The New=Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 627, 17 April 1852, Page 2

The New=Zealander.

Be just and fear not : Let nil the endi them anns't at, bo thy Country's, Th> God's, and Truth's.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1852.

Lieutenant- Governor Wynyard has arrived from his Tour of Military Inspection in New" Munstcr. His Excellency sailed from Wellington in the Government brig Victoria on the 4th instant, and landed at the new Pier in Official Bay about 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. He was received by a Guard of Honour of the 58th Regiment, under the command of Captain Parratt, and by the warm greetings of a large number of the inhabitants who with all cordiality welcomed his Excellency home.

As we briefly stated in our last, the Common Council did move on Saturday ; but it was a movement backwards, — retrograding not only from the steps taken previously by the " Committee of the whole Council on Public Works," but from one or two apparent advances made in the early part of that very sitting. After resolving upon £800 as the sum immediately necessary for the Onehunga Road, and entering upon a consideration of the requirements of the Great South JRoad, an amendment was adopted, superseding these conclusions, and deciding that application should be made to the Government for a round sum of £18,000, the appropriation of which to particular localities might subsequently be discussed. The terms of this amendment will be found in another column. There was much difference of opinion respecting the sum to be demanded. The Mayor's usual good sense revolted against the inconsistency of representing £18,000 as necessary, when there were grounds for believing that £12,000 would be sufficient. Worthy members had repeatedly and strongly censured the extravagance of the expenditure on roads, &c, as conducted by the Government ; — they had illustrated and enforced the censure by telling of attempts to make streams run up-hill, of labourers occupied, in wheeling their overseer along the roads in a barrow, and of various similar exploits performed at the public exj pense: — in and out of Council it had been i alleged that the work could be as well, if not better, done for two-thirds of the actual outlay. But then, the Sub-Committee had adopted this expenditure, said to be extravagant, as their guide in estimating the amounts which they reported as necessary ; — it was partly by doing so that they swelled up the responsibilities which the acceptance of the Charter would devolve upon the Corporation to the terrific total of which the Burgesses heard some time since. Quiet observers like ourselves, without any pretensions to extraordinary sagacity, could easily foresee that sooner or later a dilemma must be the inevitable result of all this. On the horns of the dilemma, the Councillors found themselves last Saturday. Were they now to unsay all that had been said about the squandering of public money in Government road-making, by representing nn equally large sum as requisite for similar works, to be performed under their own management ? Or were they to treat the Reports prepared by their Sub-Committees, and adopted in full Council, as inaccurate, exaggerated, and consequently valueless, if

not worse 1 So far as we could thread our way through the labyrinthine discussion on this difficulty, the conclusion seemed to bo that tho deputation should ask for the £18,000, but explain that, after all, £12,000 might be enough for the proposed objects. This, with other matters, was to be made more clear by the Sub-Committee to be charged with drawing up their brief for the Deputation to the Government. But it was a weary work to get this Snb-Com-mittee appointed. One gentleman would not serve upon it for any consideration ; he had reasons, of course, but, Falstaff'-like, if his reasons were as plentiful as blackberries he would not give one of them on the compulsion of his colleagues; he would only tell them to his constituents if they should demand them. A second would not serve because (a good and sufficient reason, we think) the amount to be asked was based upon figures, against the correctness of some of which lie had openly protested. A third stood upon offended dignity : "he had not been thought intelligent enough to be named at first, and he would not come in at the tail." A ballot was proposed, but it was obvious that there was no use in ballotting, when gentlemen were pre-de-termined that though the lot fell upon them they would not act. Then came an ominous silence, — so long that it seemed as if the corporate wheel had stood still, to revolve no more ever again. Ultimately, a Sub-Committee ivas appointed, reduced in number, however, to meet the circumstances. Now, while these and such like scenes are being enacted from week to week, the most necessary business for the performance of which these gentlemen were elected by their fellow Burgesses, remains entirely undone, and even unattempted. The large powers which the Charter confers upon them for the improvement and good government of the Borough have not been exercised in a solitary instance. No one nuisance has been abated ; no one sanitary measure has been initiated ; no one precaution against fire has been taken ; no one rut in the thoroughfares has been filled. It is this that has induced us — or rather constrains us from a, sense of public duty —to break the almost uninterrupted silence respecting their proceedings which we so long kept. We appreciated and felt for the difficulties of their novel position ; we admired the principle on which they set out of appointing Sub-Committees to collect information on the details of the affairs committed to their charge ; and although we certainly did think that simultaneously with the prosecution of these inquiries, there might and should have beeu some progress in such works as were so absolutely and obviously necessary that no facts which the Committees might accumulate could set their claims aside, wo yet were willing to wait patiently tor the efficient action which it was to be hoped would be taken so soon as the Reports were all completed. But now, when — although the Reports have been for some time finished and adopted, — we yet see no putting forth of really practical exertion, and when we see the SSaSGh in which alone some of the most indispensable works can be properly done, rapidly drawing to a close, it would be a dereliction of duty were we to remain apathetic on the subject. We especially refer to the condition in which our streets and roads are likely to be in a few months or weeks. When Alderman Dignan stated in Council that during the winter the state of some of the streets is such that numbers of children are unable to attend regularly ab school, and numbers of females are unable to get to their places of worship, he told a truth which many of us could attest from the experience of our own families. Similar statements might, wo are assured, be made respecting the Suburban and Rural Roads. If it be said that the blame of this is to be laid at the door of the Government, we unhesitatingly concur, to a great extent, in the statement. Considering the ! large sums paid by land-purchasers on the faith that their firms or allotments would be made at least accessible, it is impossible to exonerate the Local Government during a series of years from the charge of having culpably neglected to fulfil a cloarlv implied contract. But now, the responsibility has, in a considerable degree, been transferred from the Government to the Corporation. At all events, however the case may stand between the Common Council and the Government, it is primarily with the Common Council that the Burgesses have to do. Had the Common Council explicitly declared that it would do nothing, — we do not say that it would have taken a wise course, but, at all events, it would have thrown back upon the Government the particular responsibility to which we just now refer. It has not done this : the Government has left that work to the Council ; the Council has not performed it or any portion of it ; and between both the public are the sufferers. We shall probably be told that the Common Council had no funds for the purpose, and could only procure them by taxing; an already heavily taxed community. \Ve beg our readers to understand distinctly that in these remarks we contemplate no new taxation, — we only speak of what might have been effected without the imposition of one farthing of additional taxation in any shape. It is not truo that the Common Council had no funds at its disposal. .For five months past a sum amounting to £1,200 or £1,300 has been lying in the Treasury awaiting its acceptance. Undoubtedly this would have fallen short, far short, of the requirements of the Borough ; but it would have done something ; — under management so economical as we are sure that of the Common Council would have been, had it set itself in a business way to the undertaking, it would have done a good deal, and the Corporation would, we are convinced, have been in a better position to come to the government for further aid had it been judiciously employing the means already within its reach. What, we ask, can be the practical worth for present purposes of the discussions and projects now going forward ? Supposing that the Government were to come entirely and unreservedly into the views of the Council respecting this £18,000, 0r £12,000, or £6,000, or whatever the demand is to be, what could the Governor-in-Chief himself do but promise that he would place tho

sum on the Estimates to be laid before the next Legislative Council, that is, if he should remain in the colony until its meeting? At all events it would rest with that Council to determine whether or not the sum should be granted ; and it is at least a possible case that members from other parts of the Province would hesitate before they appropriated so large a portion of the General Revenue to the local objects of the Borough of Auckland. Cr again, admitting for the sake of argument, that Sir George Grey were to acquiesce in the suggested plan for reducing expenditure, by cutting down the official establishments, still this could not possibly be done during the year of official existence of the present Municipal Council. The plan of asking from His Excellency endowments of land which he could grant at onee — without leaving it open to the decision of his successor — seems to have engaged little attention. It has been spoken of in a passing manner, but the formal movements of the Common Council have been exclusively directed to applications for money, which, it is notorious, the Government has not to give them, and cannot get for them during the current year. Let us hope that this point will not always be treated with so much less attention than its great importance demands. Though late, it is not too late for the Municipal Council to do something for the repair of our streets and roads. This consideration mainly has led us to offer these observations, which are made in no faultfinding spirit ; for we can truly say that we are heartily disposed to support our Common Council to the utmost that a sense of the paramount claims of the public interest will permit. If any difficulties lay in the way from the absence of the head of the Provincial Government, they are now removed by the return of LieutenantGovernor Wynyard ; and in His Excellency's character and past conduct we have the amplest guarantee that any steps which the Common Council may resolve upon for the public benefit will have all the furtherance that it may be within the scope of his power and means to afford.

We have received by the Government Brig files of all the New Munster journals. The latest dales are, Wellington, April 3 ; Nelson, March 6 ; Otago, Febiuary 28 ; and Lyttdton, March 27. The most exciting topic at Wellington was still the state of augmented embarrassment into which the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants' affairs have been thrown by the illconsidered legislation of the last session of Parliament. The Memor al to Sir George Grey praying His Excellency to suspend the operation of the New Zealand Settlements Act, and to cause the arrangements under the Land Claimants' Ordinance to be immediately revived, had received seven hunched and seventy signatures, including those of sixteen Magistrates, several ministers of religion, and landowners, stockholders, and householders, in town and country, nearly all heads of families, and r- presenting (accoiding to the Spectator which publishes a full list of the names) " a population of three thousand persons, the great majority of them the oldest and most valuable colonists the settlement can boast of." In order that the Memorial might be forwarded by the Midlothian to the Home Government, it was deemed advisable to present it to His Excellency vihen it had received only five hundred signatures ; hut the names subsequently added were forwarded to the Colonial Secretary, His Excellency received the Memorial very favourably, and promised that he would shortly give an answer ; but he was desirous first to asceitain the feelings of the other settlements, and to receive the opinion of the Home Government on the Land Claimants Ch> dinance. Mr. Justice Stephen had arrived in Wellington, having been appointed to succeed Mr. Chapman as Judge in the Southern Province. We cannot find any further information iespecting the cases in which His Honor figured so discreditably before ihe Bench of Magistrates at Otago.... Mr. Chapman, with hi 3 family, had sailed for Hobart Town, to enter on his new career as Colonial Secretary of Van Die men's Land. Tlie members of the Wellington " Athenaeum arid Mechanics' Institute" had addressed him, gratefully acknowledging his efforts as President of the Institution, and as a frequent and instructive Lecturer in its Hall. Several local improvements were about to be made at Wellington. The erection of the new gaol was to b j immediately commenced by Mr. Wilson, the contractor; the Government having purchased two town acres ;it the end of Wellington Terrace* Te Aro, for its site. ....The Government had approved of Mr. Roberts's plan for reclaiming a considerable extent of land at Lambton Harbour, and contracts for the first portion of the work were called for. Large expectations of benefit from this undertaking were enteitained, . . Pencarrow Head had been decided on as the best site fora Light-house at the entrance of the Harbour. An Iron Light-house to be erected there is to be obtained from England with all expedition .... The Roman Catholics are building a Girls' School House near St. Mary's Church, which will contain one hundred and fifty scholars, and have an upper story capable of accommodating sixteen boarders ; — also a " Catholic Orphan Asylum," to which, however, the orphans of Protestant parents will be admitted* i The Independent states that Sir George Grey has contributed libeially from his private purse towards the building fund of this Institution, which is situated near the Bishop's house, Convent, &c. Tlie Independent has fished up, from some Parliamentary Papers lately received, evidence to show that Sir George Grey has received from the Parliamentary Grant about £1300 as indemnification for his peisonal losses by the burning of the Government House at Auckland in 1848. His Excellency, it would appear, estimated the cost of his property then destroyed at £2000, and Lord G;ey recommended that the whole of this amount should be placed upon the Estimates. The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury replied (under date December 13, 184S) that officers, though occupying official residences, should provide by insurance or otherwise against losses by the destruction of their properly by fire, and that they have no claim to indemnification from the public ; but that, considering this a peculiar case, their Lordships were willing " that the special indulgence which has in some other peculiar analogous instances been accorded, of

allowing indemnification to the amount of twothirds of the pecuniary value of the "property destroyed should be extended to Governor Grey.'' The moral of this tale, as pointed by the Independent, is, — "Here is a sum of some £1300 or £1400 abstracted from the Parliamentary Giant, and yet the Settlers know nothing about it. This affords an ample illustration of the manner in which the expenditure of the Parliamentary Grants has always been concealed from the Public " The cargo of the Midlothian was described as probably the most valuable that has left the Port of Wellington for England, its declared value at the Custom House being £21,290. The principal part consisted of wool, of which there were 1555 bales, weighing 41 9,7 16 lbs. The pi ice of Flour continued very high, — £40 per ton. Bread, 7d. the 2lbs. loaf. We observe that our contempoiary the Spectator has enlarged its sheet to double the former size, and now appeals in a handsome style of getting up.

The visit of the Governor in-Chief to Nelson was made, as the Examiner understood, to ascertain the sentiments of the Settlers on the Land and Pasturage Regulations. A Public Meeting was held on the Ist of March, ht which the following Resolutions were ado, ted :—: — •' That this meeting, without expressing any opinion as to the expediency or inexpediency of the Terms Cor the Sale of Land established by the Local Government upon the surrender of the New Zealand Company's Charter, is of opinion that the Terras of Purchase of Land is sued by the Company on the Ist August, 1849, aie utterly unsuited to the circumstances of the colony, and opposed to the wishes of the settlers of Nelson." Carried unanimously. " That this meeting is of opinion that the Rules nud Regulations for depasturing cattle outside hundreds on vrasta lands of the Crown, lately issued by the Gov-ernor-in-Chief, are not suited to the wants of the settlers within the settlement of Nehson, and that the Terms of Pasturage of Land, issued by the late New Zealand Company on the Ist of August, 18-19, offer a great boon to the owners and occupiers of land ; and this meeting, without pledging itself that those terms are not susceptible of improvement, is of opinion that they should be adopted by the settlers of Nelson." Carried by a very large majority. The Nelson Races took place on the 2nd and 3rd of March. S.r Geoige and Lady Grey, and Colonel Wynyard were present. The Examiner gives the following general Market Report : — MjtnxETS. — It is impossible at present to quote any price for wheat, as but few sales of the new crop have jet been affected. Perhaps 4s. 6d. to ss. may be considered to represent the value of good samples, until more is known of the crops in the neighbounng colonies and how far the Sydney maiket is likely to be affected by importations from South America. There will certainly be an increased demand in Australia this year for flour, and we are at present wholly ignorant of the probable supply. Barley is expected to range high with us this year ; the high price of wheat last winter induced a more general cultivation of that crop than ot barley, the quantity sown of which was very limited. We have heaid or ss. per bushel being oft'eied, but growers do # not seem disposed to covet sales. New oats are selling at 3s. 6d."per bushel. Flour may be quoted at from £14 to j£lo a ton, but tlria, like the price of wheat, may undergo a change on the first intelligence from Sydney. Other pi ices have been pretty stationary ; butter lOd. per lb. Sawn timber, according to quality* Bs. to 1 2s. per 100 feet. Beef is from od. to 7d, per lb., mutton 3d., pork 4d. to 6d. Fruit is now rerj plentiful j peaches Is, per doz., appleb 6d. per lb., retail.

There is scarcely any news fiom Otago. The Settlers Association theie, like their brethren ia Wellington, hold occasional meetings to p'<*y at the game of Constitutionmaking, and similar recieations. On the 15th of February a Public Meeting ca'led by these gentlemen sketched a plan the leading features of which were that there shall be " a residing Lord Lieutenant!'' of New Zealand, an elected Senate and House of Representatives, and Municipal Corporations with largely delegated powers for local purposes. The political charac'er of the Meeting may be judged of from the fact of its having nominated Mr. Fox as its representative in England. In the Dunedin Market, Flour was 20s. per 1 00 lbs. ; iiread, 9d the 4 lbs. loaf.

Lyttelton had also been favoured with a visit from the Governor -in- Chief, accompanied by Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard. The following from the Lytielton 'limes states the principal notabilia of the visit : — The Settlement has been greatJy enlivened dm ing the past week by the visit of bis Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, who anired in the Government Brig on Friday evening the 19ih instant, accompanied by Colonel Wynyard the Lieutenant Governor of New Ulstpr, Captain Murray, Mr. Bulkeley, of H. M. sixty-fifth regiment, Mr. Cooper His Excellency's private Secretary, and Mr. Ro y , an engineer in the employment of Government. The main object of the Governor's visit was to ascertain whether anything could he done to forward the opening of the road from Lytielton to the plains. With this view Mr. Roy has been incessantly employed in examining the line tor the purpose of reporting on the subject to his Excellency. On Saturday and Monday the Governor went to Christchurch. On Sunday the whole party from the Bria: attended Divine Service at the Temporary Church fit Lyitelton. On Tuesday His Excellency inspected the Gaol, and the Schools at Lyttelton ; the plans of the New Church vveie also submitted to him by Mr, Mountford, the architect. In the afternoon of Tuesday an assemblage of a considerable number of the natives of the district t >ok place on the raised ground opposite the Custom House, which his Excellency attended. Several of the Maories spoke at some length; the subject was a claim for some compensation for land purchased by Government to the northward of the Canteibury block, His Excellency received some of the natives on board the Government brig in the evening, and gave his answer, with which the natives were satisfied. On Wednesday morning, a mepting of the Magistrates of the district took place, by Sir G. Grey's desire, there being no time to procure a more general expression of opinion, to consider the best mode of using the surplus revenue ol the settlement, which his Excellency stated that he was prepared to expend for purposes of local improvement. He further stated that if the meeting determined upon continuing the road from Lyttelton to Christchurch, he would advance a further sum out of the Geneial Revenue, sufficient to make up £'5,000 in all. The meeting, however, declnred its opinion that, as £5,000 would not be nearly sufficient to finish the road, and as there was no prospect of getting additional funds from other sources, it would be more advantageous to spend the surplus revenue in improving the less expensive communications on the Plains. His Excellency accordingly promised to authorise a loan from the Piovincial Treasury to the Canterbury Association for the above purpose. We understand that Mr. Godley intends to apply it to opening the Lincoln and Ellesmere road as lar as the Heathcote, and metalling p<tit of the road from Cliristchurch to the Ferry. His Excellency stated that, at the same time, he would not lose sight of the greater work — the completion of the Sumner Road. It was currently reported that Mr. Fox was to be sent out as Agent of the Canterbury Association, via Mr. Godley, resigned. We earnestly trust such a calamity as Mr. Fox's appointment to the direction of their affairs not does await the settlers. The Lyitelton Times thus notices the report. Why haa Mr. Godley resigned ? As long as it was whimpered about that his resignation had Uken place, we forebore to notice theiumour. But recpnt private letters received from England, both here and at Wellington, announce, not only this fact, but that Mr. Fox, the late Agent of the New Zealand Company, is coming /put on the part of the Association, Much cuiiouj

speculation is excited by these facts ; — chiefly upon the question— why has Mr. Godley resigned ? Is it on a question of policy ? Jf so what is that policy of which Mr. Fox is to be the Agent, and which Mr, Godley will not cairy out? Can it be that the Association aie determined to carry out their recent Home management and non responsible policy to which we have been objecting in late article*? Is it possible that Mr. Fox can have consented to become their Agent for these purposes? At all events Mr. Fox's appointment is a most unfortunate one if intended to meet the opinions of the Settlers at Canterbury. It is no disrespect to that gentleman to say that he is not suited to be the organ of the Canterbury Association ; however well fitted he may be for the political Agent of the Wellington Settlers' at London. Mr. Cobden may be a excellent man and a useful politican, and yet no one would think of making him Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Upon these diitinctive points which affect the character of this Settlement, Mr. Fox's opinions ore known to be as widely different from those of the Canterbury Association, as Mr. Cobden's from the Piopng.ition Society; and either the Association h.ive renounced their piinciples, or Mr. Fox is not suited to represent them. Again we ask for some explanation of these events, — the colonists have a right to expect it. We hope that at the Meeting of Land purchasers on next Thuisday, Mr. Godley's friends will be authorised to make som c statement on the subject. A Chuich of England Meeting had been held with reference to the proposal to organize a Church Constitution for the colony; and a Committee was appointed to communicate with the Bishop on the subject. The following is the Market Note from the Times of March 27 : — Lyttkitov Markets, Retail, March '20lh. — First flour, 30s. to 355. per 100 lbs. ; Bread, per 2lb. loaf, ?d. ; Beef, 7d. to B£d. per lb. ; Mutton. 7d. to Bd. per lb. ; Poik, Bd. per lb. ;. Fowls, per pair, 7s. 6d. f Ducks, none ; Fresh butter, Is. lOd. ; Salt butter, Is. fid. per lb, ; New Potatoes, £4 per ton; Eggs, 2s. 6d. per doz.; Cheese, New Zealand, is. 3d. per lb. ; Maizp, 4s. Od. per bushel, Ale, 6s. Od. per two gallons; Ham and Dacon, 9d. to 10d.; Firewood, per cord, 225. to 305. ; Sawn Timber, lite, to 16s.

A Government Gazette was issued yesterday. Il contains calls for Tenders for several supplies ■which will be found in another part of this paper ; various official Returns the most inteiestmg of which we shall also transfer to our columns, on another day.

We publish below the Licensing Amendment Ordinance of last Session of the Legislative Council. LICENSING AMENDMENT ORDINANCE, No. 2, (Passed the second dciy of August, 1851.) Session XI, No. 16.

An ORDINANCE to amend "An Ordinance, Session 2, No. 12, for Regulating the Sale of Fermented and Spwituous Liquors" Whereas by an Ordinance enacted by the Governor of New Zealand, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, Session 2, No. 12, intituled " An Ordinance for Regulating the Sale of Fermented and Spiritous Liquors, provisions are made for the granting of certificates tor the issue of Licenses," and for the prevention of the Sale of Spirituous and Fermented Liquors by parsons not duly Licensed ; And whereas it is expedient to make further provisions in respect thereof : 1. Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief of the Islands of New Zealand, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, that whenever the Justices assembled at any " Annual Licensing Meeting" shall think it necessary to reduce in number the Licenses which shall have been granted in any district in the preceding year, that they shall effect such reduction by refusing to grant renewals of their Licenses to those persons who shall have conducted their houses and premises in the least orderly manner. 2. If any person not being duly Licensed, shall sell any quantity less than two gallons of any Spirituous Liquors, Wine, Ale or Beer, whether the said quantity of two gallons shall be composed of the same Liquor, or of a variety of Liquors : or shall permit the same to be sold by any other person in or \ipon his house or premises ; or shall permit to be removed from his premises for the purposes of sale, any quantity less than two gallons of one liquor at any one time, he shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of Fifty Pounds to be recovered in a summary way. 3. This Ordinance shall be taken as part of the Ordinance for regulating the Sale of Fermented and Spirituous Liquors, and shall come into operation from and after the Ist day of October 1851. G. GREY, Governor-in-Chief.