SAVINGS BANKS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 381, 28 March 1849, Page 3

SAVINGS BANKS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Extract of a Despatch from Earl Grey to Governor Grey, dated July 28, 1848. I have received your despatch of the 29th of November last, submitting an ordinance which you had passed with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council of New Zealand on the 21st of September, 1847, intituled "An Ordinance to provide for the Management of Savings Banks in the Colony of New Zealand." Having laid that ordinance before the Queen, I have received her Majesty's commands to acquaint you that heF Majesty has been pleased to confirm and allow the same. You will com,municate her Majesty's 'decision to the inhabitants of the colony under your government by a proclamation to be published in the usual and most authentic manner. At the same time I have to call your attention to the suggestions contained in tire enclosed letter, addressed to the AssistantSecretary to the Board of Treasury by Mr. Tidd Pratt, the barrister, charged by her Majesty's Government with the' superintendence of Acts of Parliament connected, with Savings Banks. 'It will be desirable ' ttiat you should propose to the Legislative Council the amendment of the ordinance in,^question in the manner suggested by Mr. Tidd Pratt, should you find such amendments practicable without incurring more serious inconvenience than is likely to arise from the provisions of the ordinance in its present form.

(Enclosure in the above.) ' 5, Bolton-streel, Piccadilly, June-r6, 1848. Sir, — The Ordinance ' for the establishment of Savings Banks in New Zealand appears to me to be founded on the statutes provided in this country^respecting these institutions ; but at the same time there are some provisions which appear to be in some degree objectionable. With respect to the officers and their appointment, the Governor is the President arid has the nomination of the Trustees, who appoint the clerk and other officers, subject to the Governor's approval, so that, in fact, the depositors would have a right to consider the institution as a Government one, and in case of deficiency or embezzlement, would naturally look to have any such loss made good at the expense of the colony ; not so in this country. I think greater publicity should be given to the balance sheet than the mere publication in the Government Gazette. In England every depositor is entitled to a copy. It appears to me that there should be some limit to theinvestment by persons of the native race, for though the excess mentioned in sec. 19 does not bear interest, the withdrawal might cause embarrassment, particularly considering the mode of investment of deposits. A clause similar to sec. 26 was repealed by the English Savings Bank Acf, 9 Geo. IV., c. 92, being considered very objectionable,, as well as difficult in its operations to carry out", at the same time opening the door for disputes on the part of the depositors as to the amount of salaries, charges, &c. The Guarantee Loan Fund . oa the part of the Government is not to exceed £1.000 at a time, by sec. 27, and in ,my opinion the amount of money authorised to be leat on mortgage by sec. 35 should be limited to the same amount. The modes of investment provided , in- sec. 34 and 35 appear to me objectionable* Ido not know how the "one-third of the entire funds," mentioned in sec. 35» -is to.be ascertained. The security t* be givea.by *|jthp bank or banks-/* on deposits b> .Trustees is not mentioned- in sec. 36. - \s,.■ v_ With respect to deposits by infaats allowed by see. 28, it would, I think, be advisable to fix some age,, say 14, ai wbieh the receipt should be taken, which would prevent .the attempts continually made by a parent to inyest his own money in the names of bis children, to increase ih,e amount of bis owa investments. J - \n ' „ or 's - "I I . w (Signed) # EDWAB^Tii>p Pks@%T

The following extracts are from a recently published work on Italy by Mr. Whiteside, the counsel for Mr. Smith O'Brien on his late trial for treason :—: —

The Roman Courts op Law. — The courts of justice are on Monte Citorio, near the post-office, in a spacious palace. Ascending by a flight of steps, we reached a lofty hall, where shabby people walked to and fro. The judges had not yet sat. I saw some men in coarse gowns, who I supposed to'have been beadles. About eleven o'clock there was a rush towards the door ; our guide hastened forward, and we were soon in an oblong room ; opposite the entrauce sat five judges in arm chairs elevated on a raised floor ; the man in the centre I concluded was a priest, all resembled ecclesiastics in their dress ; a large crucifix stood on a table covered with green cloth. About a foot from ilie table was a ledge of wood running along the entire room ; behind this sat the advocates, whom I now saw were the men I had before mistaken for beadles. Their gowns are similar to those v/orn by our tipstaffs, the *dress and appearance of the owners were un-" prepossessing in the extreme ; at the upper end of the room lounged a crier, who called on each case. The pleadings were made up in little bundles of paper, which the advocates held ; and as his case was called, each counsel rose and spoke, and the cross chief justice pronounced the rule, seldom consulting his learned brethren. These causes were disposed of quickly enough, but the parties had their appeal. There was a total absence of dignity in the aspect of the court, judges, and practitioners ; the room and its arrangements were immeasurably inferior to a London police-office, yet this was a court of superior jurisdiction. Quitting the Supreme Court, we were conducted to the other civil tribunals. One of these resembled a noisy -court of conscience ; a single judge sat hce without dignity, and his judgments were received by a crowd of vulgar people who pressed round him without respect. The jurisdiction of this inferior court reached the amount of 200 scudi, (each scudi 4s. 6.d.,) a considerable sum in Rome. We then returned to the ball, the advocate explaining how his brethren generally were paid, by the job, when the cause was over, according' to the sum involved in the issue. We were conducted next to the offices, where the pleadings and depositions (for suits are decided on written depositions, not oral examinations) were filed ; these were clean and spacious. The advocate in Rome discharges many of the duties of attorney with us. We next requested our courteous guide to introduce us to the criminal court. He showed us a closed door leading to a chamber wherein a criminal cause was proceeding, but regretted he could not gratify our curiosity, inasmuch as he himself had no right of entrance. The judges, the prisoner, his advocate, the procuratore fiscale prosecuting, and the guard, were the only persons permitted to be present at the trial. No relative or friend of the accused dares to cross the threshold of the court ; no part of the evidence, trial, or sentence, can be published ; tKe criminal tribunals are wrapped in impenetrable mystery.

The Roman Advocates. — I had au opportunity, on .the evening of the day of this visit to the civil tribunals, of learning the exact position in society of the Roman advocate. The profession of the law is considered by the higher classes to be a base pursuit; no man of family would degrade himself by engaging in it, A. younger son of the poorest noble would famish rather than earn his livelihood in an employment considered vile. The advocate is seldom, if ever, admitted into high society in Rome ; nor can the princes (so called) or nobles comprehend the position of a barrister in England. They would as soon permit a facchino as an advocate to enter their palaces, and they have' been known to ask with disdain (when accidentally apprised that a younger son of an English nobleman had embraced the profession of the law) what could induce his family to suffer the degradation"? Priests, bishops, and cardinals, the poor nobles or their impoverished descendants will become — advocates or judges, never. The solution of this apparent inconsistency is to be found in the fact that in most despotic countries the. profession of the law is contemptible. In Rome it is particularly so, because no person places confidence in the administration of the law ; the salaries of the judges are small, the remuneration of the advocate miserable : and all the great offices grasped by the ecclesiastics, pure justice not existing, everybody concerned in the administration of what is substituted for it, is despised, often most unjustly, as being a participar tor in the imposture.

- -Pebdgia. — Perugia, celebrated alike in ancient history and in the annals of modern art, is now the capital of * province in the Papal States, and forms part of the ancient Umbrit, It is surrounded by old walls, boasts

of its cathedral, adorned with the pencil of Perugino and of Raffaelle, contains twentyfour monasteries, twenty-five nunneries, a university, several learned societies, a fine [ theatre, and some pleasing promenades. The population is said by some to be 60,000, while others calculate it at 30,000, and some as low as 15,000. Amongst the second-rate or provincial cities of Italy, Perugia holds a prominent rank, I sauntered up and down the steep streets of this singularly built city' visiting churches, palaces, and museums, till wearied with sight-seeing. The number of churches at Perugia, nearly a hundred, is out of all proportion to the size or population of the place ; a decisive proof of the genius of a priestly government. They are adorned with pictures by masters of a peculiar school, called the Umbrian, and characterised by a profound religious feeling. The name identified with Perugia is that of the artist Pietro Vanucei, called Perugino, from the place where he established himself, whose pupil was the divine Raffaelle. Pietro flourished from 1446 to 1524, and Perugia is full of his works : pleasing, no doubt, and soft, but uniform in design, and often unequal in execution. It is an amusing and interesting occupation to compare their style and trace their effects in the earlier, productions of his illustrions scholar. Exadtly opposite the hotel, on the walls of the Old Exchange, may be seen a series of frescoes by Pietro, wherein ,he represents sybils and saints, prophets, philosophers, and soldiers, and famous men of ancient Rome. It is asserted Raffaelle exercised his youthful genius on these frescoes, and especially in drawing the head of our Saviour in the Transfiguration — the mighty subject in the delineation of which he subsequently established an eternal fame. There is likewise in this interesting city, in the palace of Count Stafla, what is said to be the earliest of Raffaelle's works, namely, a picture of the Madona and Child, which must be examined with a curious interest. It is small and round, and very beautiful. The Virgin is represented reading, and the Child is peeping into the book. " It is a miniature painting, of inexpressibly delicate and beautiful execution." There is no doubt of its authenticity. The family to whom this valuable picture belongs had formerly in their possession a written contract for the painting, made with Raffaelle ; which, however, we are told is now lost.

Roman Market. — Issuing from the Pantheon, I find myself in an Italian market, lying amidst habitations which block up the the Rotundo on every side but the front. It has been wisely said, if in any country the ground be well cultivated, and the markets well supplied, we may conclude the people to be happy and well governed. Let us pause, therefore, and examine the bill of fare in an Italian market. And behold ! a native has stopped beside me to purchase. The butcher cuts a slice of coarse meat which he says is beef: the purchaser pays two pads, pulls out his pocket handkerchief, wraps up and pockets the cut of buffalo, and walks away. This flesh is hard and coarse. What have I next? As I live a carrion crow, laid out for sale, feathers and all ! a savoury morsel when embellished with macaroui. vVhatnext ? Wild fowl, I suppose. No, strings of small birds, bought up greedily. What may they be ? Thrushes. Our friend Horace of old supped on a lean thrush — shame upon his humanity! And, curious enough, in this respect the^e is no difference between the food of Horace and of his witless successors. But what more 1 Sparrows, larks, and — oh ! sacrilege ! — robin redbreasts ! When they eat a crow, what can escape ? A bird I never beard sing in the Campagna, and seldom in Italy. There are no game laws in the Papal States, so ; every man who pleases is a sportsman ! and ' there are miscreants who call themselves hunters, who wear thick shoes and leather gaiters, ! and hunt small birds and sparrows all over ] the Campagna. They string this game, and * sell it by the siring ; which the epicurean 1 Italians relish exceedingly. Latterly I never \ asked what bird was on the table. Better i not to inquire, but eat and be thankful. ]