ADDRESS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 153, 10 December 1853, Page 10

ADDRESS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF WELLINGTON.

The croAvded state of our columns will not allow our publishing the entire address of the Superintendent of Wellington, at the opening of the Provincial Council. There are, however, isome subjects touched upon by His Honor, which we deem it necessary to lay before our readers ; we more especially allude to the raising a loan to meet the pressing requirements of the Province, for roads, bridges, and immigration, questions also nearly concerning ourselves. After a brief allusion to the importance of the occasion, His Honor thus touches upon the position and prospects of the Province of Wellington : — " The Province of Wellington is, from its geographical position, in the very centre of these Islands, and from its other natural advantages, undoubtedly destined under wise and beneficial legislation, to form not the least, if not the most, important portion of this colony. Comprising an area of above ten million acres, of which by far the greater proportion is peculiarly adapted for agricultural and pastoral purposes,—possessing, by means of its long line of sea coast, arid of the many navigable rivers which intersect it iv various directions, vast facilities of ■water communication, —with fifty miles of the two main trunk roads already completed, and some twenty more iv process of formation, — with its capital placed upon a harbour not surpassed, if indeed equalled, by any other in the whole colony, and vapidly becoming the chief emporium of the Southern Provinces, —with an extensive and steadily increasing commerce, both with Great Britain and the neighbouring colonies—the value of the colonial produce exported during the year just ended from this port, having been not less than £87,000 —with considerable flocks and herds, —with a population of eleven thousand natives, gradually adopting the habits and customs of civilization, actively engaged in almost every branch of industry and actuated, (as in reality they have ever been,) by the most friendly feelings towards the colonists; above all, "with a body of settlers who, in spite of diiliculties, disasters, and dangers of no ordinary magnitude, have yet clung to the country of their adoption, who have proved their attachment to the Institutions now established by their steady and persevering demand for them during a long period of years, and who are now ready and anxious to co-ope-rate with you in all your endeavours tv promote the common welfare, —this Province contains all the elements of stability and progress—all the materials with which to found and rear up a great and prosperous country, if we are only able rightly to use and apply them. With regard to the territorial revenue, you are aware that by the Constitution Act, onefourth of the gross proceeds of all land sales is to be paid to the New Zealand Company until their debt of .£208,000 is discharged*; that from the remaining three-fourths are to be deducted the expenses of the land department (including surveys, &c.,) and all sums due to the natives on account of land purchase, and that, after thc-e deductions have been made, the surplus (sulj'jct always as in the case of ordinary revenue, to any funhtr appropriation by the General Assembly) is to be paid over to the

Provincial Treasurer, and to the appropriation of the Provincial Council.

From despatches, however, which will be laid before you, it will be seen that the Land Commissioner has been instructed to pay over to the Provincial Treasurer only one-half of the surplus in question, and to retain the other in his own hands, to be applied by him to emigration purposes, in accordance with the terms of the Proclamation of the 4th March, 1853, until such time as you shall have expressed your desire to have it placed under your control. It will therefore be necessary that you should pass a resolution to that effect. But it will be further seen, from the same despatch, the Governor claims the power under the lloyal Instructions of the 12th August, 1850, of appropriating, without reference to the legislature, any portion, not exceeding one-third of the gross proceeds of the land sales within any Hundred, to such purposes as the Wardens of the Hundred may specify. To the power thus assumed, I object on the following grounds : Ist, that whatever authority may have been conferred upon the Governor by the Constitution Act, to regulate the sale, letting, disposal, and occupation of the waste land, yet there is no power given him of appropriating any part of the land revenue that remains, after the deductions already specified have been made ; 2nd, that the Boyal Instructions of the 12th August, 1850, under which the power is claimed, being repugnant to the Act, are by it repealed ; 3rd, that the proposed appropriationisinconsistent with,, and a violation of his Excellency's own Proclamation of the 4th of March, 1853, under which thesurplusis directed to be applied exclusively to public works, and emigration, until the General Assemblj', or the Provincial Council should otherwise direct; and 4thly, that the effect of any such appropriation would be virtually to withdraw the land revenue entirely from under the control of the Legislatures. I shall, therefore, ask you to consider the point, and the objections I have raised, confident that any recommendations you may make will be at once adopted and acted upon by His Excellency. • Without detailing the other arrangements made between the General and Provincial Governments, all the despatches relating to which will immediately be laid upon the table, 1 pass on to the consideration or rather suggestion of those measures which appear to me most suited to the wants and requirements of the Province. Holding, as I do, the opinion that no representative Legislature can ever work satisfactorily with an irresponsible Executive, —believing that the Act under which we are assembled would render any attempt to combine the two utterly futile, —I at once declare my'intention to carry on the administration of the Government of this Province, as far as practicable, by means of a responsible Executive. I shall therefore, in accordance with the practice of the British Constitution, select my chief Executive officers from amongst the members of this Council, who shall hold office so long as their general administration of affairs shall meet with your approval and support. Far from being insensible to the difficulties attendant upon the introduction of this system in so young a community, I am prepared to admit, that it can only be established by the forbearance and cordial co-operation both of the settlers and of the Legislature. At first, many may be unwilling to abandon their present occupations in order to accept office on so precarious a tenure. The Executive once removed, it maybe difficult or even impossible to, replace them, by others having seats in the Council. But when the principle is once fully understood —when the electors recognize (as they soon will) the responsibility which will devolve upon them of electing men willing to take office, and competent to discharge its duties—when they perceive that it is only under such a system that the highest offices can be thrown open and offered as prizes to the legitimate ambition of all —and when each member of this Council feels that he acts and speaks with the prospect of being called upon to carry out, as a member of the Executive, the principles and measures which he may have advocated in opposition—when, in short, the responsibility with which under thissyslem all, whether electors or members of this Council, become clothed is fully understood ; —I shall not despair of our ultimately succeeding in establishing responsible Government, and thus investing this Province at least with the greatest attractiou which any country intended to be

ITelti^ the A"°Io-Saxo» »«e~n possibly A Bill, to establish an Executive power f or tins Province, based upon these principles, will hi one of the first measures brought, before you J hree other Bills will also be submitted, on J e £ vest in the Superintendent certain powers lie™,, fore vested in the Governor and Lieutenant-" Governor of ibis Province,-the others to make all fines, forfeitures, and licenses payable to the Treasurer for the uses of this Province. The Bills relating- to the Executive have been framed without any intention to usurp powe _, but at the same time with a desire to vest in the Local- Executive, all the powers necess-irv for the efficient administration of affairs, and to render the Provincial, in all provincial matters entirely independent of the General Government. And I am happy to add that Governor Sir G. Grey has in most of his arrangements adopted and carried out this principle as far as he well could. With respect tor the purchase of land, the statement I have to lay before you cannot but be deemed highly- saiifactovy. There is one subject in connection -with the purchase of the Wairarapa, to which I am anxious to call your attention. Of the many causes which have hitherto operated against the progress of this" Province, perhaps none has acted more injuriously than the difficulty experienced by the working class in obtaining land. Whether this has arisen from the small quantity hitherto open to purchase, from the £l an acre system, or from the unwillingness of the Absentee proprietors to sell except on terms altogether beyond the means of the settlers, there is still no denying the fact, that many of the industrious class have been debarred from realizing the chief expectation, under which they were induced to emigrate. The recent purchases, and the reduction in the price to os. and 10s, an acre, having removed this difficulty, an Association has beei< formed, for the purpose of founding a settlement, on the Small Farm System in some district or block, from which it is proposed that the Absentee and mere speculator should be excluded. And in order to promote this scheme, (in the desirableness of Which all must concur, for should it succeed, it will in all probability lead to the fonndation of other similar settlements, thus rearing up a body of hardy and independent yeomen, attached to the country by the strongest of all ties— the possession of their own freehold,) Governor Sir George Grey has, upon my recommendation, already reserved a considerable block in the Valley to be placed at the disposal of the Association, whenever j their plan is matured, and they are prepared to commence operations ; and I need scarcely ask you to render them whatever further assistance they may desire, and which it may be in your power to afford. But in malting arrangements, and framing plans with a view to facilitate the future disposal and settlement of the Waste Lands, it would j be unwise to leave out of our consideration the j lands which have been already conceded to in- j dividuals, who neither intend themselves to use j them, nor to permit their actual occupation by < others. i The injurious effects of large tracts of land j remaining unoccupied and waste—in separating- and dispersing the settlers—in preventing the formation of roads—in thus increasing the cost and diminishing the amount of production, j have been so long forced upon our attention, j that it is scarcely necessary for me to urge you j not to allow this Session to pass over, without | some attempt to palliate, if not to remove, such serious impediments to the progress of the set- j tlement. The object of any measure you may . devise for this purpose, being, not merely to | raise funds for local improvements, but also w j compel the absentees to contribute their ia» g proportions -to induce them either to settle ami g improve their lands, or to sell them at the inai- I ket value, and at the same time to discouia^c | and prevent any undue acquisition of lano . future by mere'speculators, it aPP/: a! s '° I! 1 difficult to surest any other remedial roeajure | except that which has long been demanded dv j the actual occupiers, viz., the imposition oi | Land tax, to be levied by Local Boa ds, wj | expended for the benefit of the district in wmm j the rate is raised. gjj] / I intend therefore Xlf£lol^*^ the main features of which will be t° efflP the inhabitants of each district to f f % j missioners, to fix the maximum of the n j be levied-to authorize the <ft ml™^ O n i take any lands required for public pu pose, compensation, to be assessed by juues, *

awarded to the owners, —and, in the event of the tax remaining unpaid for a certain period, to sell land sufficient to defray the arrears and expenses. While, however, I believe it is only by such a tax you can remedy the evils relerred to, or make provision for the wants and requirements pf this country, I am at the same time so fully sensible of the extreme impatience -of direct taxation, generally manifested by those who have previously been free from it, that I entertain little hope of the settlers having recourse to it,'unless some directnnd positive inducement be held out to them. I would therefore suggest, that to the amount raised in each [district an equivalent sum*(or such other amount as you may deem expedient) should be added out of the Provincial Revenue. The advantages of such a plan would be, to hold out a premium to local taxation, to cause a much greater expenditure upon public works than would otherwise take place, to guard both the Executive and the Legislature from any suspicion of favouring particular districts at the expense of others, to compel the settlers to manage the local affairs of their respective districts', and thus to educate them' for the discharge of those higher and more important functions with which they are invested by the Constitution Act. In order to connect the different parts of a country, in which there are so many rivers, the crossing of which is seldom unattended with danger, the establishment of ferries is almost as essential as the construction of roads: but when we call to mind the number of valuable settlers who hay lost their lives in crossing these rivers, and how often we have protested against the culpable negligence in these matters of the late Government, I feel that we are bound to devote a certain portion of our Revenue each year to this important service, until a proper ferry-boat has been placed at every one of these rivers. Unwillingfas I am, to divert the smallest sum that can possibly be avoided from public works, there is one institution, the immediate establishment of which is demanded by every principle of justice and humanity. : The practice hitherto pursued of either confining lunatics within the gaol, or of placing them in charge ; o.f„privateindividuals, who, however humane and kind they may be, have neither the skill to treat, nor the convenience to accomodate them, has not only repeatedly called forth the remonstrances of the Grand Juries, but has also elicited such strong condemnation on the part of the -whole community, that I feel assured you will willingly authorise me to take the ne.cessary steps to establish an asylum for these unfortunates, in which they may be placed under proper superintendence, and receive the necessary medical treatment. To act upon these suggestions will involve a considerable outlay : estimating the "amount of the grant in aid of local investments at £2000, the repairs of the north-western and south roads at £2,500, the completion of the Remutaka at £12,000, the formation of the Ngahuranga at £4,000, of the Beach at £1,500, of establishing ferries at £500; a total sum of not less than £22,500 will be required. Without at present going into any details, T estimate the ordinary revenue for the current year at £16,000 ; anil I think it not improbable (though, until I know the sums which may be required for future land purchases, it is scarcely safe to calculate upon it) that this may be increased by £2,000 from the Land Fund Revenue, making the total Revenue for the year ending the 30th Sept., 1854, £18,000. The expenses of the Civil Government will not, I hope, exceed £9,500, leaving a surplus of £B,soo"available for public works. Satisfactory as this state of the revenue undoubtedly is, it is evident that it is only by raising a loan that sufficient funds can be provided. It is not, however, a question of money only ■~the difficulty consists, not so much in providing funds, as in expending them profitably. For before you can undertake the execution of completing them within a reasonable time, you must secure a better supply of labour than is at present at your command. It is indeed not impossible, that the Government might, by guaranteeing employment,-for a considerable period, and by offering exorbitant wages, procure from other districts a sufficient number of Natives for the Roads: but to supply that demand for labour which exists in every branch °t industry, I see no other means than to estabish a stream of European immigration. To iv-

troduce labour from Great Britain involves such delay, and so great an expenditure, that I myself am scarcely disposed to recommend it -, more especially, as from the current testimony of all who have recently visited the Australian Colonies, there is every reason to conclude, that not only many of our own colonists, who were induced to try their fortunes at the diggings, but that numbers of the vast multitudes, which during the last two yeavs have been pouring into Victoria, would gladly transplant themselves to New Zealand, if assistance were afforded them. The source, however, from which the labour is to be derived, and the plan upon which immigration is to be conducted —whether upon the system of "bounties" of "assisted passages," of " loans," or of defraying the whole cost—are questions which must be left to your discussion and determination. But whatever scheme you may adopt, I conceive a sum'of not less than £10,000 would be required in order to afford it a fair trial, or to secure any beneficial results. Adding this sum, then, to the estimated expense of the several works, I would recommend that the Government should be authorised to raise a loan of £25,000 by the sale of Debentures —made a first charge upon the Provincial Revenue, and bearing interest at the fate.of not more than 6 per cent. And with a revenue, one half only of which is required for the support of the Government —with between two and three million acres of land open for sale —with the certainty that, after the next year, the Territorial Revenue will be amply sufficient for the construction of all public works—together with the abundance of money in the neighbouring colonies, I do not anticipate any difficulty in borrowing the sum named, or any larger amount which we could possibly want. In all probability, it will not be necessary to raise more than half this amount, but still I think the Government should have the power to borrow the whole sum, in the event of any favourable change occurring in the labour market.