THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1871.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 71, 30 December 1871, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1871.

Gun contemjjorary, the “ Cross,” in its leading article a few days ago attempts to divert attention from the real point raised in our article insisting; on the right of the Thames community to administer their own affairs. Either the writer in our contemporary does not understand the. question, or else he purposely misleads his readers. AVe did not suggest the creation of a new province, as the “ Cross ” implies. The form of local administration is quite another matter, .But surely the “Cross.” which has done its utmost to render the Auckland Provincial Council ridiculous, cannot reasonably censure this community from freeing itself from its control. Let the “ Cross ” endeavour, in this matter at least, lobe consistent.

AVe arc quite aware that our proposition is an unpalatable one to the Auckland monopolists, but, nevertheless, it is put forward in the interests of the Thames and for the public good, and we intend to push it to the utmost. The “ Cross ” will not serve either its own interests or the cause of its patrons by indiscriminately designating the Thames population—commercial, mining. and manufacturing—a “ mob.” ()ur contemporary says of our article : “AVi th a certain class of the community this style of writing is favourably received, hut all the well-disposed must deplore the mischievous tendency of such pandering to the passions of the mob.” Now, the mob in this instance, is the entire Thames population who are in accord with us, and do not regard their connection with Auckland in the light of an unmixed blessing. Our argument was addressed to men of substance, to men engaged in commercial and mining operations here, and we carefully abstained from appealing to their passions.

The “ Cross ” is indignant at the idea that a “ eommercial city like Auckland ” should be told that “ it produces nothing that “it possesses no resources on which it can depend;” that “it owes its existence to the Thames,” and so forth ; and adds that for our readers to believe any of these statements to he true is to suppose that they “have taken leave of their senses.” AVell, however strange it may appear to the Auckland Press, our readers are perfectly sane, and yet they implicitly believe the truth of these statements, and. what is more, our contemporary knows that thev are true.

Our contemporary thinks that inasmuch as Auckland capital is invested m oil]’ mines, and Auckland merchants import such goods as wo consume, we have no reason to grumble. Let us rest and be thankful, is the advice of the " Cross.” Cut we are not content to rest. AVc are glad that Auckland capital finds a profitable field for investment at the Thames. Jf it did not, it would not be so applied : and so I long as the Thames pays handsome | dividends, we suppose the investors will !be satisfied. Cut residents at the I Thames have a different kiiid of interest i in its progress from that of a mere

speculative investor. The Thames community has a right to administer its own affairs : it lias a right to make the best of its great natural facilities for commercial purposes: it has a right to say how its revenue shall he expended : and it has an undoubted right to refuse j to pay interest and sinking fund on i the \Vaikato and Kaipara railways, j which must rather injure than benefit I it. AVo make these remarks j in reply to our contemporary, j hut we propose to return to the main question shortly.

___ j The • lioyal Alfred' will niako a trip between Auckland and the Thames on Sunday. The • Gulden Crown' leaves Oraliamstowu on Monday, January Ist, at 7 a.m., so as to be in time for the Auckland sports. The usual Watch-night service will beheld in the Wesleyan Church, Grahamstown, on Sunday (to-morrow), the hist, commencin'} at lu.L’O pan,

To-morrow the Thames Cricket Club send an eleven down to Coromandel to play on New Year's Day. We wish them all success on their journey. The Coromandel Club have got a first-rate team, so that if oni club wants to win the match they must play up well to do .««. The following members of the T.C.C. play in the match. Robinson, Steadman. Howard. Lascclles. Simpson. Gcllion. Alpe Dixon. Barnett, Sandes. and WardeH. A steamer has been chartered to take the players down and back, and a good opportunity is thus offered, for persons wishing to pay a day's visit to Coromandel. At the Police Court yesterday the only business was the granting of a pawnbroker’s license to Mr S. Rogers, Oweu-strcet. and the extension to Tararu, for the day. of the licenses of C. Curtis. J. Senior, and Margaret Cairns.

Mr Samuels, of the A'arieties, Grahamstown, has received by the ’Nevada’ the latest Australasians, Illustrated Sydney Mars. Town and Country, and other colonial journals. The Sydney Mars of December 23rd has a very beautiful engraving, issued as a supplement, representing the City of Sydney from St, James’ Church looking South-east, This is well worth framing. T. Beckham, Esq., R.M., lias been gazetted Registrar under the Sale of Poisons Act, which will come into force on the first of January next. Some of the clauses are very stringent, and will alfcct not only chemists, but grocers, confectioners, and other classes of traders. Air F. P. Millar, captain of the Surrey eleven, lias consented to accept the vice-pre-sidentship of the Auckland United Cricket Club. The next match of the club will be played on Monday. A young man named Edward Harris, formerly a reporter on the Otago Daily Times, and latterly connected in various capacities with Westland papers, died a few days ago in the hospital at Westport.— MM. Mail. A journal to represent the interests of tlic Roman Catholic portion of the inhabitants of the colony is spoken of as likely to be started in AVclliugton at an early date. It will represent not AVclliugton alone, but will, as far as possible, give expression to the views of members of the church in all parts of the colony. More true than polite.—The Southern Crass mentions a fact of which we were not previously aware, viz., that Otago is “’destitute of woqd.” Auckland is not, for it has at least one blockhead. The various courts for the hearing of divorce cases, for the disposal of cases within the jurisdiction of the Vice-Admiralty Court, and those in the Bankruptcy Court, were formally opened on Thursday last, and adjourned till the 12t-li January next, — Wellington Mail.