Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELOS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1875. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VIII, Issue 520, 11 December 1875, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELOS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1875. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

TnE candidate for "Waikouaili, Sir F. D. Bell, has again made his bow before the electors. On this occasion he has expatiatied more fully upon the public creditor theory, so curtly set up by him on the previous occasion as a bar to insular separation. He has not yet become quite explicit in his utterances. That is not, however, to be wondered at, explicitness not being one of the predominating characteristics of his political ' creed. What he now says is that while the , consolidated revenues of the colony do not exceed one and three-quarter millions sterling, the amounts hypothecated by act of parliament, including interest, sinking fund, law and justice, customs, marine, stamps, &c, represents close upon one and a half millions, leaving not quite one-third of a million to " be otherwise disposed ' of. He further argues that by acts of the Assembly the debt of the colony will be brought up to a cum of twenty millions, and that these acts, after defining what the consolidated revenue shall consist of, has placed it at the disposal of the public creditor as security. Briefly put, that is the sum total of his argument. "We are," he adds, " thereby precluded from taking that revenue and dividing it as between the two islands, or in any other way dealing with it excepting as provided for by law." It will be observed that there is here an assumption put forward upon which the gist of the argja-

ment rests. It is, that the consolidated revenue already appropriated by act of the legislature must, under the policy- of separation, be diverted from its legitimate channel — in othor words, that insular separation can only bo given effect to at tho expense of a broach of faith, and an abuse of the public credit. A charge, or implied chargo of this nature, should only havo been made upon the clearest and most conclusive evidence, and yet we fail to discover one single effort on the part of the speaker to justify the implication by that moans. In reviewing another portion of Sir Francis's speech, a contemporary makes tho trite remark, that while he broadly asserts tho dogma ho leaves the proof altoi gether to the imagination. In tho case i under roview, we find even a less ! creditablo course pursued. He shirks the responsibility of frankly asserting the dogma, but still he does not hesitate to put it forward by inferences which cannot be misinterpreted. In other words, he stoops to one of those meaner devices which in ordinary intercourse has done so much to disturb the peace of society, and j mar domestic happiness. So far from this implied misappropriation of the public revenue being an essential element in the policy of separation, we venture to assert that such an idea never entered into the minds of its projectors. On the contrary, we are firmly persuaded it was all along looked upon as a sine qua non that the claims of the money lender should continue to be a first charge on these revenues. So far as we can see, repudiation is no more a part of the separation programme than it has or is at all likely to become under the centralizing scheme. In the prosecution of commercial pursuits, the whole transaction is one that admits of an easy solution. A mercantile compact iB disaolvedby mutual consent, and the individual partners strike out for themselves separate spheres of action. They can no longer pledge each others' credit, but to all intents and purposes the co-partnery remains so far as liquidating the liabilities of the firm is concerned. In their individual capacities they are no more" entitled to repudiate their original liabilities than they could do before the dissolution took place. The proposed separation of the two Islands can only be given effect to on a similar basis so that this unwarrantable inference set up by Sir Francis falls to the ground. Such being the case we may now fairly conclude that the public creditor theory as a bar to separation has been exploded. Indeed it ia nothing more nor less than a question of domestic policy, notwithstanding what has been urged to' the contrary by parties wboae interest or ambition may have led them into a different traia of thought.

There were two or three acts of a domestic character passed at last session of the Assembly, the provisions of which cannot be too generally known. The first of these •to which, we would direct attention is an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the Registration of births and deaths in New Zealand. After providing for the redivision of the Colony into districts, and the appointment of a RegistrarGeneral and Registrar under him, the Act provides that parents, or in case of their inability, the occupier of any house in which the birth occurs, must give information of such birth to the Registrar within sixty-two days. A birth may also be registered after the • sixty-two days, and before the ex- ' piration of six months, if the person : registering make a solemn declaration of the truth of the particulars of birth ■ furnished by him. In the case of children born out of the Colony, and who arrive in the Colony when under eighteen months old, registration may be effected within six months from the •arrival, .XLe . person having charge of the child making a similar declar ation to that before mentioned. In no case may a birth be registered after tho six months. There are other provisions for the registration of birth of children found exposed and for the registration of names within twelve months after I registration of birth. Every death I must be notified to the Registrar by ; the occupier of the house in which it occurs, or by the persons present at such death. The person giving such information "will then receive from the Registrar a certificate that such death has been duly registered, which certificate is to be bonded to the person officiating at the burial. In case there is no certificate, the person burying must give notice of burial to the Registrar. There are various other provisions defining the powers and duties of Registrars, the penalties for neglect in complying with the various requirements of the Act, &c. Another of ,tbe above class is the Act passed to amend the Public Healths Act, 1871. By section 19 of the " Public Health Act, 1872," the Governor ia Council is empowered to make orders putting in force sections 20 to 45 of the Act, , which relate to the removal of nuisances, pigstyes, &c, antf the powers of the local Boards of Health, in New Zealand ; such order to continue in force for six months, or such less time as shall be expressed in the order. The amending Act provides that the order is to remain in force for the time therein mentioned, or, in case no time is mentioned, then until revocation. By an amendment made to the Bills of Sales Act, 1867, it is provided bills of sale must be registered every five years by filing affidavit with the Registrar, stating date of bill of sale, the names of parties, and that the security is still in force. Unless this is done, the bill of sale will be utterly void. If any period of five years expires before April 1, 1576, the deed is. to remain in force, as if properly renewed.