The Tauranga Record.

Tauranga Record and Bay of Plenty Examiner, Volume 1, Issue 19, 9 November 1867, Page 2

The Tauranga Record.

SATUliDAY, KOVEMBER 9.

• With hearls resolyed, and hands prepared The blessings we enjoy to guard,'

PuRiJvG tlie expcditions wliicli wero undcrtalien in January last, Ward, Stevcnscn, dordan, JefTs, and Sergeant Mrjor Ktiius, losttlieir lives. Tlirce of thcse died of wounds received in action, and two fell dead 011 tlie field. They wero solemnly interred in tlie cemetery at Tc Papa witli militaiy lionors. accompamed by tbe baud of tlie 12tli, and followed to the

grave by a very iarge concourse of people. Most of tlie inhabitants at tlie spocial request of the Cclonel Comnianding, paid tliis sad lioraage to the Halleti braves After tlie ] arting volley oi their comrades, the earth closed over their remains. and the place wliere they once dwelt knew tlieni again 110 more f^r ever. A\ ith the luneral obsequies that al tended thern terminated all outvvard re cognition of their once existence. Many months liave passed away, many of their comrades in arms have dispersed in various direetions, the grass is now green over their graves, but no stone marks tlie spot, 110 epitapli ever so rude cliro-

nicles their fate,or ]>erpetuate their me'morv, imploring thec 4 passing tribute of a sigh.' i here is not even a railing round.the few feet (f sod vvliich cover their mouldering dnst It is doubtless a wise provision of 11a ture that the Iiving should forget the dead Life would be unendurable if we vvere ahvays mourning for those we had lost, but it has *been a custom, time honored for ages, to indicate by some kind of mark the place o# sepulchre of those for wliom men havc 1 ad a regard. The poor fellows of whoni we spe k have more thanordinary claimsnpon our gratetul recollection. Tlrey fell while figliting tiie battles of our country, died, as was believed, 111 tlie defence of our liomes, the ground vvhich ^ e now enjoy has been consecrated with their blood. though we hasten to hury the the past in forgetfulness and cease to remember that tuey they ever were, their unceuscious aslies reproach us for our neglect of their memory. No storied urn or animated

" """ ' 1"" "7 hust, no costly effort oi tyn sculptor is required to ado their tombs, 01* of the poet to inscribe their elegy, but at least some ' frail memorial,' Ihe ti: ark of some kind iiand to liotifv tlie place of their last abode, something to call the attention of the passing stranger to the few feet of cold earth whieh encloces their remains, would be not ordy creditahle but just, The public have a right to be directed hy some external aiid visible memento to the last resting place of those

who least their lives away at tlie call of duty. A simple slah. a cross, or an inexpensive railing. is a small favpr to ask from those who survive to testify that gratitude for public services is not quite extinct. The cololiial service in the Xcw Zea-" land waV has not been too glorious to yield a sufficient »revvard in the recolleetion of the living for the preeious life wliich it has cost tlie unfortunate dead. No page in history records tlie exploits of him who «as by dusky wan iors slain, 110 richly endowed emolnments await his surviving relatives, — as in the Im peria 1 service — to tlie last day of their existence. They become to dunib forgetfulness a prey;' their names are blotted out from the hook of tlie living. and, in cases sueh as those instanced, their hodies . are con-igned to a silent tomb from wliicli all vestige of their | revious existence is witheld. Is it not hard tliat men who have placed at tlie disposal of their country the most preeious tliing they had in the world, — their own dear lives. and. these expended,

should have 110 efflrt rnade to keep their memory green . "We are under the impress'on that tlie omission of such a mark of respcct for the dead is inadvertent and aceidental. we therefore feel a degree of confidence that it will not long be suifered to contmue. and wtiild simply remind tlu se 011 wliom sueh a duty ■ devolves that it is only liglit ' and proper that tlie eA'th wliicli covers tlie remains of : those who suffered in tlie j service of their country ^ should be, if not profnsely ornamented, at least protected fiom trespass by a sufficient enclosure. I'ossibly this is all tiiat can bc aecomplished just now, yet it will bc a satisfaction to think that something has been done to secure for them a memento moti.

While congratulating 011 rselves 011 the facility with wliich we are 4 lulliag dowi our barns aud building greater. adding story to story, and tenement tg tene-

nient, it would he well to accept a liote of warning. It has taken many months to erect the spacious premises of wliich our town is composed. Not mauy more minutes would suffice to convert them into smouldering ruins The match ef the incendiarv, a chance spark, an accident, wliich none can fo'resee, could commencc the work of conflagration, and level many ccstly edifices with the ground Such a a conflagration could liardly fail of beins: general, for the

buildings in the township so closely adjoin. and the macerialofwhich tht yareeomposed is so inflammahle tliat universal calamility niust he tlie result. For such an extgency no provision has yet been made. Were a fire to break out in Te Papa ths inhabitants could only desert their buildings, and gaze in terror on advan cing ruin. It would be well to beprovided with some sort of prevention, even if it should be inadequate to the end desired. No time should be lost in procuring a fire engine, aud making arrangeinents for itsefficient working. Otherwise, tlie only method to stay or interrupt the progress of tlie flames will l»e to destrov intervening ouildings, wliich all must admit is a eure nearly as had as tlie/ disuase. Houseliolders, owners of property, all are interested in tlie

organization of a plan for suhdtiing or checking the ra v ages of tlie devouring element r\ he etgine should be procured, and a fire brigade formed without delav. If this cannot he done without a public meeting. let us have a public meeting at once. The yater is close at hand, aad hi inexliaustible supply and we cannot complain that tlie locality has been stinted in this respect. Insurance is a very valuable

precaution against ]>ecuniaiy loss arising ti'. 111 fires, but it does not often cover tlie real injury done by disahling Ihe man of business for a tiine from pursuing his occupatiou . Some one else takes u p the trade wliicli he is for a while unable to continue, and busiuess oticc trausferred, | is sometimes never regained. I The present time is pecuI lurly suitahle for the consideration and execution of this scheme. Some very valuable and extensive buildings arealready completed, others are rapidly hastening towards that end, and «e have the leisure — wliich we may imt have a nionth ortwo heuce— o devote the best energies of mr minds to the organiz ition if amacliinery of wliich no town of the dimensions of ours ought to be devoidi.