THE Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1868.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 119, 30 May 1868, Page 3

THE Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1868.

•“ Giyn me the liberty to know, to utter, and to rrgue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties.” —Milton.

The most unsatisfactory portion of Mr. Stafford’s Speech at Nelson, appears to be his apology for the Public Debts Act, witn respect to which, it is evident that Mr. Luckie had the best of it. But there is one point whereon Mr; Stafford enlightened us, which appears to have escaped even the lynx-eyed editor of the Colonist. Never, until now was the Colony aware of the expense entailed upon it by the action of Wellington and Canterbury, not only in forcing upon us the more than useless Panama Service, which is a clear annual loss of .£50,000 for Five years, or £250,000 in-.all —-but in the matter of the Three] Million Loam The refusal to accept the! Imperial guarantee on the terms proposed, cost-according to Mr. Stafford—£l9o,ooo in principal, and £IO,OOO in interest, the difference between 4 and 5 per cent, on the nominal amount! Lest any should think we are exaggerating, we quote' his words:—

* Tho Million Loan which Mr. R. Wood negotiated in 1864. The first million of the Three Million Loan was sold for £BIO,OOO, that is the (colony only got about .£Bl.. for every £IOO, bond ...these bonds are five per cents.”

, .The Provincial Land. Funds could not, then, as advised by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, be pledged to save the colony ; but how they are impounded by the Public Revenues Act at a cost or loss

of £690,000 ! Truly, we have much to thank the sister provinces for ! We do not expect that everyone will have the same opinions as ourselves with respect to Mr. Stafford’s proposed infliction of a Property and Income Tax, but, while we dislike the inquisitorial nature of such taxes, yet we are bound to admit that the principle —that of direct taxation is a fair one ; our necessities, from whatever cause arising, are great, and therefore we shall support him in this measure, always providing that the difficulty and expense of collection can be overcome. We have no doubt but this can be accomplished, and that one of the earliest measures of the coming Session will have this object. Another attempt is to be made to introduce a Local Self-Government Bill, similar to the one which met such an untimely fate last Session. “To be forewarned, is to be forearmed,” and no doubt the country will jealously scrutinise such measure, and ascertain by a careful perusal, whether it will give real Local Self-Government, or be merely a taking name. It may be, that the Ministry mean by some such measure to relieve the difficulties under which! nearly every one of the Provinces are suf-| faring just now. The representatives ofl this Province will do well to assist the I Government in any project of this nature, which, while enabling it to take the entire Ordinary lie venue, as customs duties, &c., will also give it the control and payment of all Services Provincially charged, as well as all the gaols, hospitals and police, throughout the Colony. This plan would have to commend it, perfect fairness, and so far as Marlborough is concerned, would be a great gain. All parties are now looking forward anxiously for the meeting of the Assembly.