AUCKLAND SOLD.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1717, 23 August 1862, Page 9

AUCKLAND SOLD.

To the Editor of the New-Zealander. Slit,—A “Bell” tinkles in the Cross to-day, from Wellington, People of Auckland, look to yourselves! The seat of Government is bought and sold—look to it well! Permit me to draw your attention to the toll of this “ Bell” * * * * I cannot help, for my own part, and as an outsider, asking Auckland men to consider whether, in face of onr present emergency, they are not prepared to make a sacrifice on the seat of government question. To do so would be to secure the cordial help and sympathy of the southern people. They show abundant generosity, but they are getting very resolute in tone: and though 1, for one, think they make a mistake as to the importance of a central capital, and though I would rather have government house and the buildings of the assembly on the surface of the ground—than in the overgrown crater of a scarcely extinct volcano; yet the cry is thus far unanswerable that, if a central place for government has not much advantage, it has no disadvantage in reference to the colony at large: and the southern island has as fair a claim to have its weaknesses and prejudices considered as Auckland. It is only by compromise that the colony can be held together; and it is of vast importance to the finance of the north island, in its present difficulty, to be backed by the credit and contributions of the south. The question will not be pressed this session, I think; but cannot be held back over another.

But one feeble and inexperienced Auckland member in the ministry! The price is a million pounds, (to be borrowed and'to be repaid by this Province. They help to borrow £100,000., remember; the men who helped us into this war now mean to saddle us with the cost—tickle us with the farce of borrowing a million sterling—the price of the removal of the seat of Government. Look to it! Look at the gentlemen forming the present Government. Mr. Gillies, his mission is Otago, the leader of the removal of the scat of Government. Mr. Mantell looks upon it as settled, and bargains to administer his department out of Auckland. Mr. Domett, everybody knows who has paid the least attention to him, has his interests, influence, and tendencies all in the Middle Island, and that there was no stronger advocate for the removal of the scat of Government than that gentleman. Next comes Mr. Bell, and his bitterest opponents must admit the wonderful strength of vision he possesses in detecting how straws fly. I trow Auckland is not very safe in his hands. The seat of Government is gone! Look to it! J. C. August 21, 1862,

To the Editor of the New-Zealandeh. Sir, —The community of Auckland have to thank you for many a useful hint, and I feel assured that you will scarcely accuse me of presumption in soliciting a small space’in your valuable paper, to make known to the commercial men of Auckland the following facts. There is a very quiet and thriving body of people in the Wairoa district, who are much in want of a well conducted store. It will scarcely be credited that in such a flourishing district nothing of the sort has yet been attempted. We are only about 18 miles, in a direct line, from Auckland, with a navigable river up into the very heart of the settlement, to which spot goods can be conveyed cheaper than to Newmarket. As a slight proof that the settlers are not so very apathetic, I may mention that we can already boast of two places of worship, school, post office, Local Eoad Board, mutual improvement society, singing class, &c., and, moreover, we shall shortly have a flax dressing establishment,, as the machinery has already arrived, the building for which will soon be erected, and success seems at present certain to reward the

energy end enterprise of the spirited owners. Within about three miles of the landing place, I can reckon 47 families, who get their vanou* supplies from Auckland by water. When they arrive they must of course be landed, wet or dry, and also conveyed away or left at the landing place exposed to the tender mercies of the weather. Moreover we have to put up with anything that our correspondents in town think fit to send us, and I can assure you the complaints are more numerous than pleasant. We are, too, in rather an awkward predicament, for by the time we discover that we have been imposed upon, the boat is probably gone, and consequently we must pocket the affront. An honest and respectable store-keeper on the spot would soon remedy all this, and to his own advantage too. Ido not wish it to be imagined that we wjmt one of those unmanly scamps who keep a nominal store, but a real sly grog shop: no, no, the poisonous trash is already too near; neither do we want, nor will we encourage, one who thinks that any rubbish can be palmed off on the out-settlers; we have already had rather more than our share of that sort of fan; but we do want, and we will encourage any respectable and fair dealing man, who will give us a good article at a moderate price. I have no hesitation ia stating that any individual who will start with a determination to do the thing that is right and just, and adopt the plan of small profits and quick returns, will vciy soon find himself the purveyor for every homestead fbr many miles round, independent of a large number of natives from Taupo, and the various smaller settlements in the neighbourhood. At the very lowest calculation he may safely reckon on the average outlay of £SO a-year for each of the 47 families, and £IOOO a-year from the natives, which would give £3350, the profit on which, at fair and reasonable rates, would be something very comfortable; and by carrying on his business in such a manner as to defy competition, he would soon place himself in a position of tolerable independence, and be thankful that he had taken the hint of, Your obedient servant, A Waiboa Settles. Wairoa, 15th August, 1862.