New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 11, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 334, 11 October 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 11, 1848.

In this day's Spectator will be found the correspondence (which is published for the information of the subscribers) between the Local Government and the Committee for the repair of the road along Lambton-quay, on the subject of the application of the latter for further assistance. The letter of the Committee sufficiently explains their plans and their means of carrying them out to obviate the necessity of our entering into further detail. It appears that to make a good footpath and to put the roadway into substantial repair from the corner of Sydney Street to the new church in Willis Street, a distance of more than a mile in length, including the construction of several drains, the sum of seven hundred and sixty pounds is required ; of this amount about two hundred pounds is raised by subscription, to which the Government has promised to add an equivalent ; to carry out these plans the further sum of three hundred and sixty pounds is wanting. The Committee in applying to the Government for additional assistance, appear to have laboured under the erroneous impression that to effect so great an improvement at so small a cost this assistance would have readily been granted. While the usefulness and importance of the improvement is admitted, the Government does not feel authorized in the absence of any legislature —

oh most lame and impotent conclusion — " to appropriate so large an additional sum as appears requisite for completing the works in progress." The largeness of this sum, we suppose, must be estimated relatively, not so much with reference to the thousands spent on the road to Wairarapa, or along the coast, of which it would form but an inconsiderable per centage, as to the trifling outlay which has been made in Wellington for the convenience of its inhabitants. If we inquire what has been done by the Government in Wellington, we shall find it amount, with one exception, to a few wooden drains and bridges so utterly insufficient that they have hardly lasted a single season. The roadway formed by the breastwork in the narrowest part along Lambton Quay^ almost the only existing improvement in the 1 Town effected by the Government, with an illjudged parsimony which is the worst extravagance, has been made so narrow as not to allow of sufficient width for a footpath, and space for two carts to pass abreast. If this roadway had been made five feet wider in the first instance, it might have lasted for some years longer ; but the increasing traffic must necessitate its immediate alteration. The sum which has been thus wasted would have sufficed to complete the present improvement. The allusion to the absence of any legislature is unfortunate and ill timed. If the expenditure on the roads were referred to a legislative council of this province, the question would naturally arise, whether a greater amount might not be appropriated to improvements in the town than has yet been devoted by the government, and whether it would not be better, in making this repair, j that it should be so substantial as to obviate the necessity of any further outlay for some years, rather than for the want of sufficient funds to be obliged to patch the road up in an unsatisfactory manner. The proper reference to a legislature would be to suppose how they would entertain the question, and to feel authorised to deal with it in a similar spirit. The question, however, is now before the public, they have the opportunity of judging from what has already been done of the manner in which this improvement will be carried out if sufficient funds are placed at the disposal of the committee. If they feel desirous that the works shall be efficiently completed, they will by further subscriptions enable the committee to carry out their wishes.

The Committee for repairing the Beach Road beg to publish the following correspondence for the information of the Subscribers : Wellington, 24th July, 1 848. Sir, — I have the honour to inform you, on the part of the subscribers,-that a subscription in aid of repairing the road along Lambtonquay has recently beenentered into, and that subscriptions in money, and contributions in labour, have been entered into to the amount of £108 : 14. The subscribers confidently reckon on receiving from the Local Government assistance in money to an amount equal to the subscriptions and contributions already received ; and there can be little doubt, if this assistance be granted, that several additional subscriptions will be given, and former ones increased, so that a fund will be obtained which will allow this principal thoroughfare to be putinto a state- of substantial repairs I shall be greatly obliged if you will submit this application for assistance to his Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor, and hope it will receive his Excellency's favourable consideration. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Robert Stokes. The -Hon. Colonial Secretary.

_^ Colonial Secretary's Office, "*" Wellington, 27th July, 1848. Sir, — I have had the honour to receive and suhmit to the Lieutenant-Governor your letter of the 24th instant, reporting the amount of private subscriptions raised towards the repair of the beach road ; and soliciting on behalf of the subscribers, the aid of Government towards the work. In reply, his Excellency desires me to inform you that the subject having been brought under the notice of the Executive Council of the Province, they have advised that a sum equivalent to that already subscribed by the inhabitants in money oi in labour (to be actually expended to the value at which it is set

clown in the subscription list), should be advanced from the treasury towards defraying the expense of the object stated. I am also to remark that, in affording this assistance, the Government distinctly guards against pledging itself to make any further advances at a future period. When, however, the Committee have ascertained the amount of funds likely to be raised by them, in any given time, they can submit a statement of what is proposed to be done, both with regard to the footpaths and the cart roads along the beach, together with an estimate of the probable cost of carrying out such propositions, keeping the estimates for each distinct. His Excellency will then be happy to bring the question again under the notice of the Council, but can give no positive promise that the additional aid sought will be granted. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. Robert Stokes, Esq., and Subscribers to repair of Beach Road.

Extract from the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Executive Council of New Munster, 26th July, 1848. It was resolved — " That the Council recommend that a sura, equivalent to the amount already subscribed in money and labour by the inhabitants, be granted by Government ; and that, with a view to the determination of the extent of addit ; onal aid to be given, on similar principles, the Committee for repairing the beach road, be requested to furnish an estimate of the cost of the footpath proposed to be made from Sydney-street to the new church in Willis-street ; also an estimate for making a cirt road on those two portions of the beach from Sydney-street to Kumutoto-street, and thence to Willis-street." A true extract, for Clerk of Executive Council. (Signed) J. Ormond.

Wellington, Aug. 25th, 1848. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th July, (in answer- to my previous application) inclosing an Extract of the Minutes of the Executive Council, in which it is stated to be the intention of the Government to afford assistance in defraying the expense of the repairs of the beach road by advancing a sum equivalent to that already subscribed by the inhabitants in J money or labour ; and in which you request the Committee to " submit a statement of what is proposed to be done both with regard to the footpaths and the cart roads along the beach,, together with an estimate of the probable cost of carrying out such propositions," to enable his Excellency the Lieutenant-Gover-' nor to bring the question again under the notice of the Executive Council. I have to apologise for the interval which has elapsed since the receipt of your communication, but some time was necessary to enable the Committee to form an accurate estimate of the proposed works, and to ascertain the probable amount of subscriptions before they could be in a position to submit to his Excellency the required statement. In compliance, with your request I have now the honor to inform you that the Committee propose to form a footpath of the width of seven feet (but of the width of five feet in the narrowest part of the road) from the corner of Sydney and Mulgrave Streets to Willis Street, with a stone curb, and totara posts to be placed at the average distance of twenty feet apart. The Committee propose to continue the footpath along the east side of Willis Street (which is already in part formed) to the corner of Ghuzn.ee Street, or as far as the new church in Willis Street. The estimated cost of the works above described, according to 'be contracts already entered into is one hundred and fifty pounds. The Committee further" propose to build three diains across the roadway, one at the corner of Willis Street, another atKumutoto, and a third near Mr. Lloyd's the baker, for the purpose of more effectually carrying off the water at these points ; it will also be necessary to put iv smaller drains at intervening points in order to prevent the accumulation of water, which during the winter contributes more than any other cause to throw the road out of repair. The cost of these drains may be stated at forty pounds. The estimated cost of forming a road from Sydney Street to Willis Street, of the width of twenty feet with an average depth of nine inches of metal, according to tenders already received, may be stated at foar hundred pounds. To this must be added the expense of building a stone wall, and filling in and forming a portion of the roadway near Willis Street which it is estimated will cost the sum of twenty- five pounds. In making the roadway, two plans were open to the Committee, one in which the road would be formed with a convex surface with

drains on each side (the more perfect but more expensive plan) the other in which the road would receive a gradual inclination of its surface towards the sea. In adopting the latter plan the Committee have been actuated with a due regard to economy, and conceive they shall best discharge the trust imposed upon them, if they construct a road which, with trifling repairs, will be equal to the increasing traffic of the next few years, and in order to insure the efficient execution of the works they have availed themselves of the able prolessional assistance of Mr. Park, surveyor, under whose direction the works will be performed, their inspection and immediate superintendence being committed to Mr. Drake. The expense of continuing the road along Willis Street to the,corner of Ghuznee Street, and of replacing the present dilapidated drain with a brick drain similar to that proposed to be made at Kumutoto may be estimated at ■ one hundred and five pounds. To this amount must be added for contingencies and day work not included in the different contracts the sum of forty pounds. The following is a summary of the above —

Towards defraying the cost of these works, the Committee have received, in money and labour, subscriptions amounting to one hundred and seventy pounds (£170), the contributions of one hundred and forty individuals, and they hope, as the works advance, that this amount will be increased by further subscriptions to the sum of two hundred pounds (£200), but this sum, even with the assistance promised by the Government will be inadequate to defray the expense of their execution. The Committee would therefore respectfully but earnestly submit to the Government the propriety of advancing the remainder of the funds necessary for the completion of these works. In support of their recommendation they would advance the following reasons : the increasing traffic on this the principal thoroughfare of the Town, the result of the increasing trade and importance of the settlement, and the general desire entertained by the inhabitants that these works should be executed in anefficientmanner, as evidenced by the number of subscribers, and the amount of subscriptions, the largest, as the Committee believe, which has been raised in this settlement for the purpose of any public improvement of this nature. The Committee would also urge this appeal from motives of economy, as the additional assistance for which they now apply would allow these works to be executed in a substantial manner, while, without it, the funds they could devote to the roadway would be so inadequate as barely to suffice for its temporary repair. But the circumstance on which the Committee most confidently rely is the fact that, from causes to which it is not necessary in this place to advert, Municipal Institutions, so long promised by the Imperial Government to the the colonists of New Zealand, have not yet been conferred upon them. If these Institutions had been in active operation, they would have" furnished the colonists with sufficient power to cany out the contemplated improvements, and have obviated the necessity of this appeal to the Government for further assistance. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Robt. Stokes, Chairman of the Committae. The Hon. Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 4th October, 1848. Sir, — In acknowledging the receipt of your letters of the 25th August, and Ist ult., in which you solicit further assistance than that already promised, towards the repair of the beach road, &c. ; I am directed by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor to observe that, with every wish to assist the Committee in carrying out such really useful and important improvements ; yet, his Excellency does not feel authorised, in the absence of any legislature, to appropriate so large an additional sum as appears requisite for completing the works in progress. The LieutenantGovernor will, however, (provided it meets the approval of the Executive Council) sanction the advance to the committee of any sum or sums corresponding in amount to

such as may be raised by the colonists, to be applied to the repairs of the streets in Wellington. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. Robert Stokes, Esq., Chairman of Committee for repairing beach road, &c,

Estimate for forming footpath from the comer of Sydney-st. to Willis-st. with stone curb, and |to tar a posts, and thence to Ghuznee-st., . 0 0 . . of forming drains £40 0 0 „ of forming road from Syd-ney-st. to Willis-st., of the width of 20 feet, with an average depth of nine inches of metal 400 0 0 . . of stone wall and filling in roadway near Willis-5t., .... 25 0 0 465 0 0 . . of continuing road along Willis-st. to Ghuznee-st., and building drain, 105 0 0 Contingencies, 40 0 0 £760 0 0