New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, June 15, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 508, 15 June 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, June 15, 1850.

After the late heavy rains it may not be amiss to direct public attention to the state of the public footpath along Lambton Quay, which was formed by public subscription. A very few pounds judiciously spent now would suffice to make the necessary repairs and to maintain the pathway in a good state of repair, and this trifling outlay would be the means of saving a much greater expense hereafter. But for the factious opposition of a few of the Magistrates, the Town Roads Ordinance, passed in the last Session of the Legislative Council, would now have been in operation, and the inhabitants of Wellington would have had the control and management of their highways and by-ways, and by means of a moderate assessment would have had the means of making those improvements in the town which are required for their comfort and convenience. This has been prevented, and they are condemned to wade through the mud and dirt, with every prospect, as the winter advances, of the roads becoming worse, without any power to help themselves except by voluntary subscription, when the willing must pay for the absentee and unwilling, and where from the difficulty of raising funds whatever is done must necessarily be imperfect and on a limited scale. We need only refer to the present state of the beach road to show how useful the provisions of this enactment would have been if brought into operation.

The Scotia, which came in last night from Taranaki, has brought intelligence of the arrival of the Constantinople at Auckland.

During the heavy South Easter on Thursday the 6th inst., three small coasting vessels which were at anchor off the island of Kapiti were driven on shore. One of them

a vessel recently built atOtaki and not named was broken up in the surf, and a white man and a maori who were on board of her were unfortunately drowned. The othertwo vessels one oi 15 tons from Queen Charlote's Sound, and the Happy Go Lucky a boat belonging to Wellington, received a few trifling injuries which we understand will be easily repaired.

We are requested to insert the following statement in reference to Captain Pulham's note, in so' far as it relates to Mr. Justice Chapman. Without entering further into the merits. r of this question we may observe that' the 'deficiency of fresh provisions, as' we stated in our last number, was attributable, according to the explanation given to us, more to the neglect of the person from whom they were ordered than to the fault of the Captain. Our object in referring to the affair was to show that a squabble between the Captain of the brig and his passengers about their accommodation had been made the handle for an attack against the Government, and that the latter had as much to do with it (to use a favourite illustration of Mr. Fox's) as Tenterden steeple has to do with the Goodwin Sands ; — and we think we succeeded " in putting the saddle upon the right horse." — " Mr. Chapman did not ' absolutely refuse to pay for his passage.' For that which he was privately liable to pay, namely his son's rations, Mr. Chapman paid Captain Pulham ; but in his public capacity Mr. Chapman refused to sign the usual voucher for his own rations, during the passage/rom Nelson to Wellington, on the ground that no provision whatever was made. Mr. Chapman's reasons for refusing were appended to the unsigned voucher, and a copy seat to the Government. Captain Pulbara is also, we are further informed, incorrect is saying that Mr. Chapman 'acknowledged his courtesy.' Mr. Chapman .neither acknowledged Captain Pulham's courtesy not denied it. There was no question as far as he was concerned about courtesy. Mr. Chapman conceived there wat gross and unparalleled negligence in not providing a sufficiency of plain and wholesome (are, and on that ground (whilst he avoided a mere private dispute by sending Captain Pulham the money for his sou's commons) he refused to sign for what was never furnished, leaving it open to Captain Pulham to obtain what he had really expended (if anything) for the cabin fare."