THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT

Wellington Independent, Issue 3, 9 April 1845, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT

Wednesday, Ap.iir, 9, 1845.

We have before us a Bill for Licensing General Dealers, which by this time has been submitted to the Legislative Council, and we hope so manfully resisted as to have led to its being withdrawn, or that it has been rejected through the aid of one or more of the official members being possessed of sufficient intelligence and honesty to imke him or them parties to the ejection of a bill wholly inconsistent with the present policy of the Local Government. We believe the Governor is desirous of adopting an enlightened and consistent policy in relation to all matters of taxation and commerce. Is it possible that he cannot see that this act is wholly at variance with the principles upon which, in these matters, he would appear to wish to proceed. We believe such is the fact, for he can have no possible interest in selecting this mode of increasing his revenue rather than any other. Throughout life, we have noted on a thousand and one occasions, the enormous difficulty of steadily acting upon principles that have been adopted after mature enquiry. Principles and habits are almost antagonists; the latter have grown up with our growth —the former are the creatures of intellect, sanctiuned not until habits have become strongly confirmed; we are consequently more able to inculcate than to act upon them. Habits will mainly guide an existing generation ; approved principles will in their assertion be found valuable rather as the parents of the habirs of a future generation than as the guide of that in which they are asserted. Every reflecting man will appre s date our remarks, and recognize their charitable tendency. The more anxious a man may himself have been to act upon reason rather than feeling, the greater will be the allowances he will be prepared to make for those who prove themselves erratic in their course. There are periods in which we have to make a habit of reason, or it cannot be usefully applied ; there are occasions when ample time is allowed for deliberation. This distinction is worthy of consideration. Great is the excuse which may be made where error arises under the first named condition—but it is not so under the latter. Bringing forward measures of Government allow of ample time for testing by reference whether they be consistent with the policy by which we profess to be guided. Deviation, to any material extent is therefore unjustifiable. His Excellency in imposing a Property and Income, and no other, Tax, must have been guided by the advantages of rendering commerce as free as air, by rendering taxation as little burthensome as possible, by a desire to be just or equitable, and with a view to collect the greatest possible amount of reveuue, attended with the smallest possible deduction in the shape of expenditure, in accomplishing that purpose. If we test the Bill for Licensing General Dealers by the policy which appeared to animate his Excellency last session, we find him flying in the teeth of the principles which then guided him, and which he has never since declared he # has abandoned, for this Bill violates the freedom of commerce, renders taxation burthensome, is unjust because applicable to only one class of the community, and aug-

ments the difficulties of collection and so the proportionate expenditure. In fact regarding the bill as a violation of the principles we approve, and by which his Excellency declares he is guided, we deem it thoroughly vicious, and we feel confident that if his Excellency has not seen fit to withdraw it, or the Council has not rejected it, though it may become law, it will be so offensive to public feeling, that it will be set at defiance by the public, and we have no doubt successfully.

The brigantine Velocity, Captain Tuscett, arrived on Monday last from Auckland, bringing 52 men of the 58th. Regiment. She left Auckland on the 26th March. This vessel proceeded from Sydney to Auckland and has furnished an English mail with dates to about the 20th November. We have obtained a few late English papers, but find them singularly barren of interesting intelligence. It was rumoured in Auckland that an engagament had taken place between the settlers of this place, and the native population, which had resulted in the defeat of the latter and the death of one hundred of the settlers. So much credence was given to the report that it is stated his Excellencey was about immediately to send down H. M. S. North Star, Captain Sir E. Home, with additional troops. There is a report that the property of Americans, at the Bay of Island* which had been left unmolested, had since been plundered and destroyed to the extent of £20,000 H. M. S. North Star, Captain Sir E, Home, .is stated to have proceeded to the Bay, which if report speaks truly, is to be shut up for a considerable period, to prove to the natives the good advantage which attend« the absence of commerce. We are assured that his Excellency purposes carrying on the war vigorously, so soon as he is possessed of sufficient force to do so successfully. His Excellency has despatched a vessel to Tahiti, requesting that vessels of war may be ordered to this colony.