The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MAR. 17, 1866.

New Zealander, Volume XXIV, Issue 2612, 17 March 1866, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MAR. 17, 1866.

lie just and fear not; I/Ct all the ends thou aim’st at, be thy Country s ( Thv God’s, and Truth’s.

We beg to call the attention of onr readers to Message No. 47, which the Superintendent has felt it necessary to lay before the Council, in consequence of several addresses having been presented to him which would lead to an expenditure of money which the Province does not at the present time possess. In that document the Superintendent has informed the Conn- j eil that it was useless for them to ask him to place sums upon j the estimates which they knew were not in his possession; and we think that his Honour acted wisely in thus writing to the House, as by so doing he may j save a deal of useless discussion, I for the House must now sec | the propriety of abstaining i from asking him for those sums | which it is not in his power to give; nevertheless, we have | no doubt that if the revenue of 1 the Province during the year | be more than is necessary for I the actual requirements, the 1 outlying districts will obtain j 'wiir nc j expended in keeping up the necessary communication. A\ r e i commend the careful perusal of j his Honour’s message to the thinking portion of the public, and we are quite sure that all will agree that in thus addressing the House, Mr. Whitaker ; took the wisest course that was possible for him under the cir- ! cumstaiices.

MESSAGE No. 47. “Tr has been the desire and intention of the Superintendent in the present session to put the Council in possession of the exact state of the financial affairs of (he Province, with a view to enable them properly to discharge their duties, and place them in a position to give to the Superintendent the advice and assistance which the important and embarrassing monetary questions constantly presenting themselves urgently require.

„ “ With this object, the Superintendent, in Message No. 20, laid before , the Council a statement fully explana- ! Tory of the accounts of the Province as they then stood. He subsequently, in older to carry out the proposals he submitted to them, transmitted for (he consideration of the Council three bills; the first, appropriating the balance of the loan of £500,000, and changing an appropriation already made to an important public work, for the purpose of paying debts and fulfilling contracts and engagements, which, for the credit of the Province, it vas absolutely necessary to meet, or for the purpose of rendering available for use, important public works upo|i whicu a large expenditure had already been incurred, and which, otherwise, must have remained incomplete aud useless. The second bill, having reference exclusively to the confiscated lauds, does not relate to the subject of this message, and need not, therefore, bo further referred to. The third was the annual Appropriation Bill.

“The first bill has been passed by Ihe Council, and the whole loan of £500,000 is thus disposed of. The estimates laid before the Council, with the Appropriation BUI, have with some slight alteration, been agreed to by the Council, and the whole of the estimated revenue of the Province for the current year is thus appropriated to the ordinary establishments, or devoted‘to objects which cannot possibly be neglected. “ The Superintendent has now received from the Council several addresses, requesting him to concur in an expenditure of upwards of £20,000 beyond the means at the disposal ot the Provincial Government. The Superintendent does not undervalue the importance of the purposes to which the Council propose to apply money, and if ho could prudently comply with their wishes lie would be very glad to do so ; but, under the circumstances (he Superintendent must be permitted to express surprise at the course the Council lias taken.

“ The Superintendent desires to speak with great deference and respect, but he does not believe that the ignoring of important principles can possibly tend either to the advantage of the Council or to the public benefit, and he therefore feels it to be his duty to state his views explicitly. “It appears to the Superintendent that some of the plainest and most important duties of the Council ate to guard the public purse, to take special care that the finances of the Province are maintained in a sound condition, and to curb, rather than encourage, improvident expenditure by the Executive Government. “The Superintendent begs that the Council will excuse him for saying that it appears to him that the Council have ignored these important and especial functions. “ The Superintendent regrets that lie cannot see bis way to any other than one of two alternatives; either

that the Council have spent their time in useless discussion, and in voting Imaginary sums of money, thereby seriously impairing the character of the Council for business-like conduct in its proceedings ; or that they mean that the Superintendent shall involve the Province in an expenditure which must bring about financial difficulties of the most* embarrassing description, calculated to ruin the credit of the Government, and highly injurious to the interests of the country. “ It lias been the earnest wish and endeavour of the Superintendent to place the pecuniary affairs of the Province on a sound basis, and to reduce the expenditure within the limits of the income ; and all bis proposals have steadily kept this object in view. He hoped for, and expected to receive, advice and assistance from the Council, and lie must express some disappointment at the course they have now taken. In the present state of affairs, it is iudispensible that we should forego some of our wishes, however desirable and important the objects may be to us, and the Superintendent trusts that he will be excused for declining to comply, for the most part, with the addresses to which lie has referred, uu'iess the Council can point out a satisfactory source from which the money can be obtained. And the Superintendent ventures to suggest that, when the Council request him to recommeud'an appropriation apparently so far exceeding the menus at the disposal of the Government, it would be convenient and desirable that they should indicate the source from which [the necessary funds can be derived to meet the proposed expenditure. “ The Superintendent trusts that the Council will pardon him for having spoken thus plainly ; he can assure them he lias done so because he fully believes that free auc candid, but temperate discussion is calculated to bring about a clear and satisfactory understanding between himself and the 1 Council as to the exercise of their I respective duties and functions. • ■ Ti'WnFnvrK Whitaker, 1” Supovltitenclout. <: Superintendent’s Office, “Auckland, March 15, 186 G.”