The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1874.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 2188, 28 March 1874, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1874.

+ Fhe Provincial Counch, is stiU in session, md it is not probable that it will terminate lefore 'tbo end «f «ext week, or the begiucing sf the foltafiring. Out report of its proceedings occupies so much space, that we. have little or no room for retntrta. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the natters relating to immigration, and likewise ;be confiscated lands, have brought np their ■eport, which we publish in another eoliimn. The Select Committee appointed to .consider ho Education Bill, have also brought np their report, which proposes Unit a new bill shall » introduced,'dividing the Province into two districts, and making the Board elective. Other matters have oome before the Connoil; >nt we must refer those interested to tho •eport itself.

Eospitals will not prevent death in all oases, ret they are the ( means of relieving much nisery in the world $ and numbers owe an expended life £o their existeuoo. In this Province ;here is no department whioh inoro fully jommondß Uself not only to tho Provincial Council now assembled but to the public generally, than the Hospital and Lnnatio Asylum. From a return laid on tho table of the Council Chamber, ws learn that dnringtho year ending 31st December, 1873, thirteon patients hod seen inmates of the Hospital at n oost of £145 09. lOd. From thediotary table we also gathor that the average number of indoor patients was between fivo and six, showing ,he small cost of about £25 to £30 an inmate, [n the Lunatio Asylum between four aud five have been the average during the year, who lave oost £122 Is. Bd., or about the same amount oaoh as tho Hospital patientß. Tho total oost of the two establishments came to £207 2s. Gd., a vory small sum for the relief afforded. When the voting of this item came on in tho Council, one or two members expressed themselves in a way that would lead listeners to imagine that they thought it was highly detrimental for a Government to

support hospitals or other charities. It is easy to point to England or othor old and wealthy countries as instaneos where charities are supported by voluntary contribution, but in a new Colony where tho community is eoattered, the result of suoh a system would not bo difficult to realise. We cannot agree with the theory that it ib Bolely the business of the benevolent to maintain charitable institutions, or failing that, that they must oeasa to exist; yet, any one arguing that we should carry out charitable institutions on the same plan an at home really advooates that theory. The dnty of providing for the destitute aud for those of tho sick who cannot provide for themselves is inoumbent on society aa a whole, not upon its members individually. The behests of religion and our natural sympathy for the afflictions of onr fellowbeings should certainly teach us to render every assistance in our power, but the duty being general, the proper meanßof distributing the burden throughout the community is through the Government. The Census Returns of this Province have not yet been compiled, bnt when they are we shall no donbt be furnished with the complete tables. At present we can only state the figures roughly as they fell from the enumator, in his place in Connoil during the debate on the question of granting Patea an additional member. We then learnt that the population of the Provinco of Taranaki was 5,398; of this number 2,035 were within the Town of New Plyraonth, 1,771 in the Grey and Bell Electoral District, 626 in Omata Distriot, and 966 in the Patea Distriot. Comparing these figures with the census taken in IS7I, we fiud that during the past three years the Province has increased 919, or about twenty-one per cent. Of this increase the Towu of New Plymouth has 189 ; Grey and Bell Distriot, 311 ; «ud Patoa, 420 ; while Omata shows a decrease of 11. By this return we havo tbo satisfaction of knowing that our country districts are increasing, although the numbers are comparatively small, and that Patea has nearly doubled her number of inhabitants during the

past tbree years. PbOFOSKU ExrENDITUBE OF THE £s,ooo.— The following proposition was made by bis Honor the Superintendent for the consideration of the Provincial Council as to the expenditure ■of the £5,400 for roads aud bridges;— £ 8. d. North Road— Formation, motalling and repairing the same... 2,400 0 0 South Road — Allan's Bill to PonJdko.. 900 0 0 Tataraimska mail road 108 *0 5) South Road repairs 100 0 0 1,500 0 0 Patea and Hawcra District* — Same proportion «s capitation money „,„. 66S 0 0 Bush Roads\ 835 0 0 £5,000 « 0 * Spent and authorised by the General Government in Patea District, for main road and bridge*, more than JC2O.OO'. t Oat of the £835, £201 to )>e epont on tho Kgraont road, which will open out a large block of Janu, and give accommodation to now holders and occupiers of laud. Otherwise, the £5,060 to be given to Road Boards after the same proportion as the capitation monoy, and to be appropriated as per arrangements to be made with the Superintendent and the Road Commissioners. Bridges required at Manutahi, over VVaiongoua ; at Oakura uear Kora Road. FttEo. A. Cabrington. P.S. — I consider, in this inomo., the Uuatoki as the point of separatum betweeu the North and South Roads.