Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 732, 12 November 1859, Page 3

Colonial.

I OTAGO. I [FROM A COBBESPONjbENT.] itT ' ' Nov. 7,1859. fh? -As I informed you : m my last, the Council was iCobpened on Tuesday, the 15tli; the Superintendent ftftyotlattending in P.erso, n» tlirou^h illness. You will, f nov^ doubt, ere tins have received a copy of the fif^eech. ...,." ' '■.'"■ I ? T^e Council proceeded quietly to business until I Hasfe week, when some"ralheif sharp, discussion took | Kjlace ontlieMaoii'lioagiii^lHouse Bil,l, which the Foftfcnl rofused to pass.: TJie Executive resigned,; ffinofj, after some difficulty a.'fresli Executive has: I obtained, in the persons ', of '.Mie'ssrs. Reynolds, ■ and Dick $ and,.^rAiig^ to say, the Pro•|;iiioial Siolicitov has agamlaciiegted office,; but, of &ourse,-uiisis only to fill up the f timo until the new * Council ij^eets j and, beyond passing the estimates, \ it is:eii)|ected that all other \ business .will, be left for uhe^e^Co.uncil.. ..' '.. "'V' ' "'■'■";'" ['" |'X|:v|s^a' great blessing.to our town that the i^pH^W^re' not allowed toi'be located for years to !| <jose^jne beach as proposed, the effluvia from \ th^totfeniSish, &c., which surround^ their'hahita- | fiorit,;Being^ at times? most offensive. It is, howr ?vefti newssary tKafsome quarters be provided for | \hep, but'iiiore distant from the town,during their | ,yisite*h|^^v ':- V:V'' '-3; *' ' ■■'■ h. It is proposed to the extent of our immii | feration,as labour is wryjscarce, and this summer /the public works, for which the money'lias been r voted^ cannot proceed for want of hands. Some ! time since I believe you proposed, when in similar : circumstances, that 'our surplus labour (when we \j really had none) should proceed to Canterbury. If \ reports be true, the tables are turned'; we certainly I can well receive a good number of really good ' labourers from any of the northern provincial'; but we do not want those who are neither able uor \villing to work. > The estimated revenue for the coming yes?|,m--eluding the cash in hand, is about £99,00^}, Oipd the expenditure about £81,000, showing iii,|retiy prosperous state. , The Sevilla from the Clyde is shortly due. Having left oh the 17th or 18th of August iasfc/wfth a good number of emigrante for Otago. The Queen steamer is shortly expected, when probably she will take her old place on the coast j and with increased speed and accommodation, gain for her and her owners some, encouragement to keep her running between this port and ' Wellington. She may, however, have to return to Melbourne for a first trip, as the Pirate is being altered to accommodate more passengers. The weatiber set in this morning with a dirty N.E. drizzling rain, which is very unpleasant $ ; and the more so, as one night's good heavy rain would j do more good than a week of this.

The Henbury having been sold; the purchaser has parties at work who are getting out a good deal, of the cargo, bat, of course, in a damaged state.

The following is the address of his Honor delivered by commission at the opening of the Council:— '!- ■ : * ■■■■■■ -.■-

Gentlemen—

I have to congratulate you on the substantial progress of this settlement since your last session; and still'more do I %)ngiratuiate'you on tlie linmistakeable evidence^ "mider": the" blessing of God, of continued progress. ' ■-■ :i" ' : •

' As evidence ofthis.progress, I refer.you, in the firsti instance, to>the state of the Finances, in respect of which the results of last year are very gratifyingl Thei estimated amount of^three-eighths of pur Cus-: toms Beyeriue(assiglied;itp thei province) was 45062, which, added td: the ijeenses, 'dog tax, and other small items beldbgingto thieprovince, made in all £5862~e8toate^;Bii^^^ £7565, the ' increase being''mainly in. the;: Customs. The Customs, estimated last year at £5062, are estimated for the current year 'at £7875, making, •ivith'the addition of the other items referred to, a I total of £9075, which, dn the principles of economy j hitherto practised, should be fully equal' to all the expenses of Goverhinent, together w!jtth ' such sums as the Council may see fit to appropriate in aid of education arid kindred objects, the land fund being held rigidly sacred to its own purposes. The land.fund was lastyear estimated at £25,000 but it largely exceeded that amount, and to this the settlement is mainly indebted for its present favourable position. The estimated amount for the present year is £60,000, but the remark of the head of the Land department will be noted to the effect, that last year £20,000 was taken for town allotments sold in Dunedin, and'that the available allotments being now all sold, the contributions from this source are exhausted. It will be further noted, that ihe sums forming a first charge upon this fond, .are:— ■" ''. '[■''''.'./"■" "' " ''.'"' ' "•" Ist, The payment to the General Gpvernment on account of its loan, guaranteed by the Crowni which i 5............£4650 2nd, Expenses of admlnistratibn by Wasjfce Land Board 2605 3rd, Fixed salaries and contingencies of , the Survey and Engineer's Department ......*„..... ......; ....... 3204 ; Being in all £10,459 But notwithstanding the amount of, these first charges, which are fixed and irrespective of current receipts, I incline to look hopefully towards the Land Fund for a progressive increase, though not perhaps so sure and steady as that of the Customs Revenue. ' ''

The next evidence of progress to which I would direct attention is the very superior character of our immigrant labour—a fact which is the subject of remark and even surprise to visitors from other places, no less than of thankfulness and congratulation to ourselves. Looking to the extremely popular character of our Constitution, it is impossible to over-estimate the value of this advantage. We have j it as a consequence of the care and discrimination used in laying the foundatiori of the settlement. As like draws to like, so the solid and respectable elements in the first selections have attracted and put in motion a progressively increasing stream of emigrants from the old country of a similar character. This sort of action is the most powerful motive to colonization, and the character of the emigrants set jn motion thereby will be always determined by that of those who have gone before. In the present position of this settlement, therefore, it is well worthy of every fostering bare and encouragement, as it will be the means of preserving the superiority of the mass of our population. . In connection with finance and supply of labour, I would remark that.it is a matter of anxious consideration that the two should be carefully adjusted to each othe*{ and althougti in the past year, owing jto rapid advancement and consequent power of the settlers to absorb labour, the Bumsvotedfor public works could not be all expended, yet, on this point, also, we have been highly favoured in comparison with other provinces. Wot a man or woman has been landed from the old country that has not had suitable and continuous wages placed at once in their possession—and forbid that it should ever be otherwise. Far from me be the remotest semblance of boasting, for in New Zealand we'are all learners in the working of Constitutional Government, and o^ur wisdom is to feel it sos but on this Occasion we may'fairly consider the difference of impression upon intending immigrants by letters from this province, and by those from other parts of the colony that have been less favourably circumstanced. ' " '■■ r , " ' A report will be laid before you of what has been done, and is proposed to be done, in conformity with ifche resolutions of your last session on the subject of public works. lam happy to observe from that report, the prospect of a survey being made of the mud flats opposite to Puneclin.from Goat-hill northward, with a view of obtaining a.grant of "land to be recovered from the sea." This work has been postponed for years past, owing to the urgency of other siimys, and the smallness of the staff; but when

done, it may probably lead to a material deepening of the channel in the harbour, and to the recovery of valuable building gi*6und, which will go towards defraying the expense of the works.

A report, accompanied by a map, by the Commissioners appointed in virtue of your resolutions of last session in reference to supplying Dunedin with water, and the correspondence thereon with the l*own Board, will also be laid before you. My purpose of withdrawing from the enres of office has been made known to the public, and I now allude to it for the purpose of stating that I have felt constrained in honour to bring in a bill embodying the views of the Provincial Council on the subject of Education, as set forth in your resolutions already referred to; which resolutions, being in response to my Message No. 1 of your last session,(in connection with the observations on prorogation of session 1857), made it binding upon the Government to bring in such a bill. In the fulfilment.of1 this obligation I have been thwarted and opposed, as I think, in a most unseemly manner; but nevertheless, the bill being at last drawn and about to be laid upon your table, my obligation is fulfilled, and I" shall say nothing further on the subject. I'have also to state that, in the face of a general election,: I feel averse, by immediate resignation, to put the public to the unnecessary inconvenience of a twofold election of Superintendent. At the same time I wish it to be known to the Council and the public, that although I have received no resignations, I have reason to feel assured that at the close of your ; present session there will be resignations by menibers of the Executive who hare felt bound to fulfil the obligations referred to, in common with myself. This will cause a change in the constitutional advisers so close upon a general election, that it is my purpose to make up what maybe called the interim Executive, irrespective of my own views of policy, whether as deduced from the past, or from what 1 have now further to state to you, and to be solely guided by what may appear to be in accordance with your majority. In these circumstances, the other bills to be laid before you are as few as possible. They are—

Ist, A Pastoral I|istricts Roads Bill, in lieu of that which was passed last year, and disallowed by the Governor on a technical objection, but remarked upon by the General Government as a good measure j and calculated to be useful. It is the same as the former, leaving putthe clause objected to. 2nd, Two short bills giving Town Boards to Invercargill and Port Chalmers, similar to that of Dunedin.

3rd, "Provincial Council Enlargement Bill," for giving a member to Invercargill, the same as enjoyed by Port Chalmers; and making other alterations. 4th, " Public Wharves Bill." sth, "Town Roads and Streets Bill." 6th, "Road Claims Bill." • 7th, "Maori Lodging Bill." Sthji " Appropriation Bill." I cannot conclude, on what may be called a sort of official leave-taking of my connection with the 'ProvincialCouncilof Otago, without craving your indulgence for one or two general remarks resulting from rriy experience. That experience stands upon the antecedents of a somewhat public life followed by sixteen years' uninterrupted service in the cause of Otago; namely, four years at home, not as the principal, but in concert with the New Zealand Company, and in communicating between them and parties in Scotland on the subject of this settlement as projected by the Company; and twelve years in the colony, having brought out, with plenary powers from the Company, the pioneers of the undertaking; and having continued to the present day, by the successive authority of the Company, the Crown, and the election of the settlers, as the official and responsible head of the business.

I have already expressed satisfaction, in which you must all participate, in respect of the position attained by this settlement—now swelled into the dimensions of a province, inferior to none in New Zealand as to surface and. capability, and, with theexeption perhaps of our respected neighbour, the Canterbury province, superior to aliastothe foundation laid,and the absence of hindrances to progression. . But "Still-, :j6;4s:^rMiighjjrjaßk-*^»^io^.^d ~"POl3r^a*T^'rair; of working out self-governments—a task that has cost England the labours and, vicissitudes of a thousand years. We are only of yesterday, but have all the advantage of England's experience, with a free constitution thrown at once into our lap, and have, moreover, the advantage of a select population. Still, however, human nature is the same: fullness of bread, and brightness of earthly hope, work their own evils; and unless a Gospel ministry, and living Christians, every one with his brother, be found earnestly plying their efforts, our righteousness (which is the honor of a people) will fade away, and those who have come to be bettered in their circumstances will be damaged in their souls; and their children will fare still worse, the tendency being strong to trifle with their education, owing to the value of every little pair of hands, or the wages they can earn. And I would here express my own conviction that unless a public interest be established in the great question of education, as in America, and as in Scotland under the Lord Advocate's Bill, the plant must fade and die away; and that ; any attempt to throw all the responsibility and cost upon the Government will be incompatible with the rights of parentage as called for in the cases referred to, and witk the liberties of the subject, cutting, moreover, at the very root of self-reliance and manly independence. Let the people and parentage have liberal aid in support of that which is their own work, but let nothing whatever be permitted to lead to the idea that it is other than their own proper work, which can only be rightly done by themselves. In connection with the working out of our Constitution—the charter of civil and religious liberty for ourselves and our posterity—every man ought to register and to make conscience of doing his duty. The tax upon his time is very small, and that tax being paid, he will have the reward within himself, and in the good of the community. And still more ought the class whose education and position at home qualified them for being looked up to by the masses, not only to register, but at once to take their place and'duties in the work. They may feel in common with their humble brethren the sacrifices it imposes, such as in their case, a yearly fortnight or so given to legislation, and occasional action as Magistrates; but still the necessary tax.upon the time of all who engage in the work, be the particular part what it may, is but small. Leaving party strife and contentious oratory to those who have a taste for them (and they are useful in their own way), if other men, each in his own place and way, and to the best of his judgment, will simply do their duty, our Constitution will be honoured and the solid interests of the community made sure.

I am of opinion that some change is called for in the Land Kegulations, not by altering any of their principles, but simply to the effect that as lands are acquiring a position value owing to expenditure on improvements and immigration, and as the uniform price of 10s. per acre is inadequate to carry forward the expenditure with safety to the public credit, an increase may be made in the price in particular localities, as authorised by section 2 of the Waste Land Act, 1858, or if that act should not be assented to at home, by the Governor's assent to Provincial Kegulations under the act of 1854. The Land Sales and Leases Ordinance and the Town Land Sales Ordinance have been converted into Regulations (in accordance with a suggestion of the General Government), which, will be submitted to you for approval. On the subject of multiplying Provinces, by splitting up those declared in the Constitution Act into separate Provinces,! spoke my mind so fully in the last Session of Parliament, and again in a late address to my constituents, that I would now only refer to the matters I have just stated, and to the Reports to be laid before you, in order to its being seen how far such a process would be compatible with the progress of colonizing Otago as a whole, and in all its parts by means of the.Land fund •. whether it would not be a mere multiplying of expenses, breaking up unity of design, and frittering away the funds' by abortive attempts at public works, without the competent professional advice which a small Province could not separately provide, i I repeat, therefore, that in my deliberate opinion, the whole affair is a hasty grasping, on the part of the present Ministry, at" a species of centralization—prejudicial to, and in arrest-of the progress of the whole

colony. Should Ofcago, or any other Province, bo alleged to misapply, from lack of judgment or any other cause, the proceeds of the Crowtt^L-ands, let the case be investigated and decidedgn by tho Parliament; but I again protest JigiiinstH'tlie rights and well-being of this Province being trifled with by any Ministry of the day at'their own discretion. ■ W. Caugill, Superintendent.

Tho ' Witness' has received the following letter for publication, addressed to his Honor the Superintendent by Capt. Byron Drury, E.N., Admiralty Surveyor and Hydrographer:—

"Largs, Ayrshire, Aug. 10, 1859. "My dear Captain Cargill,—Many thanks for the excellent map sent home from your talented draughtsman, Mr. Thomson. Arrowsmith said that the man who did that knew his work well, and it is true. I wish we could get as good from some of the other provinces. However, Nelson arid Canterbury have also done well in the matter, and we hope to give you a good map early next year. The coast line is all done, and much of the interior. The general map is 6 feet by 4 feet 6 inches, but it will contain many portions on a larger scale. I think I have got out all the work of New Zealand as regards charts.

" I hope you retain your health. I was much interested in the work on Qtago you kindly sent. The province seems in great estimation, especially here in the North. I hope Invercargill.will rise to a glorious city. Pray send any further information that you may have regarding that wonderful West Coast. We shall keep the plate open for further editions. With your increasing population, I expect to hear of interesting explorations to the sounds.

" Pray thank Mr. Thomson, and remember me to friends.

" Believe me, yours sincerely, " Byron Drury.

" To Capt. Cargill."