The Press. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1872.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2707, 3 January 1872, Page 2

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1872.

The twomost important Acts of last session were the Immigration and Piibiic Works Act Amendment Act and the Bail ways Act. The purport of each i 3 indicated by its title. Th»first embodies the amendments which Government have found it necessary

to -make in the practical working ot their policy, as regards both the construction of railways and the management of immigration. The secoDd gir«sa Government authority to contract for the making of certain rail ways on certain specified conditions. Owing to the very late period of the session at "which these Bills were brought forward, they passed throui?l> Parliament without the public having anT opportunity of becoming acJtftK tbeir contents. Before then, 16 comider the financial position of the colony, and theTpresent aspect of the. scheme wiucb wes initiated-in ISTO. it may be a* well to take a general view of what alterations were made, or what new principles were introduced, by last year's legislation. By the Immigration and Public Works Act, IS7O, the Government was empowered to raise a loan of £4,000,000 for the purposes of the Act. This amount was apportioned as follows:—A sum of £2,000,000 was apportioned for railways—inclusive of £400,000 special!? allotted to the Middle Island ; £400,0X> for the construction of read*; £300.000 for waterworks on goldfields ; £200,000 for purchase of land in the North Island ; £60,000 lor telegraph extension ; and:£4o,ooo was left disappropriated. Purtber liabilities are also authorised to-be Incurred in the construction of railways, in the form of payments in land and guarantees, bringing up the total amount of £10,000,000. The railways to be constructed were to be such only as might be from time to time authorised by the Assembly. All moneys expended on railways or other public warks (except from the Middle Itkad 3U&w.y Fosd) wree to besa&de

a charge on the province in which the expenditure took place. It was also provoked that after the end of the f. session.*- a Board of tfeirks aa»ist tbe Minister of Public Worka in the "admini"tration of ih*» Act.

The Amendment Act of 1871 makes no change in the apportionment of the - loan or in the amount to be expenned"-; nor does it do anything to\va d;* the establishment of a Board • f Work?. The proposals of t ;, e Government for tie constitution of the Board met \\r.U so much opposition that they w. re ~Jthdmwn; and the whole question was postponed till next year, by the nintoa of a clause to Hie »ff?ct thnt it should not be obiisa:orv on the Governor to appoint any such Bxud till after the end vf the nest session of the The chief altonitons effected by the Act are the introduction of provisions for coalfield*, railway?, and tramways, a?:d a complete change in the mode of the coat of railway works up.'n the provinces. The original BiiJ also contained several clauses relative 10 the construction of branch or district railways ; but they were strongly objected to, and ultimately struck out by tbe Legislative Council. In the first place, the 19fch section ot the Act, 1870, as to the provincial charging of railway expenditure, is absolutely repealed. Instead, it is provided that, before the construction of any authorised line is commenced, the Assembly shall determine whether the cost ia to be charged against the land fund of the province in which the railway is to be constructed, <<rakainst the proceed* of waste Imds of the Crown set apart or taken for t!-e purpose. By t!i« R-iiUaya Act, 1371. all the railway* authorised in the Middle I--land are placed in the former category. Un'es* specially ordered otherwise, the cost of railways is always a* a matter f eoun-e to be charged a^.-iinsr.the and revenue of the province in which jiiev a»-e Mr Vogel, it will be remembered, in 'ds financial statement, drew this dtstin -tiou between the province* fthe Middle and of the North Is'and ; that in the latter it would be better for Government to at once acquire a sufficient extent of land to cover the cost of the railways, whereas iv the Middle Island it would preferable to leave the land intact and to debit tbe lind revenue with the railway charges. Whenever the cost of railway construction is cbarge•»b!e upon the land fund, the following course will be adopted. No charge at all will be made until some portion of the railway is finished and opened to traffic. Upon the completion of e\ err such portion, the Colonial Treasurer will prepare an account *howmg the amount exDended on its construction, together with payments for interest and sinking fund —or, if the rtilway is constructed under a guarantee, of all mone. s expended in payment of such guarantee, the amount wid then be capitalised, and the Minister of Public Wales will determine what sum shall be charged against the province in respect of it. In ascertaining the amount of the yearly rhurges, the Minister will credit the province with such proportion of its half of the stamp duties as he considers may fairly pass iv reduction of it; with all outn* to which the province is entitled out of the Middle Island Eiilway Fund; and with any revenue derived from the railway over and above the working expenses. If however the working expenses exceed the revenue the Minister will determine what further charges shall be made against the province on that account. The whole sum will be charged upon the land fund, aud be deducted from it month by month, as in the case of any other provincial charges ; and in the event of the land revenue proving insufficient, the deficiency will be met l>y direct taxation levied within the province. The Act does not prescribe any particular form of taxation, nor state whether it will be imposed by the Geueral or Prou'ncial Governments.

In the case of railways the cost of which is to be charged against waste lands set &«*ide for the purpose, if it at any time apjwafs to the Minister of Public Works that ilie land so set apart ia insufficient the Governor is empowered to take by proclamation such additional land as the Minister may recommend. If there i 8 still a deficiency, it is to be met by charges against the provincial revenues, or by direct taxation, or in both ways.

Tbe provisions relative to coal-field mines are of no interest to this province. The line to Malvern, called a branch line, ia practically regarded as a main line; and the only lines authorised under the special denomination of ** coaf-fi' Id " are. one in Auckland and two on the West Coast, at the Grey and the Buller. The Minister of Public Works is autho nsed to receive applications for the eon>truc'Ton of a railway, either from the owners or lessees of a coal mine or from; the Superintendent of a province within which a coal mine exists—the applicants to furnish pU necessary informatTon, and to state what security can be offered for re couping the cost. If after investigation the Minister is sati.-fied that the railway would be for the public advantage, he may recommend that it should be undertaken ; and must then obtain securities from the persons interested, and determine the annual charge to be made against them for the cost of construction and working expenses. The Minister is also empowered to spend £10,000 in prospecting for coal, and to make advances from tbe public works fund to aid in developing coal mines—in the latter case, taking sufficient security for repayment.

Aa to tramways, they may be constructed, if authorised by the General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Governor, out of aDy sums available for rail* a}s or roads; but not unless the Governor ia satisfied that a railway will at some future date be required along the same line, and that the net receipts of the tramway will within three years at furthest be saiEcieot to pa? interest on its cost.

Lastly, with respect to tie compea-

I sation for land taken from private ! aud the proj prietoifoftfoj^fcannot agree upon I the amount of compensation, the Act [provides that it shall be settled by the District Court Judge i-f the district, or 1 the lieaident Magistrate, with two aaI sessors appointed by him. In ranking their award, the Court is directed to j take into consideration any enhanceI ment in value, on account of the eon- ' 1 struction of the railway, of adjoining

land belonging to the same person, -and it" it shall appear that, by su'-h enhancement in value or other benefit or advantage, the owner of the adjoining land will suffer no loss by the construction of such railway, then no purchase money or compensation shall be awarded to liiin." The above are the principal alterations in, or additions to, the Act of ls*7Q, so far as relates to railway const! uction. Some exceedingly important changes have a!>o been made in the part of the Act which deals with immigration, but we must reserve them

for another article