SOME REMARKS UPON TOPICS IN GENERAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1445, 6 July 1868, Page 4

SOME REMARKS UPON TOPICS IN GENERAL.

To the Editor of the Hebald. Fin.—"erhaps it may not be out of place, but rather timeous, to devote a few remarks to the public meeting. Upon the immediate questions themselves that are to be proposed for discussion, I have not much to say, except that one which proposei the advocacy of the reduction of the Custom's duties by about £350,000 during the next financial year, to be made up for by an increase upon stamp duties alone to tho same amount. ' Now, this source of revonue is already in force in New Zealand, and whether it is sufficiently long as to warrant the imposition of such a heavj burden upon it as £350,009 for a single year, would be indeed a matter for very serious discussion, and the policy of which may be very doubtful, especially in the absence of any allusion at all to an income tax. But the Government and the Assembly may be averse to raiso any additional taxes by means of atimp duties, whose operations have scarcely yet had time to develops themselves ; whilst Mr. Stafford's opinions upon an income tax are already well known. There are a class of people who are very willing and anxious, no doubt, to tax others, and who themselves contribute little or nothing, comparatively, towards the- support of the state, boyond what the humblest and poorest persons in the country do. Woal is not taxed, but gold is. Here is an anomaly in itself that requires explanation. Why this should be so I cannot account for otherwise than by saying that the one property is represented and protected by its owners in the Assembly, whilst the other is not so. Oh, tax the poor man's property by all means, but do not attempt to encroach upon tho millionaires', becnuse they will not permit you. The Auckland Knincial Beform Association may be a very excollent one in the eyes ot some peoplfi, but for my part I am of opinion that it lacks a great dcil of that stamina which is so essentially necessary to make it a useful or successful society. But no political society that ever had existence in Auckland possessed this all potent ingredient; and I suppose, therefore, this one cannot be exempted from the unworthy insinuation. I need go no further than this programme of theirs for to-morrow evening to point this out. The Committee of the League set out by stating that they " have made arrangements to secure a conference between the members for this Province and the electors relative to the question of Reform in the approaching session." I have italicised the word Reform, you will perceive, to show the League that, though they make that their great starting noint, tbey do not bring a particle of that great question upon the atena for discussion on so importmt an occasion as that now presenting itself save a few questions of financial reform. While they leave altogether untouched 6ome of those great questions which affect not only the colony in general, but the people of this Province in particular. Their sins of omission in this regard are very reprehensible indeed. They make no allusion to the Panama Mail Service for which the people of Auckland are paying dearly, without one single iots of benefit therefrom ; but meddling in financial matters has no doubt deprived us of the great advantages we derived from the mail service between Auckland and Sydney. They say nothing about a proper and satisfactory adjustment of the publio accounts as between tliiß province and the General Government, nor about the gold-fields revenue being justly the property of tho province, and therefore its bent right to retain it. They say nothing also about preserving tho balance of power for thin province, by the wisdom and justice of giving the vast mining population at the Thames a representative solely to themselves, quite independent of Franklin, the same as the other gold-fields of tho colony have. Xhey do not insist upon retaining all fines and fees inflicted in our Courts, although these Courts are built, and their officials maintained at the sole expense of the province. We must support the prisoners, while at the same time the fines are senc to Wellington, but the support of all prisoners should be a first charge upon these fines and fees before they are sent away. They have left untouched the honorarium to members, though it is strictly a financial question. Mail subsidies were viewed by the League and some of its members more in regard to private than public interest; else we should not now be without the Sydney one. Do the League propose to repeat or abrogate altogether any of these wise enactments —such, for instance, as the Game Laws which empowers the whippiag of children. They are totally silent on the wisdom and justice of having only such laws enacted as are beneficial for the province, and really applicable to the wants and wishes of its people. I'm afraid, sir, tho League is soaring too high in their ideas of colonial financial reform, while they are completely silent on all questions affecting the more immediate interests of the province. Tbey have done some of those things they ought not to have done, while they have left undone a great many of those things they might have done, but perhaps they might be told some of them to-morrow evening. There will be persons present, I have no doubt, who will be able and willing to talk upon questions of social and political economy.—l am, &0., Anthropos. Auckland, July Ist, 1868.