OPINIONS ON THE BUDGET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10112, 27 July 1894, Page 3

OPINIONS ON THE BUDGET.

(tfjioM Our Own Cohuespondrnt.) Wellington, July 26. Mn Saundrijs. " My soul is sad aud my heart is dark," eaid Mr Saundcrs, tho Nestor of tho House, in response to my invitation for hia opinion, " for," continued he, "the Budget is tho antithesis of

all I have fought for, aud ia simply a return to Vogeliom." The one ttiiug that saved the country, ho contends, through all tho disasters that carao upon Australia was the declaration by Mr Ballanco that our financial policy was to be a self-reliant one, and that we should no longer go to the Uiißlish market for money. " We Me now," says Sic Sauuders, " starting a financial hszird at a time when almost every monetary institution is shaken to its foundations " Continuing, ho said: "As to tho proposals, I agree that low interest is a most in- portant thing to tho progress of this colony, but ttic Treasurer's proposals to rai6e money in nil directions will with certainty ultimately raise the inteiest rate rather than lower it. At tho prescut junctors of affairs I think all the proposal* for long borrowing aro imprudent. With the croat liability we have incurred on account of the Bank of Now Zealand, we should above all things bo prudent at tho present time." M« Bott»n. The Budget ia so great a surprise to Sir Button, and involves so many important proposals that he is overwhelmed by it. He hardly eels at the present time able to mako up his mind upon its various details. It will, he says, require very careful watching, and several items must be opposed. He shares in tho general astonishment evoked by tho Statement. Mr CnowTHKR. Speaking of tho Financial Statement, Mr Crowther tolls me that there is a great deal in it searching for applause, and tho Government will bo very well content with very much less than is contained in their Budget. He does not see how the scheme for lending money to farmers is going to work. " Supposing,"hes»js. " n, farmer is fairly prosperous for a time, and then h»s a bad season. He can't pay, and vo-i cau't get Wood out of a stono." Tako n worse case : " Supposing he dies, leaving a wife and family. The Government cannot, like a private individual, tako his land, for they would raise a great outcry throughout the district." Mr Crowther does not believe the con? sols will bo talron up at 4- pur cent. Altogether the proposals will, he says, hare to be subjected to very careful revision. Tns Eveniso I'ress. Dealing with the political aspect of the colony, especially from a financial point of view, the Evening I'ress states that "the Ministerial majority have this to consider in connection with these finaueial proposals: that they were not sent in to vote for any projects of the sort. Most of them in their election speeches bold up the Government as a nonborrowing Government, and never failed to bring down the House by an allusion to the policy of self-reliance. A new departure like this is one that should never be entered or without an appeal to tho country. Now, moreover, that the woman yote is in force they arf more than ever they were the representative! of the settled population of the country. Thi woman vote, we think, is even loss likely thai the male voto to sanction a policy of reckles plunging, ending no one knows how."

Defendant: Yes. perfectly sober Benjamin Bern, liceuf.cd victualler, said he did not think that Mr Toomny wa3 a man likely to bear malice. In cross-examination witness said that on the two occasions that lie had known defendant, to be drunk he had had disturbances, but ho did not think that he was the aggressor. la giving judgment his Worship said : The evidence is very clear that the defendant assaulted and beat the complainant. In my opinion the assault was premeditated—at any rate from the time the car left Albany street. All the evidence points in that way. I think it is a case in which, if I inflict a peualty, it should lie tbe highest penalty that the act will allow, which is, including costs, ilO. I lind the costs of court arc 253, the witnesses' expenses his, and professional costs 2ls— £o in all; aud tho line will therefore be £5 and costs (£5), iv default one month's imprisonment with hard labour. Defendant was also ordeied to outer into recognisances, himself in .£SO and two sureties of .€25 each, to keep tho peace for six months. On the charge of malicious injury defendant was fined Is, and ordered to pay damages £3 and costs 28s, in default seven days' imprisonment, cumulative on the previous sentence.