AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander, August 4.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 735, 18 August 1852, Page 3

AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander, August 4.]

We regret to have to record the occurrence of a disastrous fire which took place at Kororareka (Bay of Islands) on the night of Sunday week the 25th ultimo, and destroyed a considerable amount of property. The circumstances as reported to us were as follows : — Between 10 and 11 o'clock at night, most of the inhabitants being in bed, the fire broke out in the kitchea of Mr. Evans's Hotel, whence (though the room was partially detached) it quickly communicated with the main building, and the whole was. soon in ruins. The flames spread to the general store and dwelling-house of Mr. Cook, situated at about a distance of twenty-five feet, in the direction in which the wind was blowing. The roof first caught fire, and in less than an hour the whole of the building and all the property contained in it (with the^small exception of three bales of blankets) were destroyed. Mr. and Mrs. Cook themselves only escaped in their night clothes. Simultaneously the fire extended to the house of- Mr. Hickton, baker, on the other side of Mr. Evans's, which as well as the other two houses was consumed, but the flour contained in it was for the most part saved, chiefly by the praiseworthy exertions of natives. The origin of *the fire is not as yet ascertained. The buildings were on Mrs. Stewart's (a widow) property, which was Lased by the sufferers ; and by the casualty she has lost a rental of £60 per annum. Mr. Cook's loss, we understand, amounted to nearly £1000, the house being his own property, and the store containing two large consignments of goods lately received from London. We are informed, and can easily conceive, that owing to the panic produced by the sudden out-burst of the fire, and the absence of means - for checking its progress, little could be done to preserve the houses or their contents. A party of the military— stationed at Wahupu were despatched in two boats, by Captain Russell without delay, and on their arrival manifested every anxiety to rendef their best assistance ; ' but baying to come about two miles by water, they reached the beach too late to be of much' service. Indeed had it not been that- the wind was in a direction from the other houses, there can be little doubt that the ravages of the conflagration would have been, only stopped by the destruction of all in the neighbourhood. Such an illustration as this melancholy occurrence affords of the dangers of fire and the necessity of adopting all practicable precautions against its origination >and spread, was not necessary to exhibit in deep colours the character of the course pursued J>y the * Auckland Common Council in relation to this matter; but the coincidence of the occurrence with the recent proceedings, in which Mr. Alderman O'Neill and Mr. Councillor , Abraham— -not merely .succeeded in frustrating an attempt to

establish precautionary measures agaiu°t fire, but-Hreatetl with flippant insult the Government of the colony and the head of their own Municipality, because they ventured to set before them an opportunity of remedying past neglect in this important part of the duty of a Corporation, — is too striking to fail of suggesting itself to the public mind." Heaven forbid that we should have the lesson taught us by sad experience in our own town ! But what security have we against the calamity which, has befallen so many others ? And if a fire were to break out this very night in any of our streets of wooden houses, what short of an almost miraculous interposition could, in our utteily unprepared state, check its progress? Earnestly do we hope and pray that there may be no such dreadful retribution awaiting the men who' have hindered the adoption of measures which it specially devolved on the Common Council to take, as their own feelings and the judgment of the community would inflict, if some morning's sun should arise upon a desolated town, ruined familes, crowds thrown out of employment,- and the countless calamities resulting from a conflagration, which might have been stopped in its career of destruction by means which they could and should have brought into operation, but which -they obstinately refused to adopt, or even to consider ! We do Jiot believe that we exaggerate the amount or kind of responsibility that these, gentlemen have incurred. The Common Council of this year were the first body formed amongst our citizens with authority to take the necessary steps. It may be said that the Government should long before have taken those steps, as well as attended to other affairs for neglect of which the Corporation are now censured ; but whatever- amount of truth there may be in this, does not materially affect the question ; for, to prove that another party was culpable at another time surely is no evidence that the Common Council were blameless in their omission of duty. It was always the cry that if the people had the power of governing themselves, their iuterests would be better attended to. Private efforts, however strenuous or liberal, must have been comparatively inefficient; for no private association could have compelled the thoughtless or reckless portion of the community to comply with any regulations for the public benefit which did not square with their own ignorant or heedless views and caprices. But the Common Council were armed with ample powers for this specific object ; the military authorities, beyond all doubt, would most willingly have co-operated with them in arrangements by which such aid as the Barracks could' afford would be rendered available, on a system of organised and previously understood action, if an emergency should unfortunately arise ; the people generally whose interests are so vitally involved, would have rallied round them with every needful support ; and then, if a catastrophe did take place, there would have been at least the consolation of knowing that what human means could do had been done to avert or mitigate it. The term " traitor " is one the use of which, in connexion with the Common Council we should have been extremely reluctant ourselves to initiate, but Mr. Alderman O'Neill having thought fit to employ it — and employ it with an obviously intended application, which was equally indecorous and unjust — there is some temptation to ask, is not the conduct of the Common Council in this matter, and in other matters too, of a character to which the term " traitorous " — if Alderman O'Neill must have the term — may be not altogether inapplicable. A traitor, according to Dr. Johnson's definition, is — " one who being trusted, betrays." Now, our Common Councillors were trusted by the Burgesses with the working of the Municipal Charter for the benefit of the Borough : most of them took office under a' distinct pledge to work it, and would not have been elected if they had avowed a contrary determination : some of them have since waxed indignant at even the implied imputation that their object was to frustrate it. " But have they worked tbe^ Charter ? Have they — we will not say worked it as a whole — but have they worked it in any single particular ? They have indeed met under its sanctions, and called themselves i and each other by the titles which it confers, and appointed a Town Clerk and Treasurer, and in short done various unequivocally corporate acts. But have they exercised, or practically attempted to exercise, — in even one solitary case, the privileges and powers which the Charter confided to them " for the good order, health, and convenience of the inhabitants of the Borough ?" The facts are before the community, and we^leave it to every intelligent and observant Burgess to form his own conclusion. Would the Councillors themselves, as men of uprightness and integrity, conceive that they had fulfilled a private contract fairly and fully, if they had acted- in relation to it as they have, done in their official capacity with regard to their engagement to " work the Charter ?"- We are far from insinuating that the members of the Common Council would intentionally " betray " a trust ; some of them we know enough of to be sure that they are incapable of doing so : but can any man say they fulfilled their corporate trust ? - To follow out the idea of trust a little farther, are they immaculate as respects the subject of Self- Government and Free Institutions. It is not an over-strained view;of their position to say that in their hands was placed, in "no small degree, no less important a deposit that the decision of the question whether or not it was a libel to assert that the people were not competent to govern themselves by representatives chosen under an almost unrestricted franchise. The suffrage under which they were elected was tantamount to " universal. There was no infusion of the nominee element in their body. It might have been their high privilege to show to friends and foes that a Council wholly chosen from aiid by the people could show patriotism, discretion, impartiality between the Government and the governed, and a wise and active zeal for the promotion of the real objects of their incorporation. Howhave they guarded distrust? Can we point proudly to their public spirit and public services as a. triumphant answer to those who doubted the fitness of our colony for full and free representative institutions ? Those who, like ourselves, have earnestly contended for that fitness may. be excused "for feeling some, sensitiveness on this point. If on the present occasion we have been led from the

particular matter with which -we have commenced to more general strictures, it is from the apprehension that the character of our community will be judged of at a dietarice, partly at least from the public conduct, of- its chosen representatives. At the 'same time, in fairness we must not loose sight of the fact that the unwillingness -of more eligible candidates to come forward, or the paucity of persons from whom to choose may in some instances have diminished the responsibility of the Burgesses, by shutting them up to a kind of necessity to return members, whom they would have left in the quiet of private life, had a wider range of selection been open to them ; and we trust that this consideration will not be overlooked by observers in other places who may be disposed to judge of the Borough by the sayings and doings of some of its Common Councillors.