AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 680, 14 May 1859, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

m Br the last mail from the north We received if Amkland papers to the 26th ult.>. from which we Wfc extract a few paragraphs of general interest. m ' The . Waste Lands Act, 1858.—1n our issue: m of the 26th February last, we placed before our m. readers all the information that coild be obtained m respecting a matter of tlie highest importance to W, this province, the stability of bur existing land !§; regulations, some doubts of which were entertained 111 in consequence of a coniihuhicatibh ' from the Coir lonial office, addressed on the Bth December to m Messrs. .ltidgway and S>on^, agent for this Proviuce P in London. As we surmised, the Governor's desp patch transmitting the Waste" Lands Act of the b| General Assembly, which iAct was received for her |f Majesty's assent, reached the Colonial office about If the middle of December last. On the 22nd of X that month, a letter, of which the following is a I" copy, was addressed to Messrs. Ridgway, by Lord I Carnarvon: — . ■ .„■■-..■ i)owriing-street, 22nd Dec.;, 1858. ' Gentlemen,—l am directed by Secretary Sir E. B. Lyttbn, to acknowledge the receipt of your two -letters, dated the 10th and 21st instant. Since the date of your former letter, an Act recently passed by the General Legislature of New Zealand for the regulation of the Waste Lands of that colony (21 and 22 Viet., c. 72,) has been submitted to the Secretary of State for sanction. As it appears to affect the question raised in your letters, Sir E. B. Lytton will require a little further time for consideration. ! I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, I (Signed) Carnarvon. I Messrs. Eidgway & Sons. —Messrs. Ridgway, having, as vtd are informed.; continued to urge upon the authorities the rieces^ sity for speedy decision oh a question in which the interests of this province were so deeply concerned —interests which were suffering severely from the uncertainty and suspicion as to the validity of the land orders, which has been caused by the ill-timed and, as it appears, most impolitic action of the Colonial Minister, received on the sth January | the following letter:- — Downing-street, sth Jan., 1859. ; Gentlemen, —In answer to your letter of the 29th •ultimo, 1 am directed by Secretary Sir E. B. Lytton, . to inform you that the New Zealand, "Waste Land Act," now under the consideration of theGoyernment, is one of a very important and complicated | nature, incorporating the regulations not of Auckland only but of several other provinces ; that its provisions require great attention on account both of their general character and of their bearing on | the guarantee given in 1856 by Parliament to a loan contracted on behalf of New Zealand, which render 1 it necessary to test accurately both their legality I and their expediency. With every disposition^ I therefore, to assist gentlemen who have embarked I in Commercial undertakings on; the faith of the I Auckland Ordinance, Sir E. B. Lytton cannot in | justice to Imperial as well Colonial interests under- ' take to give an immediate decision. If therefore you issue the land orders in question, you will understand that you do so on your own responsibility as regards their ultimate legality. I ami Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Carnarvon. —The issuing of land orders, which had for a short period had been suspended, had been actively resumed, and two vessels, the Caduceus and the Traveller, were advertised to sail for Auckland with passengers about the end of January. The Auckland Regulations were attracting a; great amount of public attention in Great Britain, in France, in Germany, and in Canada; arid the Provincial Emigration Agents^ we believe; are unanimous in their assurances that should the Waste Lands Act receive her Majesty's assent, we shall have a large influx of most valuable immigrants within a very short period.—.ZVew Zealander, April 13. Feom the Islander, Prince Edward's. Island Journal of the 3rd December, we learn that the brig Prince Edward, Captain Nbwlan, sailed from Charlotte Town for Auckland on the Ist of that V month with a number of families, amounting to 87 ; souls. As she has now been 135 days at sea, we may look for her arrival at any moment, as wejlas of those of the Nova ScOtian immigrants from Halifax and Cape Breton.— lbid, April 16. Gas.—A Provincial Government Gazette was published last evenings containing'a proclamation summoning the Provincial Council to meet on Monday, the 2nd May prox. This, which may be called " an emergency meeting/ has been rendered . necessary in consequence of an application made for the purchase of a portion of the Harbour Endowment land as a site for the erection of Gas Works. An enterprising gentleman, who is practically acquainted with; the manufacture arid supply of gas, has, during his residence of a few months, discovered that gas is one amongst the many growing wants^ of Auckland; and has also, no doubt, satisfied himself that money may be profitably invested in such an enterprise. The power which the Superintendent possesses of dealing with land the property of the Harbour .Trust,-, is 1 limited to leasing or mortgaging .for a period of 21 years. It becomes, therefore, necessary to obtain an Act 6f the provincial Council authorising the'sale of the particular portion required. It is, we understand, with this sole object that the Council is summoned. A meeting of members was held yesterday by invitation of the Superintendent at the Council Chamber, when the present course was determined 6n as being the most prudential, at once for! the purpose of giving encouragement to the enterprise, and of securing immediate /possession of the land lo the projectors. We opine that there will be no differences of opinion as to the desirability of having the City of Auckland lighted with gas, as well as of securing the introduction and employment of capital in such works of public improvement. We learn that when the arrangements as to site and other patters are completed, a proposition will be made, in addition, to undertake the supplying of Auckland with water; the laying down of the gas and of the water-pipes may thus be accomplished, with great saving of expense, at one operation, and the necessity of having a separate staff of skilled artizans, such as fitters and pipe-layers, for the gas-works and for the water-works, will be avoided. We believe such operations as the supplying the inhabitants of any city with these great requisites are, in ordinary cases, better conducted by private individuals as a commercial speculation, tpan by any Government; and we shall rejoice to see the speedy accomplishment of two objects of such importance to the city as efficient gas-works and water supply.— lbid. . ; On the. same subject the ' Southern Cross' says: —We are told the Council is summoned for the sole object of obtaining an Act authorising the Superintendent to sell a portion of the Harbour Endowment land, which, without such Act, he has I only the power of leasing or mortgaging for a period of 21 years. The piece of land in question to be purchaseable by a gentleman who desires it as a site for the erection of gas works. For our own part, we look upon the present system of lighting ! towns by means of gas with some distrust. We eimply ask, how much longer is it likely to endure. And if superseded, what becomes of the capital sunk in the works, and in a complicated ramification of pipes whicli can be turned to no other conceivable account. As a speculation; it would be difficult to imagine anything much more' unsafe J thana Gas Company. Owing to'the rapid advance of scientific discovery, our present system of lighting may any day become virtually obsolete^ That

this argument does not apply to coal-gas lighting .alp'ne, must be admitted; and so far it is weakened. We merely indicate gas as being apparently in more immediate danger of becoming superseded than most of those other scientific inventions which are (in general use. Science is how advancing by such gigantic strides that the chances are in favour of accomplishing whatever is seriously attempted. Already has the attempt been made, as, for instance, by means of the Drummond light j and very nearly with Success. More Omens op Auckland " Going to the Bad."—We are glad to learn that there is every probability of an admirable site being soon granted by the General Government for the erection of a Music Hall commensurate with the growing importance and musical taste of the city of Auckland. The site, we believe, will be nearly opposite the Scotch Church, and if granted, will be so on the express conditions that the hall shall be erected at the expiration of two years from the date of the grant; and that its architecture shall be of such a character that the structure will be really an ornament to that quarter of the city. These conditions we have no doubt will be readily complied with by the music-loving people of Auckland, and they will meet with warm support from many who, though not musical themselves, are yet always ready to contribute to any object or movement having for its aim the elevation and refinement of the intellectual Pastes of the community. It is thought that the Jiall should be at least 120 long by 60 feet wide—with proportionate height, and with a coved ceiling constructed on the most approved acoustic principles. Though some sages have . discovered that. Auckland is "going to the. bad," it is pretty confidently anticipated, that the money for the erection of this long-desiderated building eati be procured without any very unusual amount of canvassing or pinching.—-Then there is a movement now again on foot for the erection of a Temperance Hall oh the site some time since granted for: that purpose, at the rear of the Mechanics^ Institute. Various untoward circumstances have hitherto/prevented the accomplishment of this object; but its promoters now appear to be more sanguine, and we have no .doubt but " Our Own Hall" will form one of the principal topics of discussion at the tea meeting announced for Easter Monday evening. Really, we AucMariders appear to be " very much down iti the doleful dumps."— -New-Zedlander, April 23, MisEEPEEsENTATioiT.-^ln the ' Otago Colonist' we find the following paragraph, from the pen of a Wellington correspondent :—-

Late letters from Auckland inform us, that Sir Charles Clifford's salary, as Speaker of the House of has been stopped by the Ministers ; probably out of spite arising from Sewell's expose. It is really pitiable to watch the petty meanness to which these men descend, in order to gratify their paltry spleen against all who oppose them. Of course Stafford's salary continues during his absence.

—What are the facts ? The Speaker, being absent in England, cannot sign the usual vouchers; nor can there be any-sufficient assurance at the Treasury, while he is at so great a distance, that he is alive on the date of the salary being drawn for him. We believe that as soon as a guarantee for the; return of the money, in the event (quod Dii avertant) of his belonging to the past, shall be given, no further difficulty will be experienced. We are ourselves aware that the point had been raised long before the the expose mentioned by our contemporary. Mr. Stafford does not draw evenhalf salary. He receives nothing at all during his absence.—Southern Gross, April 26.