NEW ZEALAND JUBILEE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 439, 22 January 1890, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND JUBILEE.

DATE FIXED OFFICIALLY. At last the vexed question between Auckland and Wellington of the date of the foundation of the colony has been decided, and decided to be the 29th' of January, 1840. A “Gazette ’ was published last evening, declaring the 29th of January a public holiday for the whole colony, so that the Government stamp has been pub on that day. No doubt those in authority have given most careful consideration to the matter, on account of the absurd, one might almost say frantic, jealousy of a section of the Wellington people over it. Official records have been carefully looked into, the dust of years has been shaken off “Gazettes,’’and everything possible has been done to settle the question once for all. In the minds of those possessed of any information on the subject there never could ! have been a doubt as to the date. The law officers of the Crown could have no difficulty, for the Judges of the Supreme Court had long ago decided that the 29th of January was to be observed as a general legal holiday as being the anniversary iff the foundation of the colony. This was done when they established the rules for practice and procedure which govern every Supreme Court in the colony. Old 44 Gazettes ” have, shown that the 29th was the regular Mr Hudson Williamson has shown by an, extiact that even in 1842 the 29th)' was recognised in the “Gazette” the ; second anniversary of the foundation of the colony: This extract would surely be enough for any sane man. The same; fact has always been admitted, and acbect on by all public authorities in this colonyand in the Home Government. Wellington is, naturally enough, to be. allowed to have its own holiday every year to celebrate the foundation of the' province there. That date everybody admits to be the 22nd January, for on that date a band of settlers came and took up land in the Wellington district. Every other province will have and has had its own particular day to be celebrated. The having two holidays for celebration ought to be enough to please that section of the Wellington people and press who ‘ have gob so angry over the fact that the time-honoured date of Auckland’s anniversary celebration tallies with the date of the colony’s fo-indation. But the Wellington“ Post” has not yet recovered its equanimity over the trouble, and is still pettish, as it shows in an article declaring 44 that Wellington will not, so far_ as the public is concerned, take the slightest notice of the bogus holiday on • fche29th January.” Such jealousy and ignorance can only defeat it* own ©nds, and serves to make ridiculous that part of Wellington which sympathises with it.

Thus it is to be hop§d ends this storm in a teapot.