Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 219, 5 July 1848, Page 2

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Neio Zealander. Sir,— ln the article on the subject of the destruction of the Government House, in the ''Anglo-Maori Warder" of yeiterday's date, the Editor has thought fit to convey a gratuitous iusult to a number of professional men in various parti of New Zealand, whom I trust that you will, with myself, deem undeserving of the application of the terms which he makes use of. The portion of the article which I allude to is that where it is recommended that " Plans for the New Government House should be sent for to England," and where the Editor favors us with the conclusion to which he ban arrived after bis lengthy residence in the settlements. That " Good sense and ability may be plenty in the Colonies, but gool taste in the fine arts, or keen perception ot the beautiful, is only too seldom to be met with." Now, Sir, I do believe, that whenever Designs may be required for the new building, it will be found that even in oro <r poor colony of New Zealand, there exists sufficient professional ability for the work, should it be open for public competition, as is now the mode generally pursued with reference to the erection of public biildn^s in England. It is not concluded, Sir, that from the circumstance of the last Government House having been built byManning, in London, and having been, as described, a "mere shell" — inconvenient and destitue of architectural beauty — that there nra not men in New Zealand possessed of a sufficient taste in architectural de^iga to plan a suitable building to succeed it— or, that in consequence of the bricks decaying in a Church, or the mortar being inBU<ficient in a Chapel, there are no practical men 10 be found here who could supervise the erection of a building that might cost £20, o £25.000. To n»y knowledge, Sir, thfre are men, in the colony who, were educated in, the Architectural achooli of the

Rovhl Academy in London, and who have studied at its "branch-school in Rome, and who, whether they possess the " keen tatte for the beautiful," which the Editor alludes to, or otherwise, have certainly taken every meant to acquire knowledge of the art. There are also, Sir, men in the settlements, who have superintended the erection of buildings at Home, costing as mmh, and of equal importance to the pioposed " Vice-Regal Hall," of the imagination of the Editor of the "Warder." In New Zealand there have been as yet but few opportunities for the display of architectural skill, The original design has frequently to be altered on account of insufficiency of funds, and occasionally, the proportions to be altered after the commencement of the building, on account of the unforeseen want of money, and for this the architect is blamed : and in some instances, in order to effect a saving, a mere builder is applied to, and then it is discovered that there has been a want of " taste" evinced in the design. But even in New Zealand there have been erected buildings well adapted to the object for which they were required and of suitable design tor the material at hand. I might refer to the Chapel at St. John's College, and to several of the Settlers' houses in the Cook's Straits' settle, ments as evidence of what I assert. How, Sir, can an architect in England be aware of the materials which are mo-t readily obtainable in this colony — what docs he know of the want of limestone— and how can ho be conversant with scoria ? The beau - tiful hard. woods of the country, which ought to embellish the interior of such a building are not known by him, and his design mipht be of such a character as to preclude the use of them. With the natu-e of the ; locality he could not be acquainted, nor could he judge rightly of the proper adaptation of the building to the climate. I do not imagine, Sir, that the building is to be forthwith commenced— such an event i« extremely improbable, but whenever it may be determined upon to proceed with it, I believe there will not be found wanting Designs displaying both architectural tabte and abi'ity, if the proper publicity is given to the conapetitorship, and in default of such being the case, no one will readier acknowledge the necestity of sending for plans to England, than — Your obedient servant, Z. Auckland, June 25, 1848. [Wk entirely coincide wi'h our Corespondent "Z," that the erudite Editor of the "Anglo-Maori Warder" is completely out of his longitude in recommerding " Plans for a New Government House to be sent for to England." We profess to know nothing of the ability of the New Zealand School of Design, but looking at the Colouial Vice-Regal structures which, with an infinity of show, and at an immensity of cost, discrace, alike, Sydney and Adelaide, we should be inclined to opine that Artists might be found to surp iss b >ih the one and the other ;— founded, as we have been told the designs just mentioned were, upon purely English models. May we, in a semi-tropical clime be permitted to enquire whether the Persian or Arabian, would not prove more germane than the Elizabethan, or the modern Gothic style ot aichitecture?— h-D. N.Z]

To the Editor of the New Zealander. ' Sir — Recent dissertations respecting the advantages derivable, to Auckland and its out settlements, by establishment of fluvial communication, tlnough the agency of that modern leviathan, Sieam, suggest a rcconsulcraiion of moie antique and more terrestrial mediums — roads and bridges — those primitive channels, by which in all ages, and amongst all nations, intercoiuse between town and country has primarily obtained. In Colonial and other primeval lands such mediums are, perforce, ofmarvellously simple conformation — the bullock driver being their practical engineer, and the tracks of his dray their imperspicuous index. The highroad thus defined becomes the recognised and, perhaps, too frequently the authorized route— a route which, through years of weary misiule, maybj indebted to chance, or the floundcrings of desperation, for the mending of its ways. If the district through which such a route rmy chance to pass should piove valueless, with no niggard femes to narrow its much furrowed course, then tiuly the roadster may hug himself that he has been per initted reasonable space to avoid the Scylla of" a left handed rut, however imminent the peril of being engulphed in the Charybdis of a dexter abyss. It is, no doubt tiue, that in very eagerness to escape these lateral \cOntingencies, he may be stuck hard and fast on a mid-channel shoal. What then ? "Why, he must either make strenuous appeal to the generosity of Hercules, else, like a sensible fellow, unload his dray, and, if he can, impel his bestial and empty vehicle to the neatest solid footing. The reloading, in cold weather, especially if repeated thiee or four times per mile, will tend to circulate the blood, and in wet, should the fi eight be salt or sugar, tl'e load will lighten, and improve its condition. The operation may be tedious, as well as expensive. These, however, are trifles beneath viceregal notice. They are but passing inconvenierices to paltiy settleis and other low people compelled, at the peril of their lives, or spuned on by dread ol foreclosure of their mortgages, to trail their produce to a too often profitless market. Those in high places — they, clothed in purple and fine linen, and who fare sumptuously every daj — may caie not a maravedi for such matters. They may sip their claret and twaddle, perchance, of the paramount importance of facilitating communication ; or they may, possibly, lor their own selfish sakes, bewail the non-existence of picturesque rides and agreeable drives. Nay, they may, and in many instances they have, lavished the contents of the colonial purse in premature adornment of their several cities and towns ; but to the improvement of the highways and byeways of their far interiors, I can call to mind no ruler, save Macquarie, in New South Wales, who has hitherto directed that earnest attention to the subject which a measme of such vital importance to all colonial prosperity so imperatively demands. The impassable character of its roads has furnished a standing subject of grievance to universal Australia:—and prayers and protestations, mingled with hints and suggestions of amendments have, year by year, been thick as the leaves in Vallambrosa. I have journied, and at times I have been imbedded, in many of these colonial sloughs, but I must candidly confess that those of this, the metropolitan portion of Polynesia, whether dignified with the appellation of main or cross Toad, byeway or horetn, may bear honourable competition with the most atrocious denies of the most cxc • crable of the neighbour provinces. This, I opine, is far fiom what it ought to be, considering the means at the Governor's disposal, and considering, moreover, what has been achieved, in the way of roadmaking, at Wellington and its vicinity. There a fine road to Porirua and the country beyond, and another, a noble esplanade to Petoni— -a woik, according to the Neiu Zealand Spectator, " quite of a Cyclopian charactei"— have been fcimed, or are in progiess of formation, and others of an extensive nature piojected. Note how your Southern contempoiary chuckles— " From the nature of the conntry in this settlement, road making is one of the mo^t impoitant and bene.fi-

ciaPundei takings in which the Government can engage. Let any one compare the present amount of traffic on the Porirua and llutt roads with what it was two years since, let, him consider the impetus given to cultivation and improvement by these loads, and he will be fully sensible of this fact. And from this very circumstance we would plead for the further extension of load making, so as to place all the distiicts m the immediate neighbouihood of Wellington on the same footing." Would load making prove lesh beneficial here ? We may be told it is in piogiess, but I cannot detect that the work has been judiciously commenced. As examples—Look at the state of either quagmire to Epsom ; contemplate the cmollesccnt passage through Mechanic's to Gcoige's Bay ; but beyond all, pause and do homage to that exquisite approach, the incomparable chaussee from Official Bay to Auckland's St. James's! At the present dale, fortunate is the wight who leaves but one shoe in the foolhardy attempt to crown its sludgy height, I know ot no colonial capital where the thoroughfares are so deplorably neglected as in Auckland. There is usually some degree of anxiety manifested to throw an air of decency aiound those seats of supreme authority — at all events in their most aristocratic streets. Here, however, all give evidence of the same callous impartiality of neglect. The main streets are main nuisances— the little attention bestowed upon their original constiuction, being now, appaiently, entirely withdiawn, whilst weather and wear and tear have been left to woik their unobstiucted mill. Shorthand Ciescent is pictmesquely, if not perilously, diversified with many a yawning gulph — Queen street is becoming a miniature bog of Allen; and even Punces stieet is straining hard in the race of premature decay. As for the others, they have ever been, and are long likely to continue but disgusting tracks of miry sludge. This is a terrible portraiture of the metropolis of New Zealand. Were matters irremediable I should not have pointed my goose quill ; but being susceptible, at all events of partial cure, I thought 1 might as well endeavour to enlist your sympathies in the cause of improvement. A few loads of metal would, for example, fill up the chasms in Shortland Crescent, and the distribution of the same material on the lower and business end of Queen street would, in my humble estimation, afford much more advantageous employment to the labourers, and confer much more solid benefit on the community, than the fritteiing away of time and treasure in upr earing that slough of despond at its upper and untravelled extreme — a work which, with great propiieiy, might be deferred sine die. To touch upon the dung heap dignified with the name of Fort street — to otter a woid upon the jettyless, wharveless, waterless harbour— or to make even passing allusion to that prodigious illustration of engineering skill which seeks to plant Commercial Bay with puddly streets, instead of aggrandizing it by formation of nature designed wet docks— were, at the close of this my first and heavy stage, ent rely out of placeHowever, D. V.. and wind and weather permitting, I may hereafter be tempted to take a drive round the port, if only to show how greatly nature has contributed to, and how grievously art has neglected this splendid estuary. Mean -while, permit me to subscribe myself, Sir, Disconsolately yours, Jekrmiah Stuck i'-tiie-Mud. Bog Hall, 15th June, ISIS. [Our correspondent's letter has been sometime in hand ; but he will, we imagine, be equally as gratified as we to perceive, since the date of its receipt, the " Shortland Crescent chasms" in'process of filling up. Queen and Princes street will also, we tiust, in due comse come in for their fail share oi consideration, as well as " the incomparable chaussee," so vividiy described. We have heard that a considerable sum has been set apart for sueet rep<ms— -certainly, as our fiicnd Jeremiah avers, not before they had become nearly impracticable. We hope to seethe attention of the Government especially directed to matters of such momentous import to the public weal.— Ed.]