WELLINGTON

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 229, 10 January 1855, Page 3

WELLINGTON

Ahh'css of His Honor the Superintendent on Ix'idng the Provincial Council, on the 2\st ult. »t' (Concluded from our last.) The course therefore I propose to adopt is, to f isk yon t<» fix by resolution, the number of "members <>f which the Council shall consist; I-to determine the principle upon which the representation is to be distributed—whether in 11,,-opovlion to the population, or to the number lof electors ; to determine within what period a I fresh distribution shall be made ; and also to i lay before you a Bill making provision fur i taking the Census, and for affording facilities for the registration of claims to vote for members of the House of Representatives and of the Provincial Council. I am aware that the proposal that the Government should undertake the formation of the Electoral Roll is an unusual one—but after the attempt made in the General Assembly by certain parties, (availing themselves of'the notoriously imperfect state of the Electoral Roll in I the Southern Provinces,) to pass a Bill, by i which the Province of Auckland (the Electoral \ Hull of which, from eight-tenths of its population being concentrated around Auckland within a radius of twenty miles, was complete) would have been entitled to such an increase in the number of its members, as would have virtually ylaced in the hands of its representatives the entire legislative power of the General Assembly,—l submit that we are bound, in order to frustrate any future attempt to swamp the Southern Provinces, to make our Electoral Roll as perfect as possible. I cannot dismiss the question of increasing the number of members without alluding to the fact that since this Council was opened, and the policy of the Government announced, there have been ten vacancies, and only one seat contested. I need not say how gratifying it has been to me to find that my fellow settlers have, by such repeated verdicts, stamped their approval of my administration. Whatever differences of opinion may exist on some of the topics upon which I have touched, there can be none upon one point. Unless some means can be discovered of converting the usual effects of causes into opposite events, all must admit that such a Constitution as has been granted to this colouy, can only be made to produce its legitimate fruits, by being worked by an-enlightened and educated community. If therefore there be one duty more incumbent than another, it is to provide a sound and general system of education, and to place it within the reach of all classes. Recognized as this duly was by you during your last Session, it affords me peculiar gratification to lay before you the able and interesting report of the education Commissioners. In that report the knotty questions—whether the State should educate, or assist in educating ; whether it should adopt the centralized or localized system; whether religious instruction should be given in the Government schools, and if so to what extent; whether it should be compulsory upon parents to semi their children to school—these and other questions, have been so fully and so ably discussed as to preclude the necessity of my doing more than to express my cordial concurrence in the conclusions at which the Commissioners have arrived, and to intimate that a bill embodying their recommendations will be laid before you. The prevalence, since we last met, of certain epidemic diseases, attended with a very considerable mortality, has brought home to the minds of all the urgent necessity of some sanitary regulations being at once enforced, —more especially in this town. Accordingly, by the " Sewerage and Health Bill " it is proposed to cluthe a Board of Commissioners to be elected by the inhabitants, with the most ample powers Jor making sewers and drains, for the removal of ■nuisances, and for taking such other steps as i they may deem necessary to preserve and promote the public health. It would, I think, be jWell that whatever amount bo levied by local [assessments under this bill should be. met with pm equivalent sum from the Provincial Revejnue. jAs any sanitary regulations must necessarily jbo imperfect, ns long as interments are allowed | in' cemeteries situated in the vc.ry centre of i towns, as arc those of Wellington and Wanga|nui, I would venture to recommend that the Isnbject of burial grounds should be referred to a select Committee, with instructions to inquire.

and report as to how far it would be practicable to prevent future interments in tlie existing cemeteries upon otlier sites being provided beyond the precincls of the towns. The rctnovul of the slaughter houses in Wellington is another of those sanitary measures so imperatively demanded, that I shall place a sum on the estimates for the erection of public slaughter houses at a reasonable distance from the town. As considerable inconvenience lias arisen from there being only two Coroners for the whole Province, a bill will be introduced to increase the number and to make them elective. In these and similar measures you will, I trust, readily recognize, that in accordance with the policy first laid down, my object is, as far as possible, to decentralize the Provincial Government, and to give to the inhabitants of eacli district the entire and complete management of their local affairs. There may be an apparent reluctance to exercise these powers, but not greater than might naturally nave been expected in a community so Jong deprived of the institutions of local self government. Nay, from the very general acceptance which the measures of last Session have met with, as evidenced with the fact of all the Acts having been proclaimed in compliance with requisitions, I feel confident, that if the present policy be persisted in, and inducements held out to local assessments by grants in aid, no long time will elapse before each district will have fa machinery of local self government in full and beneficial operation ; and in order to facilitate the carrying out of this policy, a bill will be introduced empowering me to divide the Province into counties, townships, and parishes. The Trustees of the Savings' Banks having represented that the amount which the Government under the Actof last Session is authorised to advance, is insufficient to enable them to meet any sudden withdrawal of money, it is proposed to increase the amount of such advances on condition of the Trustees investing the deposits exclusively in Provincial Securities. The effect of this " Amendment Bill " will be to establish between this Institution and Government the same relations that exist in England. The account T have already given of the expenditure sanctioned by the General Assembly, , and the consequent crippling of the Provincial resources, will have prepared you for a far less satisfactory statement of our financial prospects for the current year than I.should otherwise have been enabled to lay before you. In spite, however, of our being mulcted so severely, I still trust owing to the increasing prosperity — to the rapid progress of the Province in all the elements of wealth—that its income will be sufficient to provide for its most pressing requirements. Estimating one half of the net customs receipts for the financial year commencing on the Ist January next, at £ 15,000 ; the incidental receipts at £2,000 ; one half of the net balance of the hind fund (after deducting the NewZealand Company's fourth and cost of management) at £8,000, and the balance in the Provincial chest at £7,000, 'the total receipts may be taken at £32,000. Should, however, the'remaining portion of the Wairarapa Valley, and certain blocks in the Ahiiriri (as I have every reason to believe) be acquired, the estimate of the laud revenue will, I think, be fWind too low. I estimate the expenses of the Civil Government at £12,000, and I propose to place on the estimates of expenditure the following sums: — £5,000 for the RimiUaka road, £2,000 for the repairs of the north-western and Wai ram pa roads, £1,000 on account of existing contracts, £1,000 fur the Ngahanranga road, £3,000 for the Kangitikci and Wanganui road, £3,000 for "•rants in aid of local assessments and voluntary contributions, £3,000 for immigration from England, £1,500 for immigration from Australia,^£soo for a pilot station at Wangnnui, £500 for the erection of slaughter houses in Wellington, £3,000 for steani communication with Australia, £ 1,000 for education—making a total estimated expenditure of £33,000. The deficiency, or even a much greater amount, will be readiiy met by the sale of ihe requisite number of debentures', especially should you agree to the proposal to raise the' interest of them to 8 per cent, a step rendered necessary by the change which has taken place in the monoy market of thn neighbouring colonies since the interest was fixed'at 6 per cent. But as.in the

present state of the labour market, it is doubtful whether all of the proposed works can be executed during the ensuing year, the probability is that the revenue will be amply sufficient to meet all demands, without our having recourse to borrowing, as I hope you will deem it advisable to take advantage of the favourable opportunity that presents itself, of establishing a stream of immigration from Melbourne on an extensive scale. Having thus with that candour and freedom with which I trust I shall ever be permitted to address you on these occasions, laid before you an exposition of my views with reference to the principles upon which the Constitution can alone, I believe, be successfully carried out; having warned you of the impending struggle between centralism and provincialism—having noticed the steps taken to give effect to your wishes, and indicated the most important of the measures intended to be submitted, I cannot conclude without congratulating you upon the. substantial signs of prosperity which this Province exhibits on every side ; and recognizing, as I do, that much of the progress made during the past year—the establishment of steam—the roads which are now being made in almost every part of the Province—the stream of immigration which is already flowing—the machinery of local self government, which is rapidly being planted in almost every district; that these and other benefits are mainly due to the legislation of the first session, and to the public confidence you then inspired, I cannot refrain from expressing a hope that your deliberations dining the present session may be productive of equally beneficial results. My chief prayer however is, that the policy nliich Burke indicated when he reminded the ministers of the clay that ' the colonies owed little or nothing to any care of theirs—that they were not squeezed into their happy form by the constraints of watchful and suspicious government, but that through a wise and salutary neglect, a generous nature had been suffered to take its own way to perfection ;" I say my chief and most earnest prayer is, that henceforth tlv2 policy of the General Government towards the provinces may be " a wise and salutary neglect." I. E. Feathebsto>\ Superintendent.