POLITICAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 295, 3 September 1866, Page 5

POLITICAL.

New Zealand as well as England has had its ministerial crisis, and the issues involved were possibly of more practical interest to the people of this colony, than those upon which the fate of the Russell and Gladstone administration hinged. We presume that home readers sufficiently well understand that the domestic politics of New Zealand are very materially affected by the Native war, which, with varying fortunes and occasional intervals of treacherous peace, has been waging for many years past. The middle island has little interest in this contest of races, beyond the effect producedupon its financial relations with the general government. The cost of the war is, however, a charge upon the colony at large, and the Southern settlements have had to contribute largely to the expenditure occasioned by the long continued hostilities in the North Island between the Europeans and the Maoris. The heavy liabilities incurred by the general government in the prosecution of the Native war; in the organisation and maintenance of a local defence force ; and in the carrying out of measures of repression and pacification ; have to be met ; and to meet them the late ministry submitted a financial scheme to Parliament, which, if effect had been given to it, would have necessitated the relinquishment by the provinces of a large proportion of the share of the public revenue hitherto enjoyed by them for provincial uses. By an arrangement which has been renewed from year to year under the sanction of a resolution of the two houses of the General Assembly, a proportion of three-eighths of the customs duties were remitted to the provinces, the remaining five-eighths being appropriated for general government purposes. A resolution in favor of securing the threeeighths to the provinces by permanent enactment, was proposed by Mr Yogel, one of the Otago gold-fields members, but withdrawn at the instance of the government until their financial statement should be presented to Parliament. Of this statement the main feature was the proposal to allow the provinces oneeighth only of the Customs Revenue. The arrangement was justified on the ground of the exigencies of the executive ; but it gave great dissatisfaction to a large majority of the representatives ; and a resolution moved by Mr Moorhouse, the member for Westland, ! declaring that the House had no confidence in the ministry " as at present constituted," was carried, after a very brief debate, by 47 votes to 14. The resignation of Mr Stafford and his colleagues of course followed ; but the subsequent course of events was of a somewhat curious and uuusual character. Mr Moorhouse in moving the vote of want of confidence, expressly excepted from its application the hon premier, Mr Stafford, and the vote of the House was directed not against that gentleman, but against the colleagues by whom he had surrounded himself. Mr Moorhouse repudiated any intention to attempt the formation of a new ministry, and frankly assured the House that if he were sent for by the Governor he should advise His Excellency to entrust the formation of a new cabinet to Mr Stafford. This course was adopted, and Mr Stafford consented to retain office as Premier and Colonial Secretary, with an entirely new set of

colleagues. This singular episode in political history has, of course, given rise to much comment ; but the action pursued meets with the general approval of parliament, and with the acquiescence of public opinion. The details of Mr Stafford's amended financial scheme are not before us ; but there is reason to apprehend that it will embody proposals scarcely less obnoxious to the provinces than those that led to the defeat of his former administration. In a brief ministerial statement made on the occasion of his announcement of his re-assumption of office, Mr Stafford promised that every shilling available out of the "surplus revenue" — that is, the revenue remaining after the necessities of the general government have been met — should be allotted to the provinces for their separate use ; but he held out no hope that they would enjoy the three-eighths they have hitherto received. It may be expected, however, that the majority of members who voted for Mr Moprhouse's resolutions will insist on such a financial arrangement as will , to a laige extent, meet the just claims of the provinces, as a condition of their support to the new cabinet.

At the same time it cannot fail to be inferred from Mr Stafford's speech that, in order to effect this object an enlarged general taxation must be submitted to. The lion. Premier's words were —

The Government felt that if; was its duty, as it would be that of any Government, 'to strain every nerve to enable tho provinces to carry on their various public works and undertakings as far as the means afc its disposal would" allow (hear, hear). Without, therefore, pledging the Government on this occasion as to the definite proportion of the Customs revenue to be distributed, he wished the House to believe that the position of the provinces would receive the greatest consideration, with a view to a fair provision being made to enable them to maintain those works which were most essential to the progress and prosperity of the country. The Government were perfectly aware that if the provinces were starved in those matters which involved expenditure, a very great falling off would take place in the Customs .receipts. Considering the question, therefore, on no higher ground, the General Government did not wish to lessen the consuming powers of the country.

Mr Stafford further expressed his sense of the desirableness of fixing the provincial proportion of the revenue for a definite period, on the ground that there were many public works which the provinces could enter upon if they knew that for a given time they would receive some fixed amount. At this point the ministerial explanation substantive ceased — the Government in reply to sundry questions refusing to give explanations as to its financial plans in " a fragmentary manner."

Mr Stafford's new cabinet is composed as follows :—: —

Premier and Secretary, Mr Stafford ; Treasurer, Mr Fitzherbert ; PostmasterGeneral, Mr Hall ; Defence Minister, Colonel llaultaiu ; Native Minister, Mr Richmond. Mr Johnson and Major Richardson represent the Cabinet in the Upper House, without departmental office.

At an early stage of the session a very important question was raised, which may be considered for the present to be disposed of. Mr Whitaker, the Superintendent of the province of Auckland, and the representative of the city of Auckland in the General Assembly, proposed a series of resolutions, which, if passed would have led the way for the dismemberment of the colony. He proposed 'what amounted practically to the erection of the Auckland province into an independent colony, with a Lieutenant-Governor, a legislature comprising two houses ; and a general power of dealing with native affairs. r

Mr Whitaker's resolutions were, however, negative* by a very large majority, arid for some time to come at all events, the unity of the colony is secured.

Through the interruption to public business, occasioned by the ministerial crisis, many important measures, and especially some of special interest to this district, are we fear ctestined to miscarriage. Amongst these was a proposal to amend the laws relating to the administration of the Goldfields. A large committee of both Houses of Parliament was appointed to collect evidence and report upoi the general subject, and a considerable number of witnesses have been examined. It is considered unlikely, however, that sufficient progress will be made with the enquiry to enable the committee to bring up a report during the present session. Nor can we anticipate indeed that in any direction much important change will be effected in the existing statute law of the colony. The disposition appears to be to close the session as spoedily as possible, after Ways and Means for the service of the year have been provided. Many inconveniences result from the excessive prolongation of the Session of the General Assembly. Its members comprise so mauy Superintendents of Provinces whose presence is required in their own districts, and so many members of Provincial Councils, which cannot be convened s.o long as they are absent in the discharge of other duties, that great interests suffer from the suspension of local legislation, and to a great extent of local administration. Under these circumstances it is not improbable that the session of the Parliament of New Zealand will be closed some time during the present or at the early commencement of the ensuing month.

In local politics we have nothing to report. Mr Sale, the Commissioner, has returned from his visit to Wellington, where he was summoned to give evidence before the Goldfields Committee, and pending the meeting of

the Provincial Council, the machinery of local administration goes on in its old jog-trot fashion. A local commissionconsisting of the Commissioner, a War? den, and one of the members for the goldfields district, is understood to have been appointed to inquire into the working of the Goldfields Regulations in Westland, but no public intimation of the appointment has yet been made, and the labors of the Commissioners have not been begun. It is expected that the Provincial Council will meet early in October.