OUR HOME LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6758, 16 July 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR HOME LETTER.

In our last Summary we recorded the opening of Parliament. On June 19 the Addrcss-in-reply was moved by Jlr. Shaw, one of the new memoero, and was seconded by Mr. Lee, who has been elected to' represent the district of Selwyn, in place of Sir John Hall, who has gone to England. The debate was not very important, and was closed on the following day, when the Address-in-reply was agreed to without a division. On June 22, Mr. Montgomery moved a vote of censure on the Ministry, founded upon a memorandum by the Comptroller-General which had been laid on the table. This memorandum called in question a withdrawal of money by the Colonial Treasurer to pay accounts, Parliament having been delayed in its meeting by the alterations to the building not having been completed. The motion was defeated by 43 to 29. On July 11 Mr. Montgomery, the leader of the Opposition, brought in a series of resolutions condemnatory of the present system of government, and requiring that certain districts having community of interests should be formed to have charge of local afiairs, including public works. A long discussion took place, which has been productive of nothing but waste of time. It is quite clear that a return to anything like the provincial form of government, which was abolished several years ago, is now impossible, and that the change to a system under which the powers of local bodies shall be increased, must come about gradually. Mr. Montgomery's resolutions were defeated by a considerable majority. It is clear that the subject of how best to deal with native lands will occupy a large amount of time during the session. The Native Lands Court is to be reformed, its procedure having been found to be productive of delays and of enormous cost, eating up in some cases all that the natives had to get out of several large blocks of fertile land. It is known that the Government, do not intend to revert to the system of direct purchase from the j natives; indeed, such a thing would be ! impossible. It seems probable that they will endeavour to pass a law by which native owners desiring to sell their lands will do so through the Crown Lands Board, according to the ordinary laws of the country dealing with waste lands. In such cases the owners will be charged with the cost of survey and other expenses, a certain per-centage will be deducted for the construction of roads, and the whole remainder will be handed over to the natives. The New Zealand Native Land Settlement Company have at present a Bill before the House, asking for certain powers to enable them to deal with native lands as agents for the owners. Opposition has been indicated by a number of the members of the House to this Bill, on the ground that the company might become too powerful. It is said that the Government will also oppose the Bill. But even if the Bill be thrown out, the promoters of the company will proceed with their operations, under the powers at present permitted by the law. On the 26th of June a petition was presented to the House by Sir Georgo Grey, signed by Wahanui and the principal landowners amongst the Kingites. The petition stated plainly that the Kingites had been watching the proceedings of the Land Court, that they saw that the natives who brought their lands before it were soon ruined. They had determined to ask the Government to mark out the boundaries of the different tribes, and when this was done they were willing to lease, and to allow of the construction of roads and railways. The petition is likely largely to influence the legislation on sub ject this session, as there is a general disposition to yield to the wishes of the Kingites, if possible. The Financial Statement was delivered in the House of Representatives on June 27, by Major Atkinson, the Colonial Treasurer. The following are the main points: — The total expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 18S3, was £3,638,384, being £55,834 less than •estimated. That expenditure included £3,245,84S for interest on loans and £270,000 paid into the sinking fund for the redemption of the debt. The total amount of the Defence expenditure was, for the iirst time for several years, paid out of the ordinary revenue. The amount of revenue received for the year, exclusive of that from land sales, was £3,470,250, being £76,750 in excess of the estimate. The only class of revenue which fell short of the amount estimated was Customs, which yielded £1,494,463, or £5537 less than estimated. The gross public debt of the colony amounted to £30,357,111, but the sinking fund had increased to £2,517,829, the net debt being thus £27,781,281, or £104,989 more than it was in the previous year. The only addition to the public debt during the past year was the loan of £1,000,000 authorised last session. That loan was placed at an average price of £98 12s 5c3, and the stock is now quoted in the London Stock Exchange at though on no previous occasion has a New Zealand loan been raised at so favourable a price to the colony. The total receipts for the year were £3,673,933, and the expenditure £3,638,384, leaving a net credit balance of £35,549.

On the 3rd of July, Mr. Johnston, Minister of Public Works, delivered the Public Works Statement, showing a balance of £1,017,725 available at the commencement of the present financial year for public works. Eorty miles of additional railways have been opened during the year, making a total of 1373 miles in working order, and notwithstanding a great reduction in rate of freight, estimated to equal about £40,000 a year, the railway receipts had increased from £592,226 to £953,347, the passenger traffic showing an increase of £371,901. The net returns from the railways during the year have shown a payment of £3 8s lOd per cent, on their cost of construction. No new railway' works of any magnitude are proposed in the' North Island, but trial surveys of three alternative routes for the continuation of the main trunk from Te Awamutu southward are being carried out. Two intimations of importance were contained in ; the Statement, the one being of the intention of the Government to divide the department of Public Works into two, one Minister having charge of working railways, and,.the other of railways and

other works in course of construction. But the more important intimation was also made of the intention of the Government to give effect to the principle that the country should share in the benefits to be conferred on private lands by future railway extension, either through the Government resuming the lands affected, at prices to be fixed by arbitration, with a percentage as compensation for disturbance, or by having estimates made of the present and improved values of such lands, and making a division of the 11 unearned increment" between the State and the owner of the lands; the share of the latter remaining, if he so desired, as a , .liability subject to payment of a rate . of interest of five per cent. | The provisional annexation of New ' Guinea by Queensland was generally approved in this colony, and the Go- • vernment. at once brought down a ; motion pledging the colony to pay a share of the cost. Sir G. Grey has now a Bill before the House which j seeks to give power to the colony to negotiate with any island or group of j islands in the Pacific, with a view to | joining the colony. It is seen here : that the islands which lie nearest to us j must either be taken into the Empire, i or "must become a danger and a menace, j For the sake of the Empire, for the • sake of these colonies, for the sake of j the inhabitants of the islands them- I selves, it is desirable that some system j of government should be instituted, j under the care of Great Britain. ; Tawhiao, the Maori King, has lately , been distinguishing himself by allowing | some of his followers to interrupt a j road survey between Aotea and the j new township at Kawhia. But little ! importance is attached to the matter ' by the Government, and it is believed j the difficulty will easily be got over, j Otherwise native affairs have been j perfectly quiet. Mr. Kerry jSicliolls, | as commissioner for the Nrcw i Zealand Herald, has lately travelled ! through the King Country, and ! the accounts of his travels, which are now being published, are being read v/ith great interest. The district hitherto kept closed against Europeans is one containing remarkable features of scenery. Mr. Nicholls found the natives all peactfully disposed. They professed, however, their attachment to their King, Tawhiao, and were jealous of the encroachments of Europeans. A Bill is now before the House of Representatives to enable the city of Auckland to borrow £200,000, for waterworks, drainage, formation of streets, and other purposes. The city has lately been more than doubled in area by the junction of districts formerly suburban, but which had become closely built upon, and extensive works were required to construct the streets in the new districts, to provide new reservoirs for water and for drainage. A vote of the burgesses was taken, when a considerable majority appeared in favour of the new loan.