The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 142, 18 August 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1866.

We stated briefly yesterday that Mr. Stafford had been defeated on a motion of no confidence, by Mr. Moorhouse, by a majority of 47 to 14, and that the House had adjourned till the 21st inst. Mr. Fitzgerald had previously moved resolutions as follows : — '* That the House having heard the statement of the Colonial Treasurer, and having before it the proposed estimates for the current year, desires to record its regret, that the prospects held out in the last session of Parliament of a considerable diminution in the public expenditure of the colony, has not been realised/' "That whilst this House recognises the duty of providing for the security of life and property, and the maintenance of the public peace in all parts of the colony, it does not perceive the necessity for creating a permanent military force, of the magnitude contemplated by the Government, at a cost which cannot fail to inflict burdens unnecessarily heavy upon the inhabitants of the colony." "That no financial arrangements will be satisfactory to the colony which fail to relieve the provinces from the embararassmeuts which arise from the precarious and uncertain nature of the reveuues which are at present placed afc their disposal." A long debate having ensued on these resolutions, Mr. Moorhouse, moved as an ameudment, "That the House has no confidence in the Ministry as at present constituted." This met the temper of the House and was carried by a great majority as previously stated. The defeat was an overwhelming one, aud would lead to the resignation of the present Ministry. The Ministers were triumphant on the separation question, and their friends and admirers were hardly prepared for the unequivocal defeat that awaited them. The disclosure of the 'financial' policy of the Government was the test of the amonnt of confidence the House was prepared to place in them. This has disgusted and disappointed men of all parties, and raised a storm of disapprobation against the Minister which he was unable to quell. Wheu Mr. Stafford took ofiice he committed himself to the remarkable statement that he saw how to effect anannual saving of £240,000 on the estimates of the former Ministry. This was repeated on more than one occasion, and would have secured him the reputation of an accomplished financier, had he shown the ability to keep his promise. A careful examination of the accounts says the Independent, shows au unimportant saving of £22,000 ; while we find the present Ministry has incurred additional responsibilities not previously contemplated, and has diverted 4100,000 of the colonial funds for the benefit of Auckland. Then we find that while the late Ministry calculated upon spending £310,000 in meeting its engagements with the military settlers, Mr. Stafford has not only spent this but asks for £200,000 more to settle the liability. There thus appears to have been an expenditure of at least £300,000 not contemplated by the late Ministry, aud we look in vain for the economy ofthe present one. But if the cloud is a heavy one it has afc least a silver liuing. The budget shows an increase in the colonial revenues, caused in a great measure by the increase of customs duties, consequent on the large influx of population to the West Canterbury goldfields, that leads to the well-founded hope that a Ministry must be very bad, and the mis-government gross indeed, which will land the colony in such difficulties that its great resources would be insufficient to overcome. With a revenue of over a million, and exports amounting to more than four millions and a half, little fear, need be felt for New Zealand, even if it has to pay heavily for teaching its senators wisdom. But the policy of the Miuistry was not the only cause of its downfall, the House had no respect for many of its- members.- Mr.. Stafford \yas the only man of. ability or. experience iu ifc, aud when it was found that he would not keep his promises in reference to the reduction of expenditure, and that he could not carry o n

the affairs of the country, without, having recourse to . taxation on a scale <not contemplated by his predecessors,- and which, would have been quite unnecessary had there been a foundation for his statement that he would be able to effect a saving of £240,000 on the estimates of his predecessors, it. is not surprising that the House refused to give its confidence, and were impatient to substitute a really for a professedly economical Ministry. The Advertiser which is supposed to be a more impartial critic than the paper previously referred to, does not differ materially from its contemporary in its" estimate of the Ministry. It says,, in the one case there was no substantial saving effected which the preceding Government had not declared their intention to effect ; and in the other case there is no material reduction whatever. In fact the burdens on the country remain as they were, and the necessity of additional taxation unaltered. The receipts for the past financial year have realised, within £1,000 the estimated amouut of the forraer treasurer. The estimate, exclusive of stamp duties, and distillation fees, was about £901,500; the receipts were £912,134. This is the ordinary revenue of the colony and the territorial revenue of half a million belongs to the various provinces. The value of exported gold during the financial year amouuted to £2,859,249, being an excess of 33 per cent, over the most favored year. The sum of £92,351 was handed over iu the shape of duty to the Provincial Governments, and the total export of gold from the colony, was valued on the SOth June last at £10,506,058. The exports were £4,669,152 against £3,168,776 of the previous year, and the imports £5,270,072 against £6,183,694, against those of the previous year of extensive military arrangements. When Mr. Weld went out of office because he wduld not submit to be mulcted of one half of the duties arising from the Stamp Act, he left a balance of the three million loan amounting to £602,603, against which it was expected that a demand would be made for liabilities contracted by former governmeuts, and for defence puposes, of about £310,000. It was, therefore, disheartening to learn that Mr. Stafford, who supplanted Mr. Weld because he promised to do the same work cheaper, had found it necessary to draw upon the loan to the extent of £41 1,391, and to state that even now the liabilities were not exhausted, and that to meet these, and for other purposes of defence, a further sum of £200,000 would be required for the present year. The permanent debt of the colony, consisting of 200,000 inhabitants, was £3,399,537, which sum is independent of £2,000,000 of Provincial debts. The following statement of the Treasurer shows the provinces that they have to look to themselves for support : — I believe it is no longer possible for this or any other Government to continue the old arrangement of subsidizing the Provinces with three-eighths of the Customs. — New Zealand, I foresee,- will requirea larger and a larger proportion of its Customs revenue for its own absolute wants. — I most strongly recommend the provinces henceforth to rely more upon themselves and their own local revenues, and less upon the fluctuating and precarious surplus which it may be in the power of the General Government still to continue.