AN IMMIGRATION SCHEME

Otago Witness, Issue 910, 8 May 1869, Page 1

AN IMMIGRATION SCHEME

Since Mr Richmond's allusion to the important information on financial matters expected from Mr FitzherBEET, some curiosity as to the character of this information has existed in all parts of the colony. The first and most natural conjecture was, that the Government wished to obtain another Loan for the purpose of carrying on the war with the natives. The expense of the present operations is known to be very great ; and the prospect of having to provide for a long continuance of them, out of the ordinary revenue of the colony, must be perplexing enough to any Colonial Treasurer. Hence it is highly probable that this conjecture is not far from the mark. Any Government conducting the affairs of New Zealand at the present time, would find a new Loan precisely the riglit thing in the right place, if they could persuade the Assembly to sanction it, and men of money to take it up. Lately, however, a new conjecture has been raised on the subject of this mysterious financial matter. On. the arrival of the last English mail, it was learned that Mr FiTZHERBERThad caused to be drafted and printed in London l a Bill entitled an Act for Promoting Immigration and Colonisation in New Zealand.' The question whether a Loan or series of small Loans could be raised for Immigration purposes was immediately supposed to be that for which the Government had been, waiting for an answer. There can hardly be a doubt that tins conjecture is correct, although even if it is, the truth of the other is not impossible. If this were the subject as to which Ministers were so anxious, the information they have received is apparently not satisfactory. A statement made by the Lyttelton Times, to the effect that this Bill is to be introduced by Government during the coming session, has evoked a counter statement from Mr John Hall, who declares it to be 'entirely incorrect.' We may, therefore, suppose that the Government has arrived at the conclusion that a loan to he raised in the manner and for the purposes suggested in the Bill referred to, could not bo successfully floated.

This Bill has been denounced as an insidious attack by the General Government on the enstis^ rights of

the provinces to the management and appropriation of their own Land Funds. This idea appears to be so far correctthat the Bill does contemplate a specific appropriation of three-tenths of all territorial revenue to Immigration purposes solely. Beyond this, we can find nothing in the language of the Bill to

warrant the attacks which have been made upon it. The most careful provision seems to have been made in it for localising the expenditure — the only interference proposed being the fixing' of this particular object of expenditure, and of the exact proportion of its Territorial Revenue which each pi-ovince shall devote to Immigration. The point, however, is hardly worth arguing. Whatever the projects of any Ministry, we feel quite sure that tlie Assembly will not permit any appropriation of the Land Fund of one pi'ovince for the benefit of another. c The Land Fund is in danger/ is a good party cry ; but as things stand at present in New Zealand, it is certainly nothing more. However, apart from considerations of this sort, we do not think there is any reason to regret that this Bill has for some reason or other gone to the wall. The Immigration project is specious, but the colony is not yet ripe for such a scheme 1 . Some parts of the Bill are highly objectionable in their character. The whole of it is exceedingly crude, and we shall not be at all surprised to learn, that it found no favour in the English money market. Immigration is not the only matter to which the Bill refers. Three very distinct subjects of legislation are brought together in it; each is handled sepai-ately ; and the only link between them appears to be that the Commissioners for Immigration were to have had charge of the whole working of the Act. Since Mr Hall has pointedly denied that the Bill will be brought under the consideration of the Assembly, a discussion of its details would now be unprofitable. We may summarise in a few words its essential features. The first part of it, including twenty-five clauses, contains the [mmigration scheme. It was proposed to form a Board of Commissioners, which would have included the Superintendents of Provinces and Chairmen of Counties. A loan was to he raised in detail, no more than ,£IOO,OOO in any one ye or, and no move than £1,000,000 in all The proceeds were to be applied by these Co'umis&ioners to the introduction of Immigrants to the colony. With them was to rest the decision as to how much of the proceeds each province should have the benefit of. The management of the Immigration was to bu in their hands ; but the details in regard to each province were to be agreed upon between them and the provincial authorities?. The repayment of the amount devoted to the service of any particular province, was to have been a first charge on its territorial revenue ; and failing that, upon its share of the consolidated revenue. Thus it appears that the whole scheme would have resulted in a vast complication of accounts, as well as a most undesirable multiplication of officials. The next division of the Bill is occupied with an extraordinary scheme, by which the Government of the colony was to become the guarantor of dividends to any Companies which should undertake to improve either freehold or pastoral properties in the colony, or should lend money to the owners of such properties for purposes of such improvement- As there is at least a possibility that this scheme will not be allowed to drop, merely because the Bill itself has been abandoned by the Government, our business men would do well to bear it in mind. The last division of the Bill was intended to make arrangements by which the London Agents of the Commissioners could effect sales of waste lands for the provinces. Unless special blocks were &efc

apart for sale in England, this scheme could not have been worked, and such setting apart would necessarily be resented by the local applicants for land.