MESSRS. BETHUNE & HUNTER’S LAND SALE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5437, 30 August 1878, Page 2

MESSRS. BETHUNE & HUNTER’S LAND SALE.

At Messrs. Bethune and Hunter’s auction mart, Exchange Buildings, Manners-street, a very valuable property, comprising eight acres in the heart of the city of Wellington, was submitted to public competition yesterday. At the commencement of the sale (after an excellent luncheon provided for the occasion) Mr. Hunter called attention to the fact, as stated in the Financial Statement of the Colonial Secretary, that the receipts for the year 1877*73 amounted to £4,445,566 ss. Cd., an amount which compared very favorably with the returns from the colony of Victoria, where the population was nearly double. He also called attention to the statement of the Minister of Public Works, in his speech of the 27th inst., in which that gentleman said: “It has been alleged that the changes by which the construction of public works and the working of railways in each island has been placed under distinct heads, is the forerunner of some deep and sinister design on the part of some person or persons, and that it is studiously intended to lead up to the political separation of the two islands. I need scarcely say that such surmise is absolutely without foundation.” This he thought would be sufficient to show that there was no ground for believing the rumor current in reference to an intention on the part of the Government to introduce a scheme of separation which would be prejudicial to the best interests of the city. Mr. Hunter referred to this sale being held at the old Exchange Buildings, at the head of the bay, which site he considered would, from its position, again become the centre of business in Wellington, as it had been in former years. Lot 1 was then submitted to auction. It comprised nearly three acres of laud, including Town Acres No. 162 and 104, and the unoccupied portion of Town Aero 166, having frontages to Wellington Terrace, and to Dixon-street. Permission has been granted by the City Council to make a road through the block, and if constructed it will connect Willis-street with Wei-lington-terrace, which will increase the frontages and render the property valuable and accessible. This lot was knocked down to Mr. T. K. Macdonald for £5500, Lots 2 and 3 were not disposed of, but are now under offer and are likely to be sold. Lot 2 comprises a block, containing nearly three acres of land, including Town Acre No. 192, Town Acre No. 194,and the residue of Town Acre No 193 (all the acre except the portion occupied by Dr. Lemon and Mr, Morton.) These acres have a frontage to Wellington-terrace, and a passage will bo left through Town Acre No, 188 and 191, by which access will be afforded to the lower side of the acres. Lot 3 comprises a block containing nearly two acres of land, including Town Acre No. 137, and Town Acre No. 188, less a strip of laud reserved in order to afford access to tlie lower portion of Town Acres Noa. 192, 103, and Those acres have a frontage to Wulliugtou’tumwc awl to Bim-strcet.

PARLIAMENTARY PERSONALITIES.—VI. (By a Stranger in the Gallery l .) It is a dangerous thing to take exception to any expressions made use of by a member in the House of Representatives, if the complaint is against want of delicacy. On the question of the female franchise and the admission of women to the House of Representatives there was many an allusion made that might well have been spared. When the member for Auckland City West stated that he did not claim to represent either the people of New Zealand or the clergymen, his expression was no doubt received with relief by those who would regret very much to think that the double entendre of bis speech in any way reflected the usual tone of debate or feeling in the colony. Outsiders might doubt very much whether the people of Auckland are inclined to favor the introduction of coarse jokes into parliamentary debates. If a “double meaning” is carefully pointed and emphasised it is useless to pretend that no such double interpretation was intended. When the bad example was followed member for Bruce, whose power of speech does not enable him to .cloak a coarse idea in any ambiguity of language, the House fairly put him down. It is undesirable to repeat the expressions used, but criticisms were heard on all sides at the attempt made to point personal allusions to the domestic relations of members of the House. Mr. Taiaroa raised a hearty laugh when he professed to fear that the presence of a young married lady in the House, whose husband had been left behind at home, might lead the thoughts of honorable members astray. Coming from a native, delivered with the greatest simplicity and as a real practical objection to the proposal under consideration, no one was inclined to cavil at it. A stranger need make no apology for referring to such an objectionable feature in the debate ou the Electoral Bill; criticism is fairly invited by such a degradation of tone as this practice would produce, and the low estimate of the character of ~ the House it would cause in places outside the colony. ' As the member for Bruce has been referred to above, a few lines might conclude our notice of him as a debater. A prejudice may have been raised in the critic by the circumstance above referred to, but a north country accent and a whining voice are not good passports to favor in an Englishman’s ear. Add to this a very small amount of new or original thought, with a very large quantity of dull repetition, and the chances of favorable criticism afforded to the most soft-hearted critic are very few indeed. To aspiring candidates for Parliamentary honors a good chance of successful opposi-tion-at the next election might be found in the Bruce constituency, Mr. Taiaroa’s name has also appeared above, and to a stranger there are few more interesting problems than the behavior of the "Maori representatives in an English-speaking House of Parliament. The Maori mind has such a natural inclination towards “ koreros” (?) and “runangas” (?) —Maori orthography is not a strong point of the writer’s—that one expects great things from the race, and is not disappointed. Among the several Maori speeches made this session, each one has had some individuality, and some considerable evidence of original thought. Mr. Taiaroa speaks with force and energy. How far the ready translation of the interpreter represents the form of the speech ' employed is hard to say, but an occasional expression is very naive. When be called “Mr. Fox a bad man” the House chuckled, and when he recommended “those old men” to sit down and lisen to what young men like the Native Minister had to say, the House was convulsed with laughter. - Joking apart, the presence of the natives representatives in the House is the result of a bold experiment in legislation, tending towards equal and impartial treatment of both races as one whole community. They appear to be useful members in ordinary legislative business, invaluable in the discussion of any Maori questions. Mr. Taiaroa is listened to with attention by the House, and has the additional attraction of being likely at any moment to overstep the usual bounds of conventionality, and to amuse his hearers by his childlike simplicity of speech, or by some naive expression of his oppinion that an ordinary civilized European would never dream of uttering in public.—l am, &c.,