THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1863.

Colonist, Volume VI, Issue 635, 24 November 1863, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1863.

MARLBOROUGH PROVINCE "EATING OFF

ITS OWN HEAD."

Thebe is an old Joe Miller joke of a temperance lecturer who was accompanied iri his travels by his brother, who was always drunk. The lecturer was the talking advocate of temperance, and hia brother helped to clench his argument as the " frightful example." If any political apostle of union in political bodies as against division were to perambulate New Zealand on a tour condemnatory of the evil results of separation as arranged for by the New Provinces Act, the Province of Marlborough would be always ready to afford a "frightful example " ofthe force and truth of his principles. But indeed, Marlborough is by no means bashful in exhibiting her own short-comings, and the fruits of her wayward conduct and the unwarranted expenditure whicb tbe separatists heaped upon ber land fund "and ber inhabitants. Captainßaillie,theex-Superintendent,

in the Legislative Council at Auckland early in the present month exhibited, without the smallest scruple, the unhappy condition of the finance of the province. It seems that sometime agAthe Provincial Council memorialised the General Government, requesting an adjustment of the surplus revenue under the "Surplus Eevenue Act," of 1858. Captain Baillie was desirous of knowing what reply Government would give to that memorial. And in doing so he made the following naive disclosures:—" At the present time the revenue of the Province of Marlborough amounted to from £1200 to £1800, and the expenses incurred by the Government of the province exceeded that amount by £601, which they were called upon to pay out of the land revenue." The memorialists therefore asked Government to remit that amount "out ofthe surplus revenue ofthe colony." The customs revenue, we are next told, "might be said to be principally collected in the Province of Nelson, and part in Wellington." This is the result of separate government. Not only is every penny of the customs revenue falling to the new province swallowed up in the annual salaries and other governmental expenses, but £600 additional has to be taken from the land fund to meet the cost of government! The Government of Marlborough have already reduced their staff of officials; the practical staff of course. The engineer of the province was sometime since discharged, arid if any province requires engineering aid, it is the Province of Marlborough, with that expensive Opawa dam into, which so many thousands of pounds have in vain been flung. It is perfectly true that if there is no money to spend in public works, and ifthelandfundis speedily to be swallowed iip, no engineer is required. But when the road between Picton and Blenheim is so often a swamp, and for days impassable in rainy, weather, it does seem a hard case that playing at a separate government should absorb so much ready money and leave clamant grievances unremedied. The mere government of the province, the cost of the Executive officials, is, according to Captain Baillie's own showing, some £2400 per annum, or within a fraction of £1 for every man, woman, and child iri the province. Mr. Whitaker in replying to Captain Baillie said "the only mode by which' Government could reimburse Marlborough would be by handing over a portion of the revenue of the colony and taking a portion from Wellington and Nelson—taking a certain amount of the revenue of each of these provinces and handing it over to Marlborough. He was not prepared to disturb the distribution of the surplus revenue" as ordered by the act, and he thought Captain Baillie would have a great deal of difficulty in making a better distribution than was secured iat the present time. He admitted there were good grounds of complaint by the Marlborough people, and Taranaki was much in the same way, but he did not know at present how the difficulty could be avoided." We do not know how either Nelson or Wellington Government would look if asked to share their revenue with Marlborough. This would be an effective incentive to separation. But Mr. Whitaker must have been bantering the honorable and gallant captain. It is surely no fault of either Nelson or Wellington that they should supply Marlborough with a pretty large proportion of its imports. It is Marlborough's fault in separating herself and setting up a new and expensive government which was not required, which is ruining the province, and the payment of which prevents the progress pf necessary improvements. The people of MarlborougTi have little reason to thank the separatists who have brought them to their present condition, after disposing of nearly all the valuable land in the province. We hope the authors and upholders of the New Provinces Act are proud of their.handiwork, of which Marlborough is in truth a "frightful example."