AUCKLAND.

Southland Times, Issue 1010, 26 August 1868, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

(fbom oub oyrs cobbespondeki.) Auckland, 15th August. Although the Provincial Council is not . sittings its doings last session are being freely and warmly discussed.'- The lull that followed the termination of the session, aud the departure of His Honor the. Superintendent, ,with otherUegislative magnets, has, been .. succeeded by a political storm of much violence. The chief cause of the present, agitation is the putting into operation of an enactment, passed last session, to levy a " poll tat " ,of 10s per head upon all adult residents in the province, for the relief of the sick and destitute. At the time this measure was introduced it was generally con* denined, but little public feeling . wai displayed, it being almost universally considered that the Governor would vet o the bill. Nothing was heard about it, until two or three weeks ago, when it became whispered about that the bill was to be brought into operation; the Auckland members having positively refused to support any government measure until the Governor's sanction had been obtained to this obnoxious measure. I know not what amount, if any, of truth there was in these reports, but certain it is that close followed came the announcement that the act was to be immediately put into effect. This aroused a very yell of indignation, public meetings have been held in most of the popular districts which , have been numerously attended, resolutions condemnatory of the tax, and censuring the Provincial Government and the members, of the Council, were passed unanimously. At a large and influential meeting held at Otahuhu, the bill was denounced as being unjust, un-English, unconstitutional, and illegal, and the following resolutions, were adopted : — lst. " That this_ meeting is of opinion that the imposition of a poll tax is contrary to every just principle of taxation, and considers that the members of the Provincial Council deserve grave censure for V passing such an obnoxious enactment." 2nd. "That this meeting pledges itself to take all constitutional means to cause the Said obnoxious Act to be abolished."- The. speakers were remarkable for their use of strong language. The annexed extract from the address of one of them .will gire you some idea of the feeling of the people here. After commenting in strong terms upon the objectionable character of the Ordinance, and asserting that such an enactment would never be dreamt of in England, or any other place than New Zealand, the Speaker, (Mr H. S. Andrew) commented upon the injustice, supposing a necessity did exist, for the passing of a measure that taxed the European only. He said, "at that time Mr . George Graham had a motion before the House of Representatives to spend £50,000 upon the natives; so this was the principle that was to be invoked forsooth. We were to tax. the white man to spend £50,000 upon the natives, and make them sick, and gorge themselves with flour and sugar ; and then pass a Sick and Destitute Bill, and lay on a poll tax, to make them well again. - (Great laughter.) He said it was absurd to tax the white men to pay money to the natives. We were to pay £30,000 at least this year! to be expended upon the natives; ana then at least it would take another £30,000 to keep them quiet afterwards. (Laughter.) He said tax the natives, and let them feel some of the benefits of taxation. (Loud laughter.) It was said that they ought to point out some better scheme if they pledged themselves by every constitutional means to repeal the poll tax ; but it was nottheir duty to point put to the Provincial Council what was to be done to obviate the necessity of a poll tax. The members of the Provincial Council were, or were supposed •to be, the pick of the province, and it would be absurd to tell them what they ought to do, When they ought to know a great deal better. He said the sooner they had feJirer Provincial Councils and less governmental machinery, the sooner would they have less taxation." These agitations all tend to the abolition of Provincial Councils, and now that we are getting a large mining population ; there can be little doubt that soon the Auckland politicians, men who will persist in considering this city— the colony, will have to retire into private life, leaving legislation to the General Assembly, and the management of local affairs to men who can understand the advantages that one government, with one law for the whole colony, offers. Every Victorian that comes here, and many are coming now, swell the ranks of the united New Zealand party. They know the working of the local system, and wince under the oppressive, and unintelligable legislative enactments forgedin the renowned, incapable or shortsighted Provincial Councils. The local press teems with letters upon this subject; meetings are being held in every direction at which similar resolutions to those I have quoted are invariably passed. Political excitement is running high, and increasing day by day. At meeting held at Onehunga on the 12th mat., the following memorial to the Governor was unanimously adopted, viz :— "To his Excellency Sir G. F. Bowen, K.G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand, &c, &c, Ac. May it please your-Ex-cellency. — We, the undersigned inhabitants of Onehunga and its neighbourhood, humbly solicit your Excellency's serious attention to the Sick and destitute Act, 1868, of the Council of the province of Auckland. The above-recited Act was passed by the said 'Council ostensibly for the purpose of raising funds to defray the expenses of the maintenance of the sick and Destitute of the said province of Auckland, by levying a uniform tax of ten shillings upon every adult, with a few special exceptions, residing within the province of Auckland. Tour petitioners feel that the tax thus imposed is unjust, as it makes no distinction between labor and capital. That the great majority of the population have to

depend upon an income derivable from wages, which is generally precarious and ofttimes scanty. That in conformity with the law of England property ought to bear the cost of maintaining the poor. Your petitioners therefore humbly Bolicit your Excellency to exercise the power which the Constitution Act of New Zealand affords, by disallowing the said 3fck and Destitute Act, 1868. And your petitioners will ever pray." The motion wag seconded, and, on being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously* The effect of the gold discoveries is becoming beneficially felt in Auckland. A few months since, there was almost universal insolvency, clamorous meetings of the unemployed were constantly held, asd any amount of labor to be obtained at -three or four shillings a day. Now the tradesmen are in good epintß, many who had contracted their operations with the intention of winding up, have again launched out into large transactions, wages have risen, and carpenters and. other skilled mechanics' are demanding . the same wages as was given at the time of. the large war expenditure, viz., ten shillings a day. The resignation of Mr James Mackay, the well known civil commissioner, is much regretted. He has by perseverance, application, and the display of ability, done much to prevent a renewal of the war, and is looked upon as the most valuable servant in the Native Department. It was through his influence that the Maori owners of the Thames country were induced to make liberal terms with the miners for the working of their ground. ; ; I condense a few items a mining news from the most recently received reports from the various goldfields. The Thames reefs still maintain their reputation of being unsurpassed for richness, new claims are being continually opened with almost invariable success. The quantity of stone raided is enormous ; but until the spring has fairly set in, and the roads have become passable for the extensive machinery that is to be erected but little crushing, except at Hunt's mill, can be carried on. In this district there are few claims in which the quartz taken from a small depth yields less than four ounces to the ton, and in some instances, ten times this quantity is obtained. The ' Thames Advertiser,' of the Bth August, has a mining article descriptive of the various reefs and the claims in work from which I send extracts having reference to one of the reefs that has recently become a favorite, it says : — " The El Dorado is one of the good things which are to be found scattered over this field, although situate at a distance of three miles from the earliest ground taken up. It is one of the pioneer claims of the now important cluster in the vicinity of the Bunga Hat, of which it forms the centre and most valuable. Not only is the situation of the ground valuable from its proximity to what must one day grow into a flourishing township, but the claim itself presents an abundance of mineral wealth yet undeveloped. It is under the management of Mr Henry Reed, one of the original shareholders, for the claim . has almost entirely passed into the hands of speculators, according to the custom of really good ground. At the present time upwards of 1000 feet of driving has been done on the ground and the claim got into excellent working order for turning out an almost inexhaustible supply of auriferous quartz when machinery is at hand to crush it. It is intended to erect a machine on the ground as soon as the fine weather sets in and the roads become passable, and there are some 400 tons of quartz in readiness. The prospecting drive alluded to has now been carried 80 feet, with a cross drive 70 feet, prospecting minor leaders on the claim. The main leaders from which some choice quartz is taken ran N."W. and S.E., and have been worked upon systematically jmderthe direction of the manager. The working of this claim is, in fact, a pattern for the many inexperienced and mistaken miners who are plodding on in the hope of fortune smiling upon their well-meant efforts. The first leader opened is perhaps the best yet discovered, for the excellence of the stone taken out is unquestionable, whilst the leader makes at the depth of seventy feet, where the men are now working upon it out of a drive. Its width increases perceptibly on a N.N.E. direction, and parallel with another valuable one since opened in a middle level. The party sunk thirty feet on a level. A number of smaller leaders have been opened in the workings, but have not yet been prospected, owing to the work necessary to take out the three main leaders. Sufficient workings have, however, been opened in readiness for the machinery. The main leaders are blue quartz crystallised, falling off to the S.E. in the upper levels, the hill having apparently slipped and carried the leader withit. The first leader opened was taken out to a depth of ten feet and then closed up for other workings. One cwt. of stone from this claim yielded 490z. of smelted gold, and 16cwt., taken from an upper working, yielded 290z. at Eraser and Tinne's machine." Authentic information was received in town last evening to the effect that goldbearing quartz in large quantities had been discovered in the Waitakere ranges. During the course of Saturday last, Mr Houston, a settler residing near to what was formerly known as Howard's publichouse, and about twelve miles from Auckland, was the bearer of some very rich specimens of gold-bearing quartz to Dr Aickin, of the Whau, who is known at the present moment to be deeply interested in auriferous drifts and deposits. Mr Houßton asserted that he had met with the quartz near his residence, and he had brought in the specimens to be tested. Upon Dr Aicken complying with this request he is stated to have been bo well pleased with the result that he at once determined: to visit the locality and inspect the spot for himself.