OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4489, 9 August 1875, Page 3

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.

(FROM OUB own CORRESPONDENT.) AUCKLAND, August 4. A month ago it had oozed out that Mr. Dargaville had altered his mind about the gum tax. It is strange that that gentleman did not make a fuller investigation of the probable results of the tax, before he ventured to propose it in the Provincial Council. Subsequent inquiries have tended to show very conclusively that the commodity will be at no further augmentation of price in the market, either in America or England, and thus the tax would have to fall upon the digger, who could ill afford to pay it out of his scanty earnings. I hear from one of two Americana gum merchants in Auckland, that a cargo of 300 tons landed in New York fully six months ago has not yet been quitted, owing to the preference given to the Manilla gum for the purpose of manufacture, and the consequent slack demand for the New Zealand product. The same merchant has, for the present, altogether stopped buying. Mr. Justice Gillies is fulfilling Us early promise of being hard upon bankrupts who cannot show full and correct accounts. At the ordinary bankruptcy sitting last week, he suspended two certificates, and neither case showed anything like what would be called bad features. In one instance the bankrupt, who was a cordial manufacturer, had excepted from his schedule a machine used in his trade, and had sold it for £ls, using part of the proceeds to pay his lawyer for “putting him through,” and the other half for the maintenance of his wife and family. Mr. Rees, who appeared for the bankrupt, maintained that he was Justified in doing this, the said machine being a “ tool of trade ” within the meaning of the Act. Judge Gillies, however, who has more than once questioned the right of petitioning bankrupts to pay their lawyers beforehand out of their assets, ruled that the exception was highly reprehensible, and refused the discharge. A curious phenomena is reported from Gisborne. It appears that the people in that neighborhood suffer from a short supply of fresh water, and a little while ago borings were commenced in the courtyard of Higgin’s Hotel, Makaraka, in the hope of striking an artesian spring. At a depth of 250 ft. no satisfactory results were attained, but at 270 ft. water came to the surface, and with the water a stream of gas which was found to be continuous. The landlord, by way of experiment, placed a cask, with the downward end out, over the bore, and filled in round about tightly with clay. He then cut a hole in the top of the barrel and inserted a pipe, which he carried along into the hotel. A burner was screwed on the end and a flame applied, when the gas ignited and burned very steadily, emitting a bright and pure light. It continued to burn day and night, and could be turned on or off at pleasure. The country correspondent who sends the account does not say whether any chemical examination has been made of the gas, and I believe it still remains to be ascertained what the singular discovery portends. Some say it indicates the presence of kerosene or some other inflammable minex-al. The phenomenon is to be thoroughly inquired into, and no slight interest is taken in the result. I should mention that the water which accompanies the gas has a peculiar "flavor. It sparkles after the manner of sodawater upon effervescence, and shows a number of small white bubbles. It is not unlikely that some hidden subterranean source of wealth may be unearthed in the inquiry. The death of Mr. Thomas Beckham, our late Resident Magistrate and District Judge, is felt as a public calamity by all classes. This gentleman had so long held office, having been appointed a magistrate in 1840, that he was looked upon as part of the place, and his hale appearance and vigorous bearing right up to the last make his sudden decease cpme with the greater shock. His funeral took place to-day, and was attended with every demonstration of public respect. The Provincial Government offices, the Council Chambers, the solicitors’ offices, and many private" establishment, were completely closed during the afternoon, and evtry shop in Queenstreet had some of its shutters up. The funeral cortege was a very imposing one. Besides the’mouming coaches, there were upward^

of twenty private vehicles, containing representatives from all our public bodies. The attendance of the general public is estimated at about 3000. Bishop Cowie read the service most impressively. Mr. Beckham’s successor, whoever ho may be, will not find it easy to supply his place. Our late Resident Magistrate no doubt had his faults like other men, but few in his position could have given the satisfaction he has accorded in his decisions. Pompous in his outward manner, and sometimes rough and almost uncouth in his mode of addressing the unfortunates who came before him in the Police Court, he yet had a kindly heart for true distress, and out of his private purse has been known to have helped many a one whom his official duties have called upon him to censure. To the gentlemen of the legal profession who had business in his courts he was ever courteous, and always gave due weight and consideration to their arguments, even when compelled to rule against them. His enemies, while accusing him of being partial to the interests of the powers that be, could not but admit that his decisions in the main were conscientious, and based on a desire to see the cause of justice upheld. A great feature in his character of public arbitrator was that he always evinced a repugnance to procrastination, and was never satisfied till every effort had been made to decide the cases brought before him. In charges involving domestic broils and the laceration of private feelings, he studiously endeavored to induce a healing of the breach by friendly advice, before he suffered it to be widened by public exposure. Take him for all in all it is more likely we shall get a worse than a better magistrate. The Acclimatisation Society has at length decided to order a supply of salmon ova from San Francisco. I recollect seeing some months ago in Harper's Monthly an article expressing surprise that this colony should have neglected the facilities ivhich are presented for obtaining salmon from the streams on the American borders of the Pacific. The article, if I recollect rightly, advocated the American source of supply as better adapted for our use in many ways. The rivers more nearly resemble ours; the fish were hardier than the English species, J and equally good in point of flavor, and the means of transit easier, shorter, and generally more convenient and certain. The experiment will uow be tried, and if it is successful we shall all rejoice, for with all the boasted variety of fish on our coasts, there is none to compare with the salmon. The Auckland Gas Company held its meeting last Saturday, and the directors’ report and balance-sheet were of a very 1 ati factory nature. The shareholders were satisfied with the declaration of a 13 per cent, dividend, but the public were chiefly interested in the an nouncement by the chairman that the price of gas would probably be reduced at an early date. A resolution was passed sanctioning the increase of [the capital of the company by the issue of 4000 new shares of £5 each from time to time, as money should be required for additional works. The value of Thames mining shares has been on the rise during the last week. Tairua continues to show signs of turning out a rich and busy goldfield, and the spurt has extended to all kinds of gol Ifields’ property. Cure, Union Beach, Caledonian, and several other scrips exhibit great improvement, the first-named in particular having gone from 4s. to 265. fid. per scrip in a few weeks.

The merchants here have received large additions to their stocks by the arrival of the ships Lutterworth and Flechero from London, but neither of them borought us any immigrants. The Alumbagh, with ever 300, is nearly due. Your readers will probably. have seen by the European Mail and Home News, that Sir. George Vesey Stewart’s specially selected settlers left Belfast for this port in the ship Dover Castle, on the 28th May. They may thus be expected about the first of next month. Preparations are I believe being made for their reception on the Katikati block, where they are to settle. There is a rumor put about on good authority, that Mr. Stewart will offer himself as a candidate to represent the East Coast at the general election. The trade between Auckland and the Islands of the Pacific, in my humble opinion the most important trade Auckland is concerned in, is steadily assuming larger proportions. During the last ten days or so, no less than six vessels—the barque Martha the screw barquentine Emu, the brig Vision, and the schooners Dauntless, Belle Brandon, and Charybdis have arrived, laden with the riches of these beautiful regions, comprising altogether about 1000 tons of copra, oil, limejuice, fruit, cotton, &c., while several vessels have yet to come in. This is encouraging for the future, especially when we have to keep our eye on the possibility of “ separation.” The wreck of the cutter Hero, with the drowning of the captain and one of the crew, on the Mokau bar on the West Coast, has created a sad impression here, occurring just as it does when all hope of the Pacific, schooner, turning up has been extinguished. A subscription has been started for Captain Doble’s widow and family, and already the contributions amount to a considerable sum. Captain Bradshaw, of the Pacific, also leaves a wife, for whom it is intended to make some public provision.