WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4173, 3 July 1875, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The extraordinary action of the General Government in impounding the capitation money due to this Province since March last has, as might be expected, created not a little excitement, and also, I believe, some little inconvenience in the Provincial Treasury. The Provincial Government had not an idea that any such charge was going to be made, as the General Government had never taken the . steps necessary by the Public Works Act of 1871 (clauses 11 and 12) to fix the liability on the Province. The Act also clearly says that the interest shall be charged monthly a»aiust the land fund ; and as this was not done, or any of the accounts required by law rendered, the Provincial authorities naturally expected that the Gene al Government was woiking the line at its own risk and expense. This idea was fostered also l.y the fact that although they had agreed to all the terms proposed by the General Government when the Hue was first opened, and had agreed to take it over and work it on those terms, the Geneial Government had afterwards drawn back, and said that until the second section was finished they would prefer working the line themselves. To this the Provincial Government quite agreed, but it has during the year frequently pointed out how very badly the line was managed, and the Press has teemed with c .mplaints on the same subject. The astonishment with which the Piovincial Government learned of a charge of some £3000 on account of interest on this line being made against the Province may therefore l>e imagined. When the Council was recently in session no notice of any snch claim was given, . although the General Government, it now appears, had then actually impounded Jhe irst month's capitation, of about £1000. The Colonial Treasury usually accounted monthly to the Province for its capitation, and a3 no returns, or money, came in since March, the assistant Provincial Treasurer wrote a private note to the Secretary of the Treasury as to the omission, as he supposed. The answer, a semi-official one, was a thunderbolt. It.was that the Treasury was calculating the interest on the Hutt Railway, and that this would absorb the whole amount of capitation due for April, and probably that for May and June also. The Provincial Government has since formally protested against the stoppage ,as illegal. The New Zealand Times has endeavoured to justify the action of the Government, but to do so it had to resort to the very dishonourable course of concocting what, purport d to be an extract from tho Public Works and Immigration Act of 1871. If the words which the Times • printed between inverted commaß, as a quotation from the Act, were really in the Act, they would certainly have justified the action taken, but as they do not occur in the Act, and are entirely contrary in sense and meaning to the words bearing on the subjects which are really in the Act, it is difficult to see how they form any authority for what has been done. Perhaps, however, the Government and the Times nuy argue that if the forged quotation is not to be found in the Act, why so much the worse for the Act There will be a fine row when the Assembly meets, over this stoppage of capitation affair. As I have already informed you by telegr«'.Dh, the N.Z.S.S. Co. intend to show right against your Uuion Company in the matter of the interprovincial steam ■ trade. One of their Directors, Mr John Martin, who is now at homo, has sent out tenders for building one or two steamers larger than the Hawea, and it is not improbable that tw« will be ordered. The growth of this Company has been really wonderful. It began with the Taranaki when she lay at the bofr torn of Tory Channel. It had at one time an overdraft of somewhere about £80,000. Last year its overdraft was £45,000, its paid up capital only being some £10,000 oi £ 12,000 in £10 shares. It has paid splendid dividends, and a few days ago the Directors took up the unissued share* necessary tx complete tho nominal capital of €16,000 They took them up at £20 a share, and thui have money to complete the new engines fo the Wellington, and certain other repairs t< other vessels without increasing their over draft, which is now only some £20,001 against which the Company has a fleet con sisting of the Phosbe, Taranaki, Wellington Lidybird, llangitara. and Manawatu. I they decide on building the new boats, the; intend to extend their capital to £150,000 b; the issue of new shares. It is rumoured however, that proposals of amalgamate hive been made at home by some partie largely interested in the Union Companj and that these may net improbably soon b submitted to the consideration of the Cole nial shareholders in each Company. The lodging housekeepers' annual harve; the session—is now rapidly approaehinj and accommodation of all kinds is at premium. If there are any unfortunal people whose attendance here is necessar during the [session, I pity them if they hay not already Eecured lodgings. The gener; idea is that the session will be a very sho oae, rive weeks being about the limit usual! assigned. The Theatre Royal Company is no a wonderfully strong one. Mios Flora Ai stead has joined it from Melbourne, Mr 1 N Douglas and Miss Docy Mainwann; have come down from Sydney ; and Mr ai Mrs Dan ell (Mrs Robert Heir), are engag< for twelve nights. They open to-night " As You Like It," with a cast which cou scarcely be excelled in the Australasii Colonies. Rosalind, Mrs Darrell; Cell Mrs Walter Hill; Orlando, Mr Dougla Jaques, Mr Darrell; Touchstone, Mr He I- ins ; Audrey, Miss Anatead; and v\ Ham, Mr Hydes.

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