THE Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1869.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 186, 31 July 1869, Page 2

THE Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1869.

“ Givb me the liberty to know, to utter, and to prgue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties,* —Milton.

We cannot do more than request onr readers’ attention to the Financial Statement as delivered to the General Assembly on Thursday evening, which appears imior <>«»■ ing. The telegram is the longest ever despatched in this Colony, occupying four and a-half hours in its transmission, and we are gratefully beholden to the Government for being enabled thusearly to place it before the public for consideration, a circumstance which the cheeseparing economy of the late Ministry never before permitted. At present we can only glance at the portion specially affecting tbis Province, whereby it will be seen that Air. Fox continues true to his original idea of “ the six Provinces,” and that the suggestion he makes is that Alarlborough should be annexed to Nelson ! We imagine however that the people who fought so hard for liberty and independence nine years ago, will not so readily yield to this project when it comes to be considered by them, and beyond this we shall not now hazard conjecture, as the question is to be submitted to the respective Councils, and will probably be tested by an appeal to the electors in this Province ere many' weeks elapsjg. The reproach to Marlborough conveyed in the same sentence is not without just cause. This is the only Province in the Colony where.local taxation /loos not exist. For two years a Roads Act for the country districts has been in force, but in accordance with their wishes, the majority of the people’s representatives ordained that it should b qpermissive in its operation, and the consequence has been, as we then stated it would be, that- it has not been called into operation by any. On the other hand, the towns of Blenheim and Picton have voluntarily taxed themselves for the maintenance of their roads and streets, and are the only places in the Province where local taxation is maintained.

There are many other important questions involved in the Treasurer’s Statement, which our space will not permit us to notice. Feeling that Mr. Fox was better disposed towards this Province last Session, and believing his intentions for the good of the Colony were likely to lead to peace and prosperity, we hailed his advent to office with pleasure. His Government has already inspired a large degree of confidence in the minds of the general public, and it is therefore with a degree of disappointment that we find now no attempt to remedy the special grievance which this Province suffers under. Should his system of finance be adopted by the House, and should Nelson and Marlborough not coalesce as planned, this Province will remain, as hitherto, in the position of not receiving one penny of the re-fund available for all others out of the Provincial half of the Consolidated Fund. Had Mr. Fox reenunciated the dissolution of the partnership between the General and Provincial Governments, and proposed to give the Provinces, in lieu of their refund, a capitation grant of 30s. per head, as last Session, Marlborough would have had an alternative of remaining a Province with an annual income of some £6,000, in addition to her land revenue, or of re-joining Nelson. The present choice seems to be to join Nelson—or starve.