26A. ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. CnAr. XI. 
by promising to " hold out the hand of friendship to 
" Port Nicholson." It was not, however, free from 
the spirit of jealousy which had ever distinguished the 
metropolitan public, though it professed only to " feel 
" compassion for the miserably-chosen settlement at 
" which the hopes and prospects of the Port Nicholson 
•* settlers were perhaps doomed to disappointment." 
f) Retrenchment and economy were beginning to be 
felt at Auckland. Clerks and mechanics were dis- 
charged in numbers from the Government service ; and 
the latter, only able to get work on the roads at 2s. 6d. 
a-day if they had interest with the Superintendent of 
Works, were claiming loudly to be sent back at the 
expense of the Government to the settlement from which 
they had been lured by false promises. It was publicly 
known that Lord Stanley had disallowed the job by 
which the officials had obtained choice town-lots at 
average prices and long credit ; and it was conjectured 
that instructions had also been sent to reduce the reck- 
less expenditure which had alone sustained the capital. 
This disallowance must have been exceedingly un- 
pleasant to the Acting Governor, as he had already sold 
his little lot to one of the independent Members of 
Council for 1200/. 
On the 3rd of October, the election took place for 
the Aldermen and Mayor of the borough of Welling- 
ton. 
Ever since the proclamation of the borough in 
August, great excitement had prevailed on this subject. 
The Act provided that all male inhabifcmts should 
be entitled to register their votes with the Sub-Sheriff 
by paying one pound sterling each : 350 availed them- 
selves of this privilege. 
The usual competition took place between the Gentry 
and the working men. Each party formed a committee, 
