New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 19, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 622, 19 July 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 19, 1851.

In last Wednesday’s Independent is an article on the Town Roads and Streets Ordinance, in which it is difficult to decide whether folly or falsehood most predominates. The writer evidently finds that he is in a minority, and resorts to his usual artifices of clap trap and misrepresentation to deceive the unwary. A few words will suffice to correct his mis-statements and to place the subject in its proper light. The Town Roads Ordinance, which will shortly be brought into operation at the desire of the inhabitants of Wellington, as we have before explained, imposes no tax, but simply provides the machinery for the management by the inhabitants of their local affairs, and gives them the power of making local improvements. The Commissioners to be elected under the Ordinance continue in office only for one year; the franchise, as admitted by the Independent, amounts “as nearly as possible to universal suffrage. ” It is worthy of remark that this advocate of freedom, whenever an opportunity really offers of allowing the settlers to have the management of their jocal affairs, whether in this instance, or as in the Provincial Councils Bill, or in the offer of a corporation to the Hutt settlers, is vehemently opposed to its introduction. His love for liberty appears to be in the abstract, any practical enjoyment of it he is diametrically opposed to. We may also point out, among the inconsistencies of his party, that “ a Mr. John Dorset” and some others of those now “ styling themselves a Constitutional Association” were proud of the distinction of Alder men of Wellington under a Nominee Ordinance of Captain Axobson’s, but we doubt if an Aiderman under that Ordinance was so useful or so inexpensive an office*- nc o under the present Ordinance would be. The misstatements on the subject of the yearly rate are too palpable, we should imagine, to deceive any one. The value of the houses &c. in ’Wellington is estimated bv this writer at £200,000, and it is assumed that the rate to be levied would amount to £5OOO, because 6d. in the pound on that valuation would amount to that sum. Now everv one knows that these rates are assessed not on the absolute, but on the yearly rental or value of premises. Assuming with the Independent the lands, houses, and tenements of the town of Wellington to be worth £200,000, their yearly rental or value at 15 per cent, would be £30,000, and a rate of sixpence in the pound on this sum would amount, not to £5OOO but, to £750. But it does not follow, because the Commissioners are empowered to levy a yearly rate of any sum not exceeding sixpence in the pound, that therefore they will levy the highest rate prescribed by law, on the contrary the Independent, as if to shew the absurdity of what it had previously advanced, states “ there is nothing to prevent them levying a rate of—say a farthing in the pound.” The real question resolves itself into this ; whether the settlers will abstain from using the power offered them of making those improvements which are j required in the town; whether they will be .content to bear the burden of such improvements as are made, by allowing them to be defrayed, as hitherto, either by voluntarv subscription or by Government, or whether they will make the absentees contribute their share towards those improvements from which they derive so much benefit, in the increased value of their properties. We have hardly space to add more, and yet we cannot refrain from noticing the personal allusions in the Independent. Without pretending to know what Sir George Grey’s opinion may be on the subject we may gather from his expressed sentiments in the council that, the law having offered the

power of local self feeling in the matter would be* US 051 ! settlers refused to avail thems^ ‘ f 1 power: but assuredly he ] other interest in the matter, a cause Mr. Raymond, greatly to h ,a ' n| H refuses in any way to mix local politics, because the n '“ W Union Bank is not. as his c, -| a political partisan, it i 8 ‘ dis ~7‘”' ’1 -he has not the slightest Sion to be classed as a settler”? must be regarded as “ a mere bird] passage.” And what was Mr. M‘D O i? what was Mr. Fox,—the two most f agitators that have disturbed this ] ment ? Were they settlers, or mereT of passage ? As for the praise with J the Doctor now bedaubs Mr. Hickson should imagine it must be more him than the virulent coarse person*, with which he has been so assailed for the last three years free? same quarter ; so that he must be tempted to exclaim, with the Phocion “Have I done anything to that this man applauds me ?”

By the Mary we have received outfit Nelson Examiners, but we observe no news of any importance. They contain J very long and laboured articles (June ? a J 14) professing to be answers to the obser vations referring to theDuppaCompensai Job which appeared in the Spectator Jan ( . ary 22, six months ago ! As in the firsts! these articles (June 7) the writer in Examiner admits that he has not by the numbers of the Spectator containing tb» articles he wishes to answer, “andwj trust to memory for their contents,” need say little more of the character of such articles than that, as often as our contend porary’s treacherous memory* fails him, iJ draws upon his imagination for his feed Our arguments and statements remain J untouched by the Examiner, his abuse of|M Spectator and unworthy imputations J apt illustrations of that personal calud which he affects to hold in abhorrence, bi in the use of which he is as unscrupulous! his former patron Mr. Fox, of whom he] the fitting advocate. I

Yesterday the mortal remains of Thom! Paul, Esq., late Quarter-Master of the 65'1 Regt., were consigned to the grave will military honours. The funeral was attend-! ed by Lieut.-Col. M’Cleverty, command Southern District, Brigade-Major O’Codnell, Lieut.-Col. Gold, and the officers d the 65th Regt., J. C. Wood, Esq., D.A C.G., and the other officers in garrison, and the private friends of the deceased, wls was very generally respected. The following account of his services is extracted from Hart’s Army List:— “ Quarter-Master Paul served against th pirates in the Persian Gulf, and destruction of Ras-el-'Khyma, in 1809; at the capture of the isle of France in 1810; in the Kilty war country in 1811-1812, and taking the Fort of Now Nuggur; in the Guzerats ah Kutcli in 1814, 15, and 16, and taking forts of Angar, Kincoote, and Dwarka; Msh” ratta war in the Deccan, 1817 and 18. Capture of Poona and Cutch; storming the Mlforts of Booj; expedition to the P ers ® Gulf, including the capture of the forts Ras-el-Khyma and Zaya, 1819. Expedition to Arabia in 1821, including the lion at Beni-800-Ali, and destruction e the pirates. ”