PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. MONNDAY, JANUARY 4.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2020, 6 January 1864, Page 4

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. MONNDAY, JANUARY 4.

' FINANCCA*. STATEMENT. Mr. Daldy said : Sir, in moving the second reading of the Appiopiiation Bill, it is unnecessary for mo to nuke reinaiks on the bill itself. It is like all Appropiiation Bills, with the usual clauses piovidiug for the expendituie of money. I hhalt endeavour, a-i concisely as possible, to state what is the present position, and what I consider to be the monetary prospects of the province. First, I wish to say that with regard to the Appiopnation Act, 1863, the Government aie exceedingly desirous of carrying it out in its iutegnty, that_ all votes placed ou it fi.r certain purposes, where it has been found possible to cairy them out, should be csuiiedout. Theie are certain votes upon the bill that wilf not of necessity be expended; and accouhng to the best calculation I have been able to make, the savings that will arise from the'-e various votes will about compensate foi the deficiency that will arise in the revenue. Foi the year 1563, the custom's revenue was estimated at £36,000. Had I made this statement a month ago, I should have had to report that there would have been a probable deficiency of £1,000, but to day I am able to announce thatmsteadof adeficieucy there will be £1,000 m excess, arising rnaiuly from the arrival in port of several cargoes of dutiable goods dm ing the past few weeks. This will enable me to ask the Council to stnke out the temporary loan m the new estimates. With legard to the land revenue, there will be a small increase upon it Upon the pilot and hai bour dues there is a very slight increase. On the piovincial revenue, estimated at £6,000, there will be some deficiency, which I will explain by stating that dining 1862 the pilot and haibour dues were not separated from the ordinal y provincial levenue , but they weie included m it, and the amount was then £6,001) ; but in the making out of the estimates, when the separation took place a i eel action ought to h.vve beeu madeou the sum of £6,000, pioviuotal leveuuo ; but I <im happy to say, that as it is the amount leahsed will nearly leach it. The puncip.-vl deficiency will be on the lepajinent of assisted passage*, £2,000. The sum actually received is £700. The Government have given notice to all paities that they will take legal pioceediugs for the purpose of enfoicing payment of these amounts ; and nothing but the disturbed state of the countiy has pi evented them canying out what they believe to be their duty. I shall, pieviously to the close of the session, submit a lesolution on this subject to the House So that lam enabled to tepoit to-day thar in the estimates of 1563 theie is a deficiency of £1,400, but th.it, with lapsed votes, ko , there will be a saving of expendituie to as near that amount as it is possible to calculate It is with some pleasuie that I see tin* to he the case. That our estimates for 1863 have been so far as estimates can be, coiiect. Some hon. in_cmbei& ilitteied me veiy stiongly that the revenue was so expulsive we could net a great deal mote, and that we should vote a gioat <lealmoio The lesult shows that it is well we did m>t I ivish now to lay befoie the Council a comparative statement of the levenue of the yeai 1863 and ISO 4 The l even tie foi the year 1803 wa^ £62,262, that foi 1864 is estimated at £70,120 Tho expenchtuie is divided into three heads — liabilities and peimauont chaiges, establish ments, and special and miscellaneous votes. In *186.i thi« expenilituie, under the head of liabilities and permanent chaiges, was £12,594; for 18b4 the amount is £17 015, being an increase on that of 1803 of £j 021. I "ill nut stay heie to show how that inci'Mse in mteiesb and sinking fund will be dealt with, but will lathei do it when we ptocccd ti> consulei the estimates in committee. The cost of the establishment in I&G3 wis ±21,472 , the amount now pioposed is ±25 733— au inueise of £4,261. The luciease in these establishments will be as follows : on the police, £1,750 , an luciease which I thiuk all lion membei-. will see has become an absolute necessity (heai, heal), and will cheei fully giant. For the gaols the lnciease is A 952 ; and I am sony to have to mention such an item. I may stite that the total nunibei of prisoneis m the yeai 1562 was 78, and m the yeai 1563, 115, being an nioi ense of 37, which may well account foi the necess.uy nicuase ot expuidituie The pioviucial teveuue of 18j3, t living i way fiom t ci-.li in hand, and othei sums, so as to lodnce it to actual leveuue that would be deiived fiom leal sonice-, of levenue was, in 1803, £55,351, and foi 1564, I estim Ue it at £60,520, making an mciease ou the yem ot £5 409 Tho pimciple on which the estimates hive been flamed this yeai as hon. niembeis will petceive, has been to do away with many small votes for miiioi uinlui takings ; that wheie theie is a spaie populahrn in disti icts, and it is believed uocessaty to give them assistance, a sum of money has been placed on the estimates, not defining the paiticniai put poses to which it is to be appio (mated. The piesent Government, fiom expcucnce in these matteis, find they can expend the money better tluouyh lion, members and others belonging to the district, than by cat rying out cci tain works, pioposed in the Council, of winch membcis of the Government know nothing at the time, and foi which sums of money aie fixed which aie aftei w.aids found to be totally useless In seveial diitnofcs wheio money wis voted for public woiks, gentlemen have voluntaiily come fora aid to assist the Government in the expenditure of the money, for which the Government smoeiely thank them (-Vmongst the gentlemen lefeiied to, the hon. membei mentioned Mi. Baistow, R. M., at the Bay of Islands, and the haiboui mastci thoie, Mr Williams, and Mr Ball, the membei for Mongonin, and Mr. White, lesident magistiate) And Ido not think it is asking too much of the Council to ask them to iepose that confidence in the Government, that with the assistance of gentlemen holding a position in the various disti icts wheie we cannot send our own engineei, the money would be well expended. In a woik costing about £200, pcihaps, the engineer might be away tlnee weeks, his tiivellmg excuses and othei-. come to a veiy heavy chaige, and ho, pet haps, lepoits the work to be linpiacticablo, and it lias to lie in abeyance foi a time It' list the Council will have confidence in tho Government in the expcndituie of these sums *foi local pui poses, for they well lemember that tho Government stand always m this position that they can be called to account foi the expenditiuc of the money and the people, knowing it is placed in that foi in, look with a jealous eye to it Ido not think it piefenable tint the Government should have the dnectirln of these woiks, because of the local jealousies which ficqucntly exist, and give them a gieat deal of ttoublo Following out tins principle, theie foie, in the construction of the estimates, the latgest sum possible has been placed to meet local coutnbu tions. '11ns system has many advantages. It pto motes expendituie by the settleis of an equally luge sum of money m public luinioveraeutq , aud what to my mind is a much gi eater advantxge, it causes people to take an niteiestin the improvements going on in then distnet As soon as they feel they have to contiibute fiom then own pockets, then minds aie mure bent on seeing that the money is spent to the best possible advantage. The Govei n ment have thus a pietty good secnnty that the money will be expended well and wisely; and I I trust the plan will meet the appiobation of tho Council when they go into the estimates. With legard to the necossaiy piovision being made for the I mteiest and siuUing fund upon the loan, when the Loan Act was pioposed I distinctly stated to the Council that the whaif debt of £12,000 at 6 pei cent would provide the mteiest and sinking fund for the past thiee years, and I am still confident that it will do so The estimates fin this yeai have been fiamed on the ba>-is that £100,000 will be taken up from the bank by the end of this year, and upon that calculation £9,800 will be tequneil, ami that is proposed to be t.iKen — one half of ifc fiom the wharf debt, and the other half fiom the intciest and siuking fund aiising fiom loans These will just balance each other, and will not affect our estimates of levenue anil expendituie for the ptesent yeai. With logard to the trusts, hon. lnttnbeis will peiceivethe hai bom ti list i<i lapully increasing in amount and importance. The revenue was placed on last year'B estimates at £3 800, which lias been fully borne out. The estimate for tins yeai is £6 300 Hon membei sate an aie that during the tecent meeting of the General Assembly, an act was passed euibliiicc them to pay up the puncipal of the loan for £25,000 into the JMipremeCouit. Application is now being made to the Judge to permit the. Government to do that and they are prepared when they get hia pei mission, to pay over the £25,000 into the Supreme Cotut, which will tree the present harboui endowment from then mottgage liability. A very valuable property will theu fall into the hands of the Harbour Trust, in eluding a numbei of allotments msule the intake belonging to ife, and a large quantity of land nuside which can be made very good use -of, and be ltmneately made piodnctive of income Whilst upon tin*, I must say I feel exceedingly desirous that at the eailiest ppnod this tiusr should be placed incoming sion It nwo laige, too extensive in its details to be managed bv the Provincial Goverment, thetuembeis of winch aie changing from time to time; and it wall be my eflfoit as eaily as possible, when it is fiee and in woiking oulei, that it should be placed in the hands of a commissioner to manage. On the other trusts, I don't know thatl have any remark to make, except that there ai o a number of allotments be-

longing to the city which have been submitted to the City Board tor their views upon what should be done with them. As to the college and grammar school, I may state for the information of the Council that the accumulated funds now is, in round numbers, £3,000. Tins has been held on deposit in the bank for some two or three years at 4 per cent. A short time ago when the notes weie become due, the subject was considered by the Executive Council and by their advice the Hupeuutendent has offered this money for loan, and I believe we -shall obtain <a very eligible in vestmeut for that sum. It just became a question whether it was not, under present cncumstances, fai better for that trust, and the Superintendent as the trustee, to invest the money at eight, nine, and ten per cent , whatever might bo the amount obtained in the money maiket upon the security of pioperty, than foi lfc to remain in tbe banks at four per cent. I think it only light in the position which I hold, that 1 should now endeavour to give the Council some of my views with regard to the future financial position of the province. There is one subject which I forgot to mention before, that m May, in the yeai 180n, the £45,000, at 10 per cent., will be paid, which will effect * saving during that year of £600, and in 1866, £900, thus easing the levenue of the colony to that amount, by one loan at 6 per cent being exchanged for another at 10 per cent. It will be evident to hon. membeis that whenever the whole of the harbour, debt shall be paid up and absorbed, the whole ehaige of inteiest and sinking fund will fall upon the provincial revenue. Ido think it is necessaiy under these circumstances, that every effoit should be made to induce the people themselves to extend local taxation, because wherever that shall become the case— that the interest and siukmg fund of the loan shall take up a large amount of customs revenue, as it necessarily must do, theie must be a diminution to some extent— not to the whole extent, because om customs revenue will go on luei easing with the population — but to some ex tent tins chaige will shoiteu the means of assisting m local worts, and the -\\ oi ks especially refeiredto aie the extenmuation of thistles — a woik which the people should take upon themselves, whiclj the Government cannot grapple with, and if the people don't grapple with, it, the thistles will ovemin the Government as well as the country. The thistle is becoming a foi mulable enemy to all. It has never been denied in this Council that if we borrow means foreairyiug out peimaneut woiks, we must lie piepared to cany on local woiks by means of taxation. It has never been lepresented that borrowing would prevent taxation, but that it would hasten it oi) VVhat colony in the woild is there that has not had to lesoit to local taxation, to cany out its local improvements'' Theie is not one to be cited. Theie is one paiticulat aspect of our affairs upon which I hold stiong opinions, which I ihould do wiong to withhold fiom the Council I believe thit a time should be as eaily as possible definitely fixed when oui piesent land legulations should cease then operations. It iniitt be evident to all that we aie bmrowing money to piuchase land and introduce lmnu^iants, and then giving the land away — a system which is consuming both ends of the candle, l'hetc would be no objection to that, however, provided that we could piovule the supply of land, but I maintain that our system of laud legulations is now a very expensive mode of lmmigratuu. Its cost is much mine than laisius^ the money, and paying the intertst and sinking fund ot it. We h ive only a rijdit to cuiy on such a system so long a-> we can do it honestly, and without doubt of meeting our liabilities. Now, I feat to cany it ou much longer I don't advocate its being bi ought so suddenly to an end, tai fiom that ; I think that at leist twelve months' notice should be given ; but I think it is a subject well worthy of our attent'on imw because, uiitoituuately, the Legi-lative Council having taken upon ltselt to do away with the alteiatnm-> made by this Council and the House of Hepreseuta tiverf, and maintained the mihtiry land i emulations as they weie ; I think tint should peace ensue m this colony in a few months, the claims made on you foi land will be mine than you can bear, miles-, theie is some new phase m tlie laud purchase system I htive obsei ved in the Genetal Govern mun b Gazette the notice of one solituy puicli.i&t: of SOO icies, and I don't know ol any land being handed ovei to the Pioviucial Government during the past ihree months. It behoves us then clo-ely to look at this subject as it affects liuauce. Ido not wish to consulei it ou otliei giounds at present, because I know that it is a subject of discussion. But we must look closely at it as a niattei affecting our financial position, thiee, foui, or five yeais hence I will point out anothei beai ing which it lias A nuinbei ot faun-, have been taken up m this countiy undei the land legulations, which will bo foifeited 'Ihese fauns have giown into value, and additional value has been given by settleis lmpioviug near them, and in some ca-.es even fencing them. These lauds will be of a valuable chaiactei, say woith 25i. au acre, but you will get the ciah piuchaset to compete against the otderhoklers foi these lauds; and auothet thing, we must beat in mind the operations of the Ueneial Government, wlio aie going to locate laige bodies of people, and give lands on certain terms, we aie not yet awaie wha. the distinct teims aie, but it they aie more favourable than oms they \iill bung our system to a standstill, . and if less favoiuable they will make people turn their attention to ours , so that any way I see a piobability of mci easing demand foi our lauds Iliad thought that the war would have checked this, but thp number of land ordeis legisteied in ISC3 is upwaids of 3,000, I am happy to say ; but that is a leasou why we should be careful not to "ovei run the constable" in that respect Looking to the whole piospects o£ the province, monetarily, I do consider they at c tgood Ttade has not been depressed, foi we have had no seiious complaints , the revenue has increased this year, not moiely by the £5,000 represented in the estimates, but by the £4 000 moie on yom harboui tiust, making £9,000, and £2,400 ou the South Koall, making in all £11,400 I say it is a veiy cheering thing to see this mciease, because whether it is foi the ftouth Road to keep the South Road, or for the haibour to pay the inteiest and sinking fund, or the cost of harbour impiovemputs, all these things indicate piospenty amongst the people, ausing as they do fiom tolls and taxes, which, if tiade is slack, necessauly deciease. It is satisfactory to see that these sums have i cached fai beyond w hat as estimated last year, and indicates that the people aie capable of laisnig by local taxation the necessaiy money for paying the inteiest and sinking fund lequned foi Cirtrying out public woiKs. I need say little moie on this subject, but to congratulate the Council and the country genei ally «n the sound position m which we stand financially as a piovince. In ati extraoulinaiy yeai we have, amidst its numeious vicissitudes, and with the piessuie the Provincial Government has had upon them m many directions toi excessive expend'ture, &c , we have, except in the lelief of the distiessed, been enabled, under all these encumstances, to keep the expenditure within, the limits which tin-. Council gave to us to deal with. I now move the second rea nug of tho Appiopnation Bill. The bill was then read a second time without discussion.

The Auckland Ans'ital Rbqvtpa — A wellattended meeting of persons inteiested m the appioaching Auckland Annual Regatta was held last evening in the W.iiteinata Hotel C.ipt tin Casey was votel to the cuur, after which the business of the meeting, which was principally the appointment of officer-) anil a committee to mike the necessary auaiigemeuts, was introduced. Lieutenant Giiilding, of the Naval Volunteer, was appointed secretary, Mr. J. Rattriy treasurer, and the chan m.iv and Mr J. Waymouth auditors. After some discussion and the omission and addition to the list of perions to serve on the committee, the following committee was appointed : i). Burn, Captain I'limer, Captain James, Jno Kattray, J Edwaids, H. Lewis, Chas. Robinson. Georgp Bedil'ies, Kenry Niccol, Wm. Boj'd, A Scott, William Williamson, Captain Chamberlain, Dr Dallisfcon. D Maofailane, H J. Wadham, Captain Mai Its, Lieut. Guilding, Walter Giey, J Waymouth, D Stewart-, and Thos Niuoi. These names numbering 22, power was given to extend them to 24 As it was uu det stood, that the regatta should take place on the usual day, the 29th mst , the anniversary of the colony, no formal motion was made ou the subject. Amongst the prizes that will be given tins year will be the silver cup piesented by Messis. Shaw, •Saville, and Co , to be competed for by cargo boats. Last year there was a puze of £50 for a canoe race, but it was stated at the meeting last night that it was found impossible to include a similar prize in this year's piogramme. The fir~t meeting of the committee to discuss the at rantcPinents will be held tins evening at the Waitemata Hotel.

Electoral — Notice' is given in onr advertising columns by the Registration Officer, that the claims of peisous to have their names placed on the electmal roll-i of Auckland West and East, Parnell, Newton, and the Nmthern division, or to have a.ny alteration or addition made in the nature of their qualification, will be received during this month and February and March next.