MINISTERIAL POLICY.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 385, 24 October 1868, Page 7

MINISTERIAL POLICY.

After a somewhat long interval the political curtain is once more drawn up, and we are enabled to see what was lately doing on that stage. We learn that Mr flail has made his second financial explanation, and all idea of carrying out the first ministerial scheme that he promulgated is absolutely abandoned, at least for the present. In another column an abstract of his statement will be found, but there are portions of it that call for some comment. In the first place, we learn that the Grovernment have at length recognised the grave position that the colony is in, thanks to the rebel Maories, and, instead of the disturbance being a mere local outbreak, easily repressible be a handfull of armed constabulary, he very unwillingly admits, that it is a serious contest that will entail, fargreater expense than was at first supposed. Singularly enough every reasonable man in the colony could foresee that when the first outrages were committed, (except the Executive), and the manner in which they treated the insurgent cannibals, without doubt fanned or rather nursed the flame of rebellion, into the proportions it has now assumed. Had vigorous action been at once taken, and had prompt and stern justice been dealt out to the originators of the emeut'e, what has become wide-spread and open disaffection, might have been speedily stamped out. It was not however, and the colony must accept the situation with the best grace it may, only thankful that at last the blinded eyes of those at the head of its affairs, have lately been opened to the real danger that threatens. The division of the consolidated revenue, or rather of the Customs duties, is to be continued, and will entail a loss of some £IB,OOO. The manner in which this deficiency will be met is just, and no possible exception can be taken to it. It his hitherto been the custom to charge the whole telegraph cost on the general revenue, and by this means many provinces that'enjoyed no benefit whatever from telegraphic communication, were compelled in fact, to contribute to the maintenance of the whole. Instead of this the telegraphic cost will in ruturo be locally charged to those districts where the telegraph lines exist, and fo this there cau be no exception taken. The absurdity of the provincial system is made abundantly manifest by the declaration that some of the ambitious petty sovereignties cannot pay their debts or even meet their working expenses, and the whole Colony has to come forward to help Southland, Marlborough, and and Taranaki, to even carry on at all. The defence expenditure, or rather the cost of the Maori war was at first set down at £IB,OOO, but the last calculation has brought it up to £BI,OOO. If this suffices it will be well, but we confess our fear that that sum Avill have to be many times multiplied before anything like

peace is secured. The " standing army" is to be raised to the strength of five hundred men, and the pay raised to five shillings a-day. If, instead of thus dribbling the war along, a force six times as large were trained to bush fighting and set to work, though the first cost would be infinitely increased, the end would be sooner achieved and the eventual expenses be actually lessened. So, however, the powers have ruled it, and the colonists can only look on and submit. Mr Hall's statement is of course the most material item in the news to hand, and there is one satisfactory point in his declaration that "it is out of the question" to raise more money by additional taxation. It is very seldom that ministers think the limit of taxation can be reached, and on the principle of being thankful for small mercies, we may congratulate ourselves on that belief haying been at length instilled into the present Executive. It is true that New Zealand is about the most heavily punished country in the world in this respect, and it would involve all the ingenuity of the ablest financier, to discover any possible source of revenue that had not been seized on, but it is quite possible that one screw more might have been attempted in some direction or other. The last days of the Assembly have arrived, and members more than a week agoweronittinghomewards. Ashasbeen already stated'Mr Stafford declined to resign in the face of the present difficulties of the colony, and repeated his reasons in answer to that expectant minister, Mr Fox. _ There can be no doubt that the decision is a wise one, and that under present circumstances, resignation of office to allow an actual minorityto seize power, or dissolution whilst so many material interests are in jeopardy, would have been alike foolish and disastrous to the colony's well-being.