PANMURE AND HOWICK ROAD.

New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 886, 11 October 1854, Page 3

PANMURE AND HOWICK ROAD.

To the Editor of the New Ziulandkr. Siu,—Will you kindly allow me, through the columns of your valuable journal, to oiler a few remarks on a letter which appeared in the New Zealandcr of the 27th, current from Mr. Atkins, a 'iamaki farmer, respecting the Tamaki, Howick, and Panmure roads. Whilsi Mr. Atkins advocated the necessity of making the Tamaki road, which leads to his estate, he was quite blameless; but when he takes it on himself to censure the Provincial Council for voting money for the road leading from Panmure to Auckland through the scoria, and to condemn the Provincial Engineer tor calling for tenders to carry out the same, 1 think, on reflection, he will admit that he is not entirely blameless, but rather has left himself open to be considered selfish. 1 only wish Mr. Atkins had to travel from Howick or Panmure, with a couple stone weights on his back, to and from Auckland, and on foot, and he would soon discover whether the scoria road or the Tamaki one is the shortest. I have travelled both'roads, sir, frequently, and I firmly believe that the road through the scoria from Panmure to Auckland is two and-a-half or three miles shorter than the Tamaki road. Will Mr" 5 Atkins assert, that the saving of live or six miles ' walking in a day's journey, is of as little benefit to the people of Howick or Panmure as the Thames Tunnell is to London. Put it appears that Mr. Atkins would reverse the deliberate decision of the Provincial Council, which was arrived at after a careful investigation of the subject by a select committee of that Council, so that he might have the money spent on the road nearest to his own property. What a pity that such disinterested people bad not the disposal of the road money, for, if so, us poor villagers of Howick and Panmure, and our heirs and successors, would be doomed to a perpetual succession of long marches to and from Auckland, round by the Tamaki road, and all to please Mr. Atkins and the few land owners in his neighbourhood. I hope, sir, that nothing will interfere with the decision of the Council to do an act of justice to those villagers who have been so long cut off by impassable roads from communication with the Auckland markets, and that the Engineer will not be deterred by any improper instructions fiom doing his duty in opening the road as sjoii as possible through the scoria as directed. I remain, Mr, Editor, Your very obedient servant, A Pakmuub Settler. To the Editor nf the New Zealaxder. Sin, —I almost fancied, from an article in the Southern Cross of this morning, that your contemporaries, Messrs. C. & 8., did truly believe that the hurry-skurry of the General Assembly had driven all recollection of their own particular electioneering proceedings out of the minds of the Auckland folk. Did Mr. Brown really think, when he permitted that article to pass into print, that it had beeu entirely forgotten how very Vims be was at < olunel Wynvai'd for declining to appear on the hustings on the memorable nomination day r to answer a long string of questions, and give certain pledges, which by Mr. Brown's desire were to be propounded to and exacted from the Colonel by "an hon. member for the lien and Chickens?" Or has it escaped his memory how be, on that occasion, with n great show of the magH-jnimous, stood forward "ready to answer any questions the gentlemen might put to him!" And how he submitted, on a former occasion, when his election was doubtful for the City, to answer questions and give pledges on the hustings—and so eager was he for the seat, that he pledged himself to Mr. Forsyth as having nothing to do witli the Editorship of the Southern Cross .' Well, Sir, let us put the most charitable construction wc can on these political vagaries of Mr. Brown, and give him credit for a treacherous memory. But, Sir, I do trust you will not allow the article I refer to, to go unnoticed.—lt contains the most dangerous docrine that could possibly be inculcated in a colony like ours, just entered on the enjoyment of free political privileges. Ido not believe there is a constituency in this Province which would seek to exact unreasonable pledges from any candidatehut they would be ill deserving of the privileges which they enjoy were they tamely to submit to a direct misrepresentation by their representatives of their own views on plain questions vitally affecting their own interests. Surely it is with a view to collect the opinions of the Colonists on public questions that the Representatives of the Colonists are called together. Judgment and discrimination must no doubt be exe'-cised on many points, but in the exercise a due regard ought to be paid by the Representative to the wishes of the people who sent him there. Now I expected that every man for whom I voted was as much interested as myself in procuring a just proportion of representation for this l'rovince in the Home of Representatives. My hon. representatives did not deceive me when they came to be tested on that vital poiot—but on.the other hand I know that many of my fellow electors have been grossly deceived on thin question alone not to mention others. Does anybody suppose, if our Province had been fairly represented iu the House, that even Mr. FitzGerald would have ventured a motion for n rem vul of the scat of Government. On that occasion tie re was but one member beyond the limits of our own Prov iuce to vote on our side—bad the Southerns been ns united tit that time as they were on their arrival bero, nothing could have prevented ihem from carrying that unjust proposition. It must stand over now for the next a ssion—but we sua 1 then bold no better positirm in the house to meet it than »e heid b foru. And this is ihe doing ol seven out of the twelve of our Auckland men who thought lit—despite the wishes of tin ir constituents —to withhold their support from a measure, which would have given us our due share of representation in the next session. Sir, Dure aro oilier subjects on which several representatives have failed to »x>rcss the opinions of the people—! mean by theii votes—without opening their mouths at all, lo condescend to give a reason for their conduct. It is a notorious fact, that one of the Members representing the important Southern Division, was never known to speak on any subject in the Hou-e, until the question of payment of Members came on, and then he, in a manner which lfcado every Auckland listener blush, argued with much energy, that the Auckland country Members were better entitled to twenty shillings a day than the Southerns—because the latter could hire cottages while the former were obliged to live in hotels ! For my own part I should gladly contribute a share of a twenty-shillings-a-day pension for that gentleman for life, rather than suffer the shame for another session, which I f. It every time I visited the house on beholding an important district of Auckland so unworthily represented. 1 trust the removal of such members, will not be "left dependent upon the conscience, the temper, the pliancy, or the interest" of themselves, but that the old English plan of demanding them to give up their seats will at oi CO be resorted to by the constituents. Tours, &c, AN Eifcto::.