THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, September 26, 1849.

Wellington Independent, Volume V, Issue 413, 26 September 1849, Page 2

THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, September 26, 1849.

We extract to-day,. from the J lobar t Toum Advertiser .of the 7th September, the Report of the Committee of her Majesty's Privy Council for Trade and Plantations on the subject of tho extension of Representative Institutions to the Australian Colonies. A more able and ror.. markable state paper, or one of such deep interest to these colonies has never before been published. The spirit of conciliation which breathes throughout the wholedocument —the feelings of sympathy evinced towards the colonists—the liberal and comprehensive principles enunciated —the deference shewn and inculcated to the opinions and wishes of the colonists —and the candid admission of the justice of their various complaints, contrast strangely with the conduct and proceedings of Sir George Grey. The committee recognise the colonists as British subjects, and as such entitled to all the political rights of Englishmen. Sir G. Grey regards them as serfs, and as such debarred from all title or claim to the privileges of freemen. Aperusal of the report, we imagine, can scarcely fail to convince Sir George not merely that he is sadly behind the age in which we live, but that in depriving the New Zealand settlers of Free Institutions by means of the deceptions he has so unsparingly practised upon the Home Government, he has been jriaying a more hazardous game than he dreamed of, when he embarked upon suoh a tortuous and unworthy career. If the Faction, as Mr.R. Stokes, of the Spectator, designates the Cook's Straits Settlers, had themselves prepared the Report, they could not have explained the principles an <i views they have ever advocated, more fully or clearly than they are now set forth by the committee of her Majesty's Privy Council. The space occupied by this important document, prevents our making any lengthened comment upon it in our present number—but there is one point too important to be passed over. After remarking that Parliament, in sanctioning the establishment in the recent colonies, of non-representative Legislatures, had studiously recorded its purpose to resume the old constitutionalpractice at the earliest practicable moment, the committee state that the pledge thus given had already been redeemed in New South Wales and in New Zealand, " although peculiar circumstances have required a temporary postponement of the Act passed by Parliament for establishing in the latter colony a Representative Legislature ;" they then express their opinion, that owing to the inability of Western Australia to provide for its civil expenditure, the time had not arrived for conferring upon it Free Institutions ; but that South Australia and Van Diemen's Land, being able and willing to provide by local revenues for the public expenditure, or at least for so much of that expenditure as is incurred with a view to colonial and local objects, Representative Institutions should at once be bestowed U23cn them. Here, then, are three several admissions. 1. It is admitted that Western Australia is deprived of Free Institutions, because it is unable to defray its own civil expenditure : 2. That the- New Zealand Constitution has been temporarily suspended ] — not because the colony is unable to provide for its civil expenditure (otherwise it would have been specified, as in the case of Western Australia), but on account of certain other "peculiar circumstances: and 3. That Van Diemen's Land and South Australia are only required to provide, by local, revenues, for so much of the public expenditure as is incurred strictly for colonial and local objects, and not for that incurred for imperial purposes. Now, as it will not be denied, that the military Roads in course of construction in New Zealand are required for imperial objects—for the purpose of enabling Great Britain to retain possession of the colony and reduce the number of troops at present stationed in it, it is evident that the mere fact of Parliament giving a grant for the formation of these military roads, affords, according to the doctrine laid down by the committee, not the slightest plea for withholding Representative Government from the colonists. All the Committee require is that the Colony should provide out of its local revenues for so much of the public expenditure as is incurred for colonial objects; and this the colony is both able and willing to do. Our local revenues not merely suffice for the whole 1 civil

expenditure—but thoro would bo a considerable annual surplus, had Sir Goorgo Grey not created such a staff of.useless officials.