DOINGS IN COUNCIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1690, 31 May 1867, Page 5

DOINGS IN COUNCIL

{To //»« EflWtr of thu Otaoo Daily Times.)

Siß—lf any' argument were necessary Vi sliow thu danger of leaving the disposal of the funds of the Province at the mercy erf a purely Provincial Government, surely tjie proceedings of the Council now in session would supply it, for never hits such a reckless voting .'•.way of public money been hitherto displayed. Large votes are hastily agreed on, almost without any dbcuKsion : salaries increased as if we were entering upon a golden period, and this by a Council pledged to economy ! and even a vote of LloOO to test the* public opinioii ot the Province on the question of Provincial or General Governments h quietly agreed to, though a more scandalous \vasto of public mon^y never was nimk'. j'ublic opinion, indeed— rather say the making of the Province* supremely ridiculous. It would be easy, with the assistance of a number of- paid central committee men, to get an irumenflepetition trigned in favor of a railway to the moon.

I sec, too, that it- i« proposed to borrow largely, which I hope will never be sanctionea, as we arc now far too heavily encumbered with debt. 47,000 houlh, and a debt of JLG'OO,OOO already, ia pretty stifF, besides; our liabilities on account of the •whole Colony. No doubt, with a loan of 1*1,000,000, sold at a discount of 25 or 150 percent., money would fly for a time ; nut how about future taxation I Certainly the proceeding* of Council tire not of that cautious and careful character with regard to the Binding of public moneys to inspire foreign capitalists with confidence and reaped-.—i am, &c, JSLECTOft,

Bunedin, 30th May, ISO 7

[Tlie Appropriation Owlinanco for the year, of which cmr wirr-esjxmtlent eompLainH, irro--B{>eotiv(i of tho votes charged t« loan, ;uuyusii« to about L.'iOO.fKH), The A ppropriatiou Ordi* nance for ISiiri-OU, asnotmtol to 1/115,775, and the Ordinance for the six liiontSis ending March JB«j7, auj<»unt«l to L2of),o«;>, In regard to the Loan, it hvcihh in be mlc-ndttl to aak for it more as a an\cf;n»Un\ of borrowing power to the Province, fairly proper* tionud fc) tliut which otlujr rrovisse^s arc claiming, t)mn with a view to tbe usnnadiato expenditure of the hrgu auiotitit. —

Ed. JJ/J'.l