AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 2, 5 August 1842, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

RAUPO HOUSE BILL. , (From the Auckland Standard of July lih.) Wc are.not sure whether we ought;,not to have made an exception in favor of the “feaupo Housfc.Bill,” when we deolattld, in.a recent number, that, .judged by its fitness and applicability to the'present state of the'Colony, the “ Police Magistrate’s Bill,” appeared to us to be the best which had been passed by the Legislative Council. During the early stages, in the course of its colonisation, there will be towns and villages in New Zealand, in almost every condition, from a collection of native-built or Raupo hovels, to a w-ell-laid-out. substantially e b,uilt town. Looking, on the one hand, to the danger which would arise to life and property, in a closely built town, from the existence of houses scattered here and there, built of Raupo, and other highly inflammable materials ; and, on the other hand, to the practical inconvenience in the early stages of thie formation of a hew settlement, from a total prohibition of the use of these.ready mateit would not be good policy in the Government, either to leave the public wholly unprotected, or absolutely, and in all cases, to prohibit the use of this dangerous material. In Auckland, in many places closely built, and consisting chiefly of valuable well-built wooden houses, the greatest danger would be constantly hanging over the town, If no measures were taken to discourqga*/ the building of Raupo houses. From-the-inliabitantsoP Auckland (there being very few Raupo houses), an .urgent call was made upon the government for protection ; arid f they probably would ■ have • supported a law for the ■ absolute and immediate removal of all buildings so constructed, and rendering, their future erection illegal. But it must be remembered tlrat Auckland is not New Zealand; if such a law had been enacted, what would become of settlers on their first landing in tlie country, as at Nelson and New Plymouth, 'and'-iri the first formation of all new .settlements. Even the town of: Wellington consists so generally of Raupo houses, that the Wellington Spectator declares that their removal would have the effect of unhousing V/i oimrads. . There are also two classes of .cases to be provided for —houses already built,, and their .prevention for the future; to declare Raupo houses illegal might be-unob-jectionable, as to all that shall be built after thq enactment : but as to those already in existence, it would be in some degree an ex post facto law. To meet the various conditions e£ numerous and rapidly increasing settlements, it is evident, that to avoid the necessity of a special Act for any individual case, an enactment was required, not absolute and unconditional, but. capable of adaptation to varying circumstances. And such .appears to us to be the Bill recently passed by the Legislative Council.

It is provided, that the provisions of the Bill shall come into operation in such towns and -at such times, as the Governor shall by Proclamation appoint. That all Raupo houses situated within the proclaimed locality, and built before the date of the proclamation, shall be liable to a tax of ,£2O. a year. That after that date, and within that locality, no house he built of Raupo, &c., under a penalty of £IOO. To prevent inconvenience to the present occupiers, it is provided that six months, at least, .shall elapse before the tax becomes payable.

Here, then, we have an enactment extremely simple, always in readiness, and capable of general application. The Governor, for the time being, can have xio other object in wielding the power confided to him, than the interests of the people themselves. In Auckland,, where the value of property endangered is great, and those who. are interested in the existence of Raupo house’s'fire, the. law could be brought into operation with the almost general concurrence of the people. In Port Nicholson, where, it would seem, so large a proportion of the houses are native built; the'law could scarcely be brought into operation., especially against the wishes of the inhabitants themselves. To Nelson, New Plymouth, and-to settlements in their infancy, no Governor would dream of extending if. Where it is brought into operation, it may be carried into effect with but little actual inconvenience. During the period which must elapse (six months at least), before the tax can become payable, the occupiers of native-built houses have ample time for providing themselves with other habitations. It might have been enacted, that at the end of the six months all .such buildings should he forcibly pulled down. But the.plan adopted, although almost as effective, is much less arbitrary. The Bill, too, is so framed, that its operation may, when desirable, be confined to certain parts only of a town. Looking, therefore, to its fitness and applicability, and the readiness with which it may be adapted to a variety of circumstances, the “ Raupo House Bill” is .we think, fairly entitled to the character of a good law.

“ We have been much pleased of late, and gratified beyond measure, to see the rapid improvements winch have been going on in making our roads passable, and doubt not should the same exemplary zeal and : activity , continue another week (more especially should a small modicum of rain fall) .to see, a,t all events, Sliortland Crescent so materially changed for the better, that it will he actually possible for,.an empty dray, with six ordinary bullocks, to as- . cend half way up the Crescent.. This desirable state of things has been brought about by the vigilance displayed by our Road Surveyor in; superintending the laving down a.,quantity.' of ■n;* stiff ••tenacious clay, (excavated from the fqundations of some new houses about to he erected on the proper level!) and distributing it with great care over that part of the Crescent which was lately being levelled, hut from which the recent rains had obliged the workmen to desist for a time. The reason for the Road' Surveyor countenancing’ these individuals throwing their rubbish in the middle of the streets, -is to afford the Corporation, immediately to be put in force, an opportunity of exercising their maiden powers, in re-levelling, the roads, and taxing the inhabitants —who, no doubt, after haying paid so reasonable a price for their allotments, will not grudge to spend a few pounds additional in making roads to them.”

We insert the following article from The Auckland Standard of July. 9, 1842, on . the subject of the census of Auckland, find its vi,ews as regards the future prosperity of that settlement. We’would draw the attention of the settlers of Port Nicholson to the principal heads of the

subjects, as being- equally applicable to themselves as to the inhabitants of Auckland. “We have been favoured with a sight of the results of the census of Auckland, which is now complete, arid we shall have the pleasure, in an early number, of laying before our readers its details in an entire form—in the mean time, we can gratify curiosity, by stating that the total amount of population consists of one thousand nine hundred and sixty-two souls, of whom nearly three-fourth are adults—-the total number of habitations, consisting almost entirely of wooden houses, is four hundred and thirty-five; if we make allowance for the military in the barracks, this returipyvill give an average of very little more than four persons in each dwelling, which is a very favourable indication of the comfort and respectability of our inhabitants, for, in so young a community, it might have been expected that the people would have been crowded into temporary habitations, instead of being settled each family apart under its own roof tree. “ This amount of population is really surprismg, considering that the earliest European dwelling here was net planted, two years ago. That the permanent character of Auckland, as the capital of tills British Colony, is only now for the first time ascertained, and that it lias had to contend against the riiost deteririined opposition ever since * Hobson’s choice ’ was made. Interested parties have scrupled at no invention by which a favourable opinion of this place, or rather a correct knowledge of its advantages, could be prevented. Among other monstrous falsehoods, it has been industriously reported in London, and elsewhere, that Auckland has no harbour —and yet, .perhaps, there is no seaport m the British dominions which has naturally so safe and commodious access, and which is, when entered, so securely land-locked; and there are few So abundantly capacious. It is, moreover, to bi borne in mind, that the direct stream of British emigration to our shores has not yet commenced to flow. The Tomatin, which may be considered the first consignment to our port, is still on the passage—-but we have the authority of his lordship the Bishop of New Zealand, for the assurance that we may expect an immediate and rapid accession of our fellow-countrymen, of a class and character such as only a thoroughly new and highly judicious system of emigration can afford. His lordship intends devoting his future life to the interests of New Zealand—he has studiously calculated her prospects —has been in constant and earnest communication with the heads of the Government, the Church, and that portion of the commercial community whose attention is directed towards us, and his lordship asfeures us that an interest is excited, and an expectation formed of this Colony, such as no oilier has previously called forth. “ It behoves the first inhabitants of Auckland now then to be up aiici doing, that we may justify and improve the importance of the position we occupy. The resources of the country must be explored, and strenuous and combined efforts should be especially made to advance the progress of agricultural pursuits among us ; for this the climate and the fertility of our soil are especially adapted. We have hitherto been almost totally dependent upon our imports, and a disposition to concentrate , has been evinced, which is incompatible with the purposes of colo-nisation—-the early advance of the colony has been checked by the exhaustion of capital upon the speculative desire of possessing town allotments, which has led to an extravagant rivalry in price. The acquirement of a personal right in bits of land is a poor progress in the scheme of colonisation—our business is to disperse. The entrances and exits to “ Hobson’s choice’’ are not circumscribed—we have neither inaccessible mountains, nor impenetrable forests, to cage us within the confines of our capital; on the- contrary, the rich bosom of a luxuriant country courts our occupation—the liberal lap of nature requires but unfolding to render forth abundance and to spare —it will be time to purchase allotments by the foot, and to measure public avenues by the inch, when we have manufacturing towns-I—when 1 —when an exchange of commodities is effected in our sea ports—when our haihours are : frequented by customers, as well as ijy vessels laden with foreign supplies, in short, when the plough has given us an export. “We earnestly'hope that public attention will be seriously, and directly turned to these considerations ; that an association will be immediately founded, to encourage and direct the formation of farming and grazing establishments; it is essentially necessary that new comers, having ' such useful pursuits in contemplation, should be provided with information and assistance on arrival ; and that time and capital L should. not be unprofitably consumed in the |pk. worthless pastime of land-jobbing. “ The sacred cause of religion, and the scarcely [less holy duty of promoting education, is in good and earnest hands; it will be thq joint duty of the government and the people, to train the native population to a co-operation in the pursuits of husbandry , this is a task in which every one can take a share, and it will be a foul | blot upon our history, if we are not eminently I successful, for we have a more pliable and a I better material to work , upon in this respect, £ than has ever before fallen to the lot of any

society of British Colonists : a combined system should be formed, for the promotion of this grand object. Apart from higher considerations, it should be recollected that this will furnish the remedy for our present greatest difficulty—the scarcity and costly price of labour. . “ Altogether we congratulate our fellow citizens upon the favorable symptoms to be augured from the details of the census; looking at it as the first of our important: satistical documents, it is highly satisfactory, and we hope it will be followed up by a succession of equally gratifying returns. The Church of England numbers eleven hundred and thirty-seven members out of the above total. Among the immediately necessary institutions, wliich our social position demands, none is so obvious as a Savings’ Bank ; the present abundant employment, and high rate of wages, specially demand one as a check upon habits of extravagance and dissipation, which are far more easily acquired than got rid of. The public good demands this at the hands of the Government; and we shall: not fail to return to the subject till the necessity isi provided for.’’