WELLINGTON, (FROM OUR OWN CO-RESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 877, 19 September 1868, Page 8

WELLINGTON, (FROM OUR OWN CO-RESPONDENT.)

Friday, 4th September. THE BUDGET.

The Financial Statement has been the source of much discussion outside the House, and the utmost curiosity has been felt as to the action to be initiated by the Opposition. It is no discredit to them, perhaps, to say that a very large number of the members have only a vague idea of the Budget itself; what they look at is the political result of it. It would be idle to suppose that any but a few membars could explain the rabunvtle of the scheme as it affects other Provinces than their own. We, in Wellington, can put our fingers on a dozen points where the propositions affect us unjustly. We have, for instance, mortgages, i.e., temporary loans, which, not feeing included in the Consolidated Act, will leave us to pay an annual interest and sinking fund, while the whole debt of other Provinces is covered by the Consolidated revenue. We have still some L 33,000 to be credited by Hawjse's Bay for her share of such of our permanent loans as were negotiated before that district separated, the whole being debited to Wellington in Mr Hall's calculations. "We have a Native population which costs us money to govern ; but which Mr Hall entirely ignores in his estimate per head of the Customs revenue of this and the Marlborough population, when he proposes to mulct us for the latter's benefit. We have numerous items of a similar, character which would not. interest your readers. Our case is that of other Provinces, and the members of those Provinces have each their own special grievances. Without a large degree of patience and concert, only a few of these would stand any chance of being rectified. The Opposition do not comprise the whole of those members who have serious objections to make to the Government scheme ; and in the attempts at redress which the Opposition may make, ihey will be sure to be supported by many of those who have voted invariably with the Government. When the Opposition met to consider the course to be taken, they wisely chose a Committee of such as are supposed to know something of finance, and whose opinions varied most, and then left them to come to a conclusion at their leisure. I believe I am correct in saying that the conclusion they have arrived at is that the Ministerial proposal, so far as the closing of what is called the partnership account, is to be agreed to. This has been arrived at not so much because it might be useless to oppose it, but because of the general feeling of dissatisfaction which the year's trial of the present system has occasioned. lam practically acquainted with the system in operation last year, as much as, if not more than most men, and I unhesitatingly say that nothing can be more simple than that system is, and that none could be more smoothly worked. But as the results only are looked at by ordinary men, and those having been m®st unsatisfactory, the system is almost universally condemned. The simplest measure works well or badly according to circumstances, and the system in operation last year has died the victim of circumstances. That system was — divide the revenue into half, deduct the A ssem bly Appropriations for Provincial purposes from one of these moieties, and hand its balance over to the Provinces in their respective shares. The want of unanimity between the Comptroller and Treasurer, an insufficient staff, or something else, prevented these balances being struck until after long delays, and an end is now to be put to the irregularities of it 3 working by destroying the system altogether. The Capitation system will involve just as much irregularity, if the same causes continue at work as those ■which creased the irregularity of the system to be discarded on the 31st December next.

OPP03ITION" TACTICS,

The remainder of the financial propositions are, however, to be met with strong opposition ; but with what details of opposition is not yet determined. The feeling among Mr Fux's party is still strongly Provincial, and they arc not ■willing to see the Proviuces wholly dependent as yet, at any rate, on their territorial revenue, and what is called local taxation, as if that of the Customs and Stamps were not as purely local as any other. They will propose, therefore, that the Capitation allowance be increased considerably, and that it be allowed to be spent for general Provincial purposes. In this Province, for instance, the 7s, if spent only on gaols and police, would far more than cover our wants, and a certain amount • would have to be returned The difficulty of fixing the population on which the amount is to be calculated, the having to return a portion of it, perhaps, and other similar auses, will create far more dissat-

isfaction than the present system. In gold districts, police is an expensive item, and in such a Province as Marlboro, where there are three policemen, it is a bagatelle. The Opposition at present see their s way, therefore, only to a ■capitation for general purposes, and not specially for police. With regard to the handing over the whole of the loans, and th% amount of • compensation, no decision has yet been arrived at ; the f eeling, however, that the proposal of the Government is a rebuff to those Provinces which have been economical and have borrowed little, while it holds out a strong approval to those who have borrowed heavily. Depend upon it, the opposition to the Government details will be very strong. The Country party are like Mahomet's coffin, between the heaven of the Government and the earth of the Opposition. They are — i.e., those of them who are really free to act as they like— ignored by the Government ; and yet they are rejoiced to find that the Provinces have received a slap from .which they think they cannot recover. It will be \observed that I commujftcate little that is definite. The state of matters at present renders that unavoidable, and it ynll probably be some days yet before the plans of the Opposition are consolidated.

SIR GEORGE GREY.

To bid farewell to Sir George Grey, a lunch has been fixed for Tuesday next, under the auspices of a committee composed of several of the gentlemen now attending the Assembly, and of the principal residents. It is to take place in the Oddfellows' Hall, after which the Company will proceed, in the Airedale as far as the Heads, and witness the Mataura fairly on her way towards Panama. The great regret in connection with the proposed demonstration is, that from the price fixed for tickets (20s), it will be limited to comparatively few. Sir George Grey has mentioned here freely that his present intention is to get into Parliament as soon as possible on his arrival Home.

THE BALLOT.

The special representation of the Goldfields is apparently doomed, the Government, on the motion of Mr Mervyn, having promised to bring in resolutions establishing the basis of a re- adjustment, everybody complaining of the miners' ricjnt franchise. The Ballot, too, is in a fair way of becoming law, having been read by 34 to 23, the division list being as follows : —

Ayes — 34 : Messrs Armstrong, Baigent, Ball, Barff, Bradshaw, Burns, Cargill, Clark, Collins, Curtis, Fox, Gallagher, Graham, Harrison, W. H., Haughton, Haultain, Kerr, Macandrew, Macfarlan, Macfarlane, Main, Mervyn, O'Neill, C. Parker, Paterson, Reynolds, Russell, Stafford, Stevens, Swan, Tancred, Travers, Vogel, Wood. Noes— 23 : Messrs Atkinson, Brown, Bunny, Carleton, Dignan, Farmer, Hall, Hankinson, Hepburn, Jollie, Ludlam, MitcheU, O'Neill, J., Ormond, O'Rorke, Patterson, Potts, Reid, Richmond, Rolleston, Studholme, Taylor, Williamson. There are perils said to surround it in Committee, several who voted for the " principle" being averse to " details" of any kind. Next Wednesday will show whether gossip is correct or not.

THE LIBEL EILL.

The Libel Bill has managed to get into Committee, but was only saved by the skin of its teeth, the division being 26 to 24. Your Mr Reid appears to be the great mover of the opposition to it, second only to Mr Haughton, who, though he has the credit of writing constantly for the press, pretends to regard newspapers with very great dislike. He goes now by the name of the ".Jester," and if he were more in jest and less in earnest on this matter, I should have less fear for the Bill than I have. He has a certain amount of influence over Messrs C. O'Neill, Gallagher, and two or three others of that stamp, which would materially save a Bill from jeopardy when tolerably close run. The finest piece of acting this session was that by Mr Vogel, who in allusion to certain articles that have appeared in the Advertiser, supposed to be from ministerial pens, spoke of non-members who shielded their scurrility under " a miserable circulation of a hundred and fifty ;" and then, when the eyes aud ears of members were fixed upon him as if eager to hear what he was saying, he stopped and placing his hand to his ear, as though he had been interrupted by Mr Richmond, asked, "Does the honorable gentleman say 1 am referring to hunt" The effect was electrical. A stranger would have supposed that Mr Richmond really had interrupted him ; but the House, who perfectly understood the allusion and appreciated the acting, was brought down with thunders of applause. Last night, the Bill was in Committee again for a couple of hours, but did not make much progress, Mr Haughton being defeated in his attempt

to get rid of the whole Bill by 25 to 20. The remaining, or ratler, earlier portion of last evening was partly occupied by a dreary debate on the East Coast Native Titles Investigation Bill, brought on by Mr Carleton, who at last consented to withdraw the second reading ; but, refusal being given, an amendment of Mr Richmond's, for reading it that day six months, was carried. Mr Vogel's motion for permitting Provinces to set apart a portion of theii territorial revenue for Immigration was met by an amendment from Mr Jollie, introducing the "local authority" element, and, after considerable discussion, adjourned. The Committee of Supply was to have come on laßt night, it having been agreed to consider the Estimates on their merits, without reference to the question of " policy/ reserved for next week ; but, it being half-past one when the adjournment on Mr Vogel's Libel Bill took place, the House very wisely adjourned.

WANT OP CONFIDENCE.

Since the above was written, the Opposition have determined to cut the Gordian knot by tabling a direct vote of want of confidence. This was discussed and decided on at their usual meeting this morning, and Mr Fox will table a series of resolutions when the House meets this afternoon.