Council Papers.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 20 May 1871, Page 6

Council Papers.

ANNEXATION OF THE GEEYMOUTII DISTRICT.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the proposal to annex the northern partof the County of Westland to the Proviuce of Nelson, beg to report as follows : — Tour Committee have given their most attentive consideration to the report of the Commissioner appointed by bis Honour the Superintendent on this subject (dated the 23rd July last, and have found the facts and figures thus supplied of the greatest assistance to their deliberations. In this report, Mr. Hodgson attempts to separate the revenue of that portion o Westland which it is proposed to annex, from that of the county as a whole, and estimates the revenue from all sources of the portion referred to (the northern portion) for the year ending June, 1870, at about £27,000. After deducting from this sum the necessary departmental and other expenditure, and the share of the debt and sinking fund, which he deems fairly assignable to the territory in question (namely, onethird), the Commissioner shows that about £9,-170 would remain for public works, and for its share of the general expenses of the Government of the province. These calculations were of course based on the revenue accruing through the operation of the " Public Revenues' Act, 1867." An Act since partly repealed by the " Payments to Provinces Act, 1870.'" The probable result of the Act last named will be as shewn by the Colonial Treasurer in his financial statement, to reduce the revenue of the County of Westland, by £13,725, or (on the basis assumed by the Commissioner) to reduce the revenue of the northern portion by one-third of that amount or £1,575, which thus leaves £5,170 for the purposes just named. Further, according to the provisions of the " Payments to Provinces Act," there is a special allowance of £3,375 to the County of Westland, which is included in the sum of £13,725 above given. As this allowance is to cease at the end of three } r ears from the coming into operation of that Act (one of which has already passed) it may fairly be left out of present calculation, and tho prospective revenue of the territory under consideration is thus' again reduced by £1,125, or to about £-1,050. The sum would then (supposing population and Avealth to remain stationary) represent the whole balance available for public works, within the annexed district, as well as for its share of the general expenses of the Provincial Government, i.e., its share of the cost of the Executive and Legislative departments and of all other expenditure equally chargeable throughout the province. These general charges may be put down at £5,000 to £6,000, with one-sixth of which (say £900) it may.be fairly debited ; thus leaving £3,150 for public' education, maintenance of the poor, and other local charges. Seeing that the capitation allowances under the " Payment to Provinces Act " is to be reduced hy 2s. per head each successive year, for a period of five years, or, in the case now under consideration, by about £500 per annum, it would appear that on the supposition of this part of Westland remaining stationary, its disposable revenue would be in rapid course of annihilation; Looking at the alluvial character of its gold-fields, at the almost total absence of agricultural land, and its general uselessness for pastoral purposes, your Committee see no reasonable ground for hopiug that the population will increase either in numbers or in wealth. On the contrary, the experience of tho last two years seems rather to point in both respects to the probability of a decrease. The comparative freedom from debt enjoyed by the province creates a natural shrinking on the part of its people from uniting with any part of a country which, with a small population of 13,000 or 14,000, is indebted to the amount of about £200,000— a burden of debt from which, under the provisions of the " Payment to Provinces Act," it will take twenty-seven years to free itself. Having regard to the want of permanence in all prosperity based chiefly on the possession of auriferous territory, the proposed annexation presents the possibility of bringing along with it a greater load of debt than the an-

nexed territory would furnish the means of meeting. Looked at from a colonial point of view, some benefit might accrue from this measure by the reduction of the number of officers, and some advantage to the population of the Grey by avoidance of that most inconvenient kiud of boundary, a navigable river. These, and other considerations, have not escaped your Committee ; such as the greater weight and prestige attaching to a larger Province in the Colonial Parliament ; the possible agitation for annexation in some other form still more unsuitable to the interest of this Province, and the possibility of the whole of the Provincial debts becoming, at a future day, the debts of the Colony at large. After duly weighing the foregoing possibilities and probabilities, as well as others, your Committee have decided on recommending the following resolution to the Council for its adoption : — " That this Council is willing to have the district between the Grey and the Teremakau annexed to the Province of Nelson, provided that financial arrangements can be made by which the existing Province is not prejudicially affected." J. "W. Barnicoat, Chairman. Provincial Council Chamber, May IG.