The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 126, 7 October 1868, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1868.

We direct the attention of our readers to the amended financial statement of the Government, a telegraphic sum- j mary of which we received from "Wellington to day. It is hardly necessary i to point out that the dissolution of! partnership is abandoned — the only part of their scheme on which they were prepared to stand or fall ; indeed the one thing on which, in the whole course of their career, they have staked their existence. The old partnership arrangement ia to be continued, aud the provinces of Southland, Marlborough, and Taranaki, especially the latter, are to be bolstered up at the expense^ of the whole colony. This will entail a deficiency of £17,000, or £18,000. To meet the deficiency, Mr Hall proposes to charge each province with the expenses of the telegraph department within its bounds — an entirely new charge, aud one which will fall chiefly on the Middle Island provinces, for there is only a small portion of the line erected in the North. Mr Hall talks as if the provinces enjoyed, or wifl enjoy the revenue derived from telegraphs. How this is to be managed, does not appear. "We suppose this class of revenue will be thrown into the common purse, and go to swell what i called the Consolidated Revenue.

But the proposal is one by which the Middle Island may specially suffer. For defence purposes, Mr Hall asks a vote of £81,000, and a contingent vote of £90,000 ; in all, £171,000. The larger sum of £90,000 may not, says Mr Hall, be required ; but wbat is the use of trying to raise false hopes in this way, when he knows well enough that every farthing of it, aye, and more, will be expended on the war ? It will bo seen, from the concluding portion of Mr Hall's speech, that he takes a very gloomy view of the position of the colony. Tet he tries to make us believe that we are financially solvent, that, in short, its " all right " about the money.