WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 904, 27 March 1869, Page 11

WELLINGTON.

(from oub own correspondent.)

March 20th.

The speech with which Dr Featherston opened the last session of the Provincial Council on Thursday afternoon is certainly a remarkable production, and aB far »b matters Provincial are concerned an admirablo specimen of the art of saying very little in a gieat many words. His remarks on matters colonial will be lead with some surprise from one end of the colony to the other As the only original Superintendent who still holds that office, as a leading member of the Colonial Legislature, a3 the virtual chief of the Provi cial party, and as a colonist supposed to be a hij>li authority on JNative matters, Dr Featherston's utterances will no doubt command attention both in and out of the colony Bad and gloomy a3 the position of affairs undoubtedly is no one but Dr Featherston himself believes it to be such as he has sketched. The assertion that "we have sustaiaed a succession of defeats without a single decisive blow having been struck by our colonial forces, sufficient in any material deg ree to detract from the prestige of victory implanted on the rebel standards," certainly smacks of the reckless, coming as it did the day after the receipt of the news of Tito Kowaru's utter rout on Saturday last, and while the capture of Ngatapa and !<■' ukumaru were still fresh in our recollection — while, too, every fresh mail brings news of the desertion of bodies of Tito Kowaru's followers. To anyone who knows the metal of which the Provincial Council of Wellington is for the most part composed, the idea that any expression of its opinion on the subjects indicated by His Hol our "must have great weight on the Councils of the colony," is absurd ; but, just at present, it is no doubt desirable to prevent too close a scrutiny into the affairs of the province, and to distract attention from them by directing it to those of the colony. The Public Debts Act authorised the conversion of three Wellington Loans, amounting in all to L125,0u0, and if the whole of this sum is converted into New Zealand Debentures, Dr Featherston states that the province will save, io interest and sinking fund, a sum c-f L 3345 per annum; but of this sum, L 1062 10s is effected by reducing the sinking fund of a L 50 S OOO loan from two to one per cent. , and the sinking fund of a L 25 .000 loan from four to one per cent. Dr Featherston spates that the results of the Public Debts Act have amply justified the strong couri em nation which he has always expressed of that measure ; but he expresses h'S belief that Mr Fitzherbert, in his capacity of agent for carrying out the consolidation, has done the best that it was possible for him to do under the provisions of the Act. Nay, further, that had. he not seized the favourable condition of the money market he would have had to submit to iar more unfavourable terms, in consequence of the depressed condition to which the native rebellion has reduced the credit of the colony.

Having got the Public l>ebts Act, however, His Honour seems disposed to make the most of it, and he expresses regret that this province did not obtain "further relief " iroji the operation of that Act by the inclusion in its schedule oi" a loan of L.'s '.000 from the Mutual Investment Society, a moitgage on the r claimed iaud of L 25.000, and Wanganui bridge debentures to the extent of L 16,000. All these sums now bear 10 per cent, interest, and if they could be converted into colonial 5 per cents, on the same terms as the other loans, a saving of some L 2500 per annum would be effected. Such a scheme o£ conversion His Honour esteems a "reasonable proposal" which may be adopted next session of Assembly, and he states that an application was made to the Government just before the close of the last session to have these loans included in the Public Debts Aot, but the Colonial Secretary stated in reply that at such a late period of the session, and after all the financial arrangements of the Government had been submitted to and considered by the House, he did not feel himself justified in then entering into the question : but he at the same time expressed his opinion that had the matter been brought under the con- ' sideration of Ministers at an earlier date, and if the Provincial Government were prepared to hand over to the colony the same securities for these loans as were held by their present creditors, the Colonial Government could not have any objection to bring the question before the Legislature. The unfortunate patent slip dispute between the province and Keanard Brothers, of London, is, it seems, from what His Honour said, as far off settlement as ever, but to be rather more involved than it was when last the Council met. The only prospect of settlement of this dispute, one which has immensely injured Wellington, but benefited a good many lawyers, is a hope on his Honour's part the contractors and the Government may yet see it to their mutual interest to agree upon such modified terms as may recommend themselves to a future session of the Provincial Council, as a fair compromise of the whole affair.

Dr Featherston tells us that the state of the Province is not as bad as it is said to be, and he assigns the following reasons for the pecuniary depression under which he admits it to be labouring :—ln: — In the first place the war which depopulated the finest district of this Province, and shecked that steady but rapid growth of the agricultural districts of the West Coast, by which the population had been doubled within the last three years, aad which bade fair to continue at the same ratio daring the next triennial period.

Secondly. — The non-Bettlement of the Manawatu land question, by which an ihcui bus of debt is laid upon the Province on ac count of an entirely unproductive expenditure of more than L 35.000.

Thirdly. — The reduction of the Land Revenue, caused directly by the native insurrection and indirectly by the depreciation in the value of stock, in the fall in the price of wool and other staple exports ; but above all in the entire destruction of confidence in the future of the colony.

Fourthly. — By the increase of provincial charges imposed last session by the General Assembly; and

Lastly. — By the unfair detention in their hands by the General Government of funds which ought long ago to have come into the provincial chest

With regard to the latter cause, we are told that the funds in question amounted to L 12.000, that of this L7OOO has been allowed and paid, that the remainder is to be made a subject of arbitration, and that the Colonial Secretary met the claims in a fair spirit and evinced an earnest desire to have them equitably.adjusted. This latter statement seems rather contradictory of the assertion contained in the " lastly." His Honour mourns over the termination of the Panama Company. The announcement that 3*etrenchment has been carried so far as to bring the expenditure within income, and that if no public works are undertaken all outstanding liabilities will be liquidated, would be a very gratifying one to the officials, whose salaries are now nearly four months in arrear, and to other creditors whose accounts are in the same position, if only they could believe in it. His Honour, however, does not tell ua what the liabilities at present amount to, nor does he in any way indicate the sources from which the money to pay them is to come. The Provincial Revenue for the year is estimated as follows, but His Honour admits the estimate to be a doubtful one : —One-half of the consolidated revenue, L 52,00 0; Licenses, L 4000; Pilotage, L 200 0; Incidental Receipts. LISOO ; Sheep assessment, LISOO ; Toll Bar, LIBOO j Wharf and Bonded Store, L 2400 ; Reclaimed Land, L2SUO ; Territorial, L9OOO ; giving a total of L7G.700.

The expenditure is put down thus : — Provincial Charges voted by Assembly, L2l,ooo ; Interest and Sinking Fund, L 15.900 ; Ordinary Expenses of Provincial Government L 17 ,500 ; Land, Survey, and Engineer's Departments, L 7409 ; Roads, Education, Immigration, and Existing Debts, L 11,500 — L 76.300.

The general idea is that the " existing debts" would, if the truth were known, require themselves a much larger sum than LI 1,500 to clear off, and this exclusive of the known bank overdraft of L 21,000 to which his Honor does not in any way allude. The following paragraph is a rather singular one : Taking perhaps rather a Banguine view of your revenue for the ensuing financial year, you cannot so far as public works are concerned undertake to do more than to keep the trunk lines in repair and provide for contingencies ; but I do hope that you will be enabled to renew the grants in aid of the Common Schools in all districts except the centres of population, where the schools ought to be self-supporting. People, however, do not seem to appreciate the reasoning by which his Honour goes on to prove that as the Government has in years past ('one so much for district roads and education, no great harm will be done if it does not do any more. The Council is to be asked to consider the propriety of asking the Assembly to alter the Waste Land Regulations so as to allow of payment for roads and other public works in land instead of money. We are also told that all paid Executive offices have already been done away with, and that in future the Superintendent, with the aid of the accountant and a clerk, will do all the departmental work of Secretary and Treasurer, and that the members of the Executive will be paid fees for each attendance at meetings of the Executive Council or Waste Land Board. The Manawatu land purchase is stated to be now before the Native Lands Court, presided over by two judges, in whom the natives have full confidence, and that the dissentients are so anxious to have the matter settled that they will cheerfully consent to abide by the decision of the present Court, on whichever side it may be. The remainder of the speech is unimportant, and the only measure likely to be introduced is a Representation Bill, similar to one passed last session, but disallowed for technical reasons. The only business yet done by the Council is an address, asking for the sum of L2OO to be placed on the Estimates, for "the reception of the Prince.

The usually quiet country district of Wai rarapa has just got up a religious dispute of a much more violent character than the one going on in your province about the Bishopric. Some time ago a Danish preacher named. Backland, was introduced to the district by a well known religionist named Deck, who has a large congregation of his own in this town. Mr Backlaud was welcomed as a brother by the Presbyterian clergyman, Mr Ross, and the Wesleyan one, Mr Rish worth, and both reverend gentlemen allowed him the use of their pulpits. Soon what is termed a "revival" began to follow his ministrations, and the women especially went mad about him. Prayer meetings were held, and people went into fits, others stood up and confessed their sins, while others announced themselves to be regenerated and cleansed from all sin. In fact all the regular revival " business" was gone through in a complete and perfect way, and it is even said that on one of the converted being pressed for paynwnt of a debt by another, exouaed himself

from payment by quoting the text about its being more blessed to give than to receive. On one occasion Mr Backland gave out a hymn, but before the congregation began it he called out " you hypocrites, how dare you attempt to sing that hymn 1" and then went on to abuse the congregation. Messrs Ross and Rishworth, becoming scandalised by these proceedings, and doubting the orthodoxy of Sir Backland's doctrine, called a meeting to announce that they had no more connection with him, anri at that meetmeeting denounced him in strong language as a "Plymouth Brother." Mr Backlind in return called another meeting to defend himself, and this meeting was crowded, a large portion of the audience being women. Mr Backland read extracts from, his diary, give an account of the good work he had done, abused the other clergymen, and, after a good deal of prayer, closed the meeting. Thereupon another chairman was chosen, and Mr Rishwood proceeded to reply to, and in his turn abuse, Mr Bacldand. the women being particularly demonstrative in their interruptions. A most disorderly scene ensued, to find a parallel for which the local paper says, it would he necessary to go to the penny theatres of Whitechapel, or the beer-shops of Ratcliffe highway. After a row of some hours' duration, the proceedings terminated by some one enveloping Mr Backland's head in a towel smeared with butter.

The notice which appeared in the Gazette yesterday, to the effect that the New Zealand Government had withdrawn from Mr M'Lean his authority as its agent on the East Coast, has caused a good deal of talk here, and although the opinion is that it will injure Mr Stafford's position and strengthen the hands of his opponents, it is allowed that under the circumstances no other course was open to the Government. It was impossible that they could retain in office as their agent and representative a gentleman who in another capacity had felt it his duty to thwart and defeat their wishes and orders. That Mr M'Lean did this in preventing Ropata's removal with his Ngatiporou to the West Coast is notorious. The Government was, for many reasons, particularly anxious that the chief in question should join Whitmore's force, and the statement of available force in Hawke's Bay, published semi- officially by the Advertiser, proves beyond any doubt that Kopata and his men were not in the

least required for the protection or defence of that p-ovince.

Again there are hopes held out of a goldfield in this Province, and a very promising piece of quartz has been found by a settler at Wainni-o-Mata, a country district near the Heads. Tested by Mr Skey, of the Laboratory, it yielded gold at the rate of 13 dwts. to the ton, but the stone was extremely hard, and would not, of course, pay at that rate. It was, however, a piece of surface stone, and as there are indications of an extensive reef in the neighbourhood, it is possible that the explorations about to be instituted may develope something payable. Whaka Mau, the Maori murderer, is to be hanged on Tuesday morning next. He has since his trial confessed his guilt, and admitted the justice of his sentence, professing great regret for what he did. Archdeacon Hadfield and the Rev. A. Stack have visited him constantly, and have succeeded in converting him from Hauhauism to Christianity. He was baptised on Thursday last.