The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 243, 12 May 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1868.

Although Mr Stafford addressed his Nelson constituents, now ten days ago, we have as yet received no Nelson papers with a full report of hU speech. We have therefore only telegrams forwarded to other papers to judge from, and it is hardly fair to express any opinion till the bare statement made can be read together with the arguments in their support. One thing however is certain, that the autocratic Colonial Secretary has lost favor in the ryes of his own constituents, for we learn that he was received but coldly, that Mr Luckie of the Colonist confuted much that he advanced, and that the mee'ing broke up without any vote of confidence being passed. As usual, he complained we are told, of the press. The fourth estate is, and ever has been, a very sore subject with him, and no man in the Colony has displayed greater hostility to it or evinced greater sensitiveness to its criticism. When Mr Stafford took office he undertook to reduce expenditure some £240,000 per annum on Mr Weld's estimates, and he still adheres to the statement, that he has done that and more How this can be we cannot imagine, for even with the Stamp Duties Act, with their splendid revenue, with the tariff at the same high figure, with increased taxation in some directions and reductions in none, he does not even hint at any relief, but actually proposes another and most odious imposition in the shape of an Income Tax. In reply to the Nelson Reform League, which by the way, we should judge to be an intelligent and practical body, he says that " the pensions to retiring officials were about £IOOO a-year at present, but might ultimately rise to three or four or even seven or eight thousand a year." As may be supposed, this statement did not afford very general satisfaction. The next was a compound of good and evil. He said " the revenue for the year was perfectly ample. We paid our way ; there was no overdraft; the provinces had been paid what was due to them, and thnugh the Customs revenue was falling off to the extent of sixty or eighty thousand pounds, yet, in consequence of G-overnment having saved money by keeping within the estimates, he believed the wants of the colony would be fully met." In other words, the colony -was solvent this year, but would not be next without additional taxation. After further defending his financial policy, " he alluded to the reductions he had made in the Departments. The people did not like economical G-overnments; they talked and wrote about them, but liked extravagance. He charged Wellington and Canterbury with having forced the Panama route on the colony, and accused the G-overn-ments, which had succeeded his former Ministry, of extravagance in steam communication." As we stated at the outset we can only give the bare synopsis of his speech, and therefore can form no opinion as to the value or otherwise of his proofs in support of the statement. The next item of importance was in reference to the manner he proposed to make up the alleged failing revenue. We are told "he advocated levying an Income Tax, and said, though there was only one successful member who at the last election advocated this impost, and only two newspapers throughout the Colony, yet things were now changing, and members and papers were becoming more favorable to the Income Tax, and he hoped his Govern ment would introduce a measure impos" ing it next session." At the present time the taxation in New Zealand is about £6 per head per annum—we enjoy the doubtful blessing of being the highest taxed colony in this hemisphere, i

and yet we are promised this pleasant addition. For a host of reasons that are not necessary to give at present, we must strongly object to this mode of raising revenue, irrespective of the fact that the necessity for fresh imposts has yet to be proved by something more than Mr Stafford's bare assertion to that effect. Whether the Government introduce it or not, we have little fear of the Assembly agreeing with it. The last portion of his address is without doubt the best, and it may be that Westland North will gladly avail itself of the bill referred to, if it comes up to anything like a measure of usefulness. Wc learn, "of the Local Government Bill he said that most probably a bill with a similar purpose would be introduced next session ; for it was absurd to expect to stop the demand of outlying localities for self-government. Auckland and Southland were recovering and progressing, but the finance of the Colony would be a very difficult task fur four or five years to come." Taken as a whole the Premier's speech, at least judging from its telegraphic skeleton, was not by any means satisfactory, but it would be obviously unfair to jump at a positive conclusion, till the address in its entirety isJ)efore us.