiefly because a simple question generally failed to elicit.a full and satisfactory reply. ; It was generally understood that the next session of the Assembly was to. be held at Wellington, but so far as be (Mr. W.) knew, even so much information as that had not yet been rendered officially or, authoritively to the House. ) It was very important; that hon. members; should be distinctly assured of this intention, as well as any of others which might exist, but which had. not been privately circulated. It, was not only for the members, however, but also for that of the public that explicit information was required. There was nothing which offended, the people of a distant Province more than, the want of information, which it was supposedthose hearer to head quarters possessed. He (Mr. W.)could 7 find himself vividly recall the feelings of a resident in a distant Province, desiringinformaiion upon points of general policy,.and bis idisatis-; faction when mail after mail arrivedjwithbut aword of explanation which the public could get hold of. This feeling of iritation was the.same whether the more favoured Province werereally in possession of satisfactory information; for it was always supposed j ahd; in fact it was often the'case, that a question might be perfectly understood in all its bearings by thoseiiear head quarters, \vithout any authoritative statement having;gone abroard. This was pretty much the state of;things in the present case, and he would urge that the fullest explanation should be given, not only of what was intended, but of what was not intended, that the public might be relieved from apprehension on the I subject. Mr. Hall seconded the motion.

Mr. Stafi*obd btated in reply that, as to the first portion of the question-—the Seat of Government for the —the answer was simple, for Government had actually no inten-

, tion on the subject, j; As to the secondn^f 7^ the place of. next session.of the AsseiS"-" Excellency had entered into an undertake 7i! 3 the next session should be called at WpliS S, at and Ministers would not advise a d^*' from that intention. Further than that « Government had no intention on the sub? iMr. Waed said that the information rS; , was quite as extensive as ,he had exJ,*!. The motion, had answered all the purpose f which it was intended and he would fL _ r beg leave to withdraw it. , 7 eieibl* Motion accordingly, withdrawn. THE NEW TABI_*F. The following is the new Tariff for the Col of New Zealand, proposed by Ministers 2\ agreed to in committee of the whole HniL the 30feK ult, without .alteration:— ' e 011 7,'"" •';-Y'7Y:'.:7'; £8 , 1. Coffee, chicory, cbcos. and choelate ' • the 1b...:.......;;......;............., o o % 2. Cutlery, hardware, plated ware, hollowaire, ironmongery of all sorts, and candles and soap of all sorts, the cwt. ..Y........Y..Y... o. 3 a 3. Manufactures of silk, cotton, linen, and woollen, and all articles m anufactured therefrom drapery; haber. dashery,; hoisery, millinery, hats, boots, sboea, dried fruits (except nuts of all kinds), mustard, olive oil, salad oil, pickles, preserves, bottled fruits, sauces, and spices of all kinds (measuring outside the . packages), the cubit foot ......... 0 4 0 "4. Spirits and strong waters of every kind, sweetened or otherwise, of any strength not exceeding the strength of proof bySyke'sHydrometer, and so on in proportion for any greater strength than the strength of proof, the gallon 0 9 0 5. Sugar, raw and refined, of all kinds; ' and treacle, and molasses, the lb. 0 0 1 6. Tea, the lb. .........Y................ 0 0 4 7. Tobacco, the \h. ................;.... 0 1 6 All articles not enumerated will be_ duty free. The Act will have to be, sent home for the Queen'i. assent, before the new Tariff comes comes into force. ~ Waste Lands Bin.—A7 message was received from his Excellency, enclosing a draft of a Bill to regulate the disposal and administration of the waste lands in the Colony of New Zealand. On the motion of Mr. Stafford, the bill was read a first time, ordered to be printed, and to be read a second time on Friday, July 23. On this date.it passed its second reading, after considerable discussion, which, from 110 report appearing, we are unable to summarize. We understand that the .Governor delegates his authority over the disposal of the waste lands to the provinces, but we presume retains some powers of control. . The A"DCKLAND Fiee.—-The 'Register'of 26th July informs us that the'charge which has been preferred against Mrs. King and her son, Henry'J; King, on suspicion of having willfully bccasibriecL the late fire in High-street, still occupies Ythe attention of the Resident Magistrate. On Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, the Court was occupied for from three to 'four hours each day in .the examination of. the witnesses. Many of these gave their testimony before the Coroner, which, if more ample on this occasion, varied but slightly on the general tendency of their previous examinations. In substance it | was the same.1 There was, however, one gla- ; ring exception to this general rule, and that was in the' evidance dragged from the witness Edward Barnett, which was so diametrically opposite to, and so subversive of, that given before the Coroner, that Mr; Merriman was compelled to treat him as a hostile witness, and the Court to caution him, over and over again, as to the position in which he stood. On Friday there was another; Extraordinary witness produced, by-name John Hewse. This iudividual,. after stating in answer to Mr. Menriman that there was no furniture in the Osprey Inn during his ihbuth!s service there) except two or three chairs arid tables, furnished Mr. Brookfield, on crbss-examiriatiori,with a long list of articles in several rooms; But the climax of this man's effrontery was reserved till the moment of his exit from the witness box, when he muttered : something1 about seeing "^eij? o? for his* pay. y Hewse, hereupon' was recallea, buti after further consideration j he was distmssea without being questioned, the; court suggesting that the police should have an eye upoiv biroTbe case foi* the prosecution is as yetl unfinished; but Mr. Merriman, in asking wr a remand, stated that lie should be able to close if at an early hour this morning, till winch day, at ten o'clock, the proceedings were adjourned. —Mrs. King, and her son, H. Jas. King, who were remanded frorii Friday; the \ 23rd, we. lC < again-brought up before the Resident Magis* ; trate oh Monday the' 26th ult. • on which day Mr. Merriman closed the case for the Ps' ose!f" tion. Mr. Brookfield called no witnesses for tM defence. And after an adjournment of halt» hour for careful perusal of the testimony adduced, the Court considered it would be wanting in its duty alike to the public and the prisoners if it did not send the case before a higher tubunal. The prison ers. were accordingly committed to take their; trial for arson; at the September Criminal Sittings of the Supreme ComjA Public Holiday Had been appointed by-»» Excellency, arid1 was held on the 23rd ult., m celebration of the marriage of the, *""£]. Royal. It was understood that after the ciosu of "the session, the Superintendents would appoint an early day in their several provinces a like observance. .