THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 109, 10 March 1870, Page 6

THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.

AUCKLAND v. WELLINGTON. The "Auckland Morning Advertiser" says: — "We have learned upon excellent authority that there is every probability of the seat of Government being, ere long, removed from Wellington to its pristine and proper place of abode — Auckland. As the whole business of the Native and Defence Departments naturally centres in Auckland, those departments have already been shifted to here, so far as a majority of clerks, officials, &c, are concerned; and we believe that many months will not elapse before the change will become total. The next step will be the alteration of the place of sitting of the General Assembly, and then will be finally accomplished the destination of a revolution in our administration which should never have taken place." The " Thames Advertiser " also says :—: — "We hear it spoken of as not improbable that the next sitting of the General Assembly will be held in Auckland. Amongst Ministers there is only one dissentient to the removal. His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Mr. Yogel, and the Hon. Mr. M'Lean are anxious that the place of meeting should be Auckland, and already the Defence Department is in course of removal from Wellington to Auckland."

The Auckland journals are exerting all the force of their logic to show cause why the next session of the General Assembly should be held in their city. After exhausting the common arguments about the importance of Auckland, its being a great commercial "entrepot," the Parliament, while held at Wellington, being beyond the control of public opinion, &c, the " Herald " winds up with the following unanswerable ''clincher" : — "There are few members of the House but have business interests in this part of the Colony or at the Thames, oft who would not be glad to avail themselves of the opportunity of residing here for a time ; while to many the pheasant shooting season would present an attraction quite outweighing any inconvenience resulting from being placed at a further distance from their homes than they would be when at "Wellington." Pheasants seemed fated to be of importance to Auckland. Sir George Bowen urged the pleasure of shooting them as one of his reasons for wishing to reside in the North ; and the " Herald " seems to think their presence of sufficient importance to cause a change in the seat of Government. If we wish to preserve our position, we must lose no time in commencing to breed pheasants.—" West Coast Times."

The "New Orleans Republican" states that George M. Stubinger, Sheriff of Iberia Parish, was murdered lately by a prisoner whom he arrested at a ball. The murderer was a coloured man, against whom the Sheriff had a writ, which he attempted to execute at a ball given that night. While the Sheriff was going out of the hall the prisoner drew a revolver and shot the former, causing his death almost instantly. The murderer then escaped, but great excitement was created, which led to the discovery and arrest of the murderer by a mob the next day, by whom he was summarily hung. Mr. Stubinger was appointed by Governor Warmoth.