THE Wellington Independent. Friday, February 8, 1861. A LESSON.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1495, 8 February 1861, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent. Friday, February 8, 1861. A LESSON.

This is not the only Province in which people have been led away with theidea that great changes mean great reforms, and this is not the only Province where people have been taught that fluency of speech does not always indicate an aptitude for government; that tfiose tyho can discourse sweetly are not necessarily those who can act wisely; that those who are the most profuse in. their promises are sometimes the most inactive in their performances.

If ever "Hope told a, flattering tale," it did so when the Ahuriri settlers were asked to cry out for separation from this Province. Wellington had. been jthe clog to their progress, squandered their revenues, and bound upon them burdens grievous to be borne : they had but to shake off , Wellington, become an independent pro vince,. manage their own affairs, and prosperity would not only " flow like a river," but like- so many of the New Zealand rivers, it would overflow continually. There' were some sensible people who thought it prudent to require a little more exact evidence than mere declamation afforded, and 'foi* tlieir especial behoof Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure were drawn up, which proved the truth of the declamatory prophecies ; as charmingly as if they were done on- pur-, pose. The incubus under which the old Provinces were said to be suffering, was the enormously extravagant amount paid in salaries ; in the new Province the whole government machinery would ' be carried on for about a thousand pounds. A clerk or two, would do the business far more -efficiently than the Secretaries, Treasurer^ n SoUcitors ;;;and> so forth of .the royalty.-^aneing provinces. . A plain man would do the* Superintendents business in a plain way. ' He would not like Mr. Stafford at Nelson, deliver speeches \,o the Council sitting and. with his hat on ; nor like . Mr. Fitzgerald at Canterbury, end his proclamations with a

flourish of trumpets and " God save the \ Qdeen ;" nor do any of the hundred and one ridictildlis acts which somebody had led them to believe wefe constantly being done in Wellington. Th.e.?Ahrjrii 4 ian^ Were carried away by these glowing pictures ; ..they demanded the portion or* 'goods- mudli fell fo tlieir sli&re^ and they Received - ; \ it ; and ;. niuch moi*e also; Two short years' have. psssed ?v and not only (have they spent -their substance- iii^riot- • otis living, but ?; plunged head; oyer ' ears into debt ; while some of them acknowledge with a sigh that " the former days were better than these," and pray the Assembly to get rid of the Provincial * Government altogether, which, so far from becoming' a model of economy, has turned out to be more expensive and ex* travagant, in proportion taite popul,ati<Sn and means, .than any of the old proyinces . ever were accused .of, being* ■ ; We find the . following petition of 'settlers at Hawke's Bay, in the ZHeraidot of the 19th January, andeoinmend it to: the careful perusal of otfr readers^ adding* for ; their • especial t mforigiitlion ' rihatf ' .s*>■ Fergurson, the menaber fgv H^wlce's ßay, who acted so zealolisly in procurinjg the passing of the jKTfcrw Province's, Act and J the Governor^, proclaffiatioh?; declaring' me separation's among ihe gen tkmen ■■ who guarantee; the correctness bf the petition by ,- their tsignatures, ; and regret . that they did not bear the ills they had, rather than fly to others they Iknetf not of.' ,;' ' Z,x "■.-■ ': ".. -7 ' •'?.•■'...' TO THE HONOURABLE THE HOUSE OF BEPBESEHf* : TATIVES OF NEW ZEALAND-, IN JPABLIAMEHIT AB9EMBLED. • . The Petition of the undersigned Residents in* the Province of Hawke's Bay, '■■ ■ Humbly Shewith, — y ..... That, as announced in the Hawke's Bay Herald bf .the 21st July, tbb" financial l affairs of this Province have come toa crisis^ tbe Treasury, being, unequal . to the demands upon it r^f virtual suspension of payments: having accoidingly, taken place. / -^ ,- -..>•-. y . . .^ ' . That,, cbnttdierrag .the very large-amoUnta receired from Land sales, the provincial ■ chest, instead of being empty, ought, under prudent management, to have been ia'a most flourishing condition. '■"-: s> '' : /'\b'jZ'j''Ji ..'. That the present state, df matters has been entirely brought about by'i:ttie grossest ; mismanagement,, and the , ri<eglectldf the most ordinary rules of financial administration, r That works of great raaguituclethave. beea undertaken in all directions' without due consideration or careful calculation of the cost; That these have been in most instances sa hurriedly laid off, and imperfectly .'Superintended in their execution, that whilst vast and incredible sums hare .been ..sunk in. them, tho. / communications throughout the'Disltric.t are^ at ~ the present moment, actually in a wqrse r state than they lwere befor6 the . present. Provincial Institutions came into operation, and this is the more grievous as there now appears no probability of funds bejng available to put them even in a passable condition.

That, without having first obtained tbe adyice of a competent engineer experienced in such undertaking's, a very large anpount has been already s^entin purchasing^ steam dredge with the object of deepening' antlimproyirigthe harbour at Napier ; arid extensive works are about to be comraeueed there which, while not urgently required for the wants, of the -district, will, it is generally believed, be minoustfri their unknown expense, and unsatisfactory in their result. . •■• : .- y '■■>■' i .*:. yy.;' ,..- -

That, in addition to the reckless, and inconsiderate expenditure on public works, a great multiplication of unnecessarY offices, and an extravagant increase of salaries,: has gradually taken place,, to an, extent /indeed' now quite amazing to every one, and which imposes on this small Province greater burthens than it cau possibly bear.

That, whatever maybe pretended to the contrary, .it ; is notorious, to •; those -who. know the '• country tbat nearly' the whole of the available 10s. land has passed* a way from the public domain; consequentlyythe .future land, food must be derived chiefly from the sale of ss. land which from its nature and position can only be expected to yield ]a smfall apd precarious annual amount. The blocks of land reserved and .\ laid out at a great expense as townships, have been precipitately brought into the market, and forced off without securing iheir ostensible object, a considerable portion haviog fallen into . the hands of mere speculators in '. the. absence t)f ' bona fide settlers., . • . ■ „,',; ; .X,;.D ! ,y. .', That, having little or ho djreiti&r trade, our Customs, receipts are ver^rifling r( ,and thereis :* not much prospect of a raa teriul increase. ; : y/ That the promises and professions. oi the paxties composing the present Government, -"• and ■ ■ their' most - active supporters', as ' i& • . economical aiid other reforms, have been totally at variance with their acts since they obtained the command ! of the resources ' of the ; - Provihicei 'anil' your J petitioners believe, that unless some .irefy great reduction of expenditure in the staff of the. dif-' ferent departme^ts.^immediatelycairited into effect, the. who}e.avj!iiiabley^unds£wiil be swallowed lift leaving" no me 4 aris.of completing tlie\ roads already begun, which .are, indispe^ble to the, development and improvement ot the

couitry. . • --' :!&fri .-;-;...;'•* r '-'"'• bb-^ c "J:^'.h:f;oV r That your petitioners belie re from experience bf its working, that the present provincial systiem, ovfen as modified by the New iProvinfrw Act, is not a form of Government suited to the circumstances of the country. JThey wo uld prefer to see all legislation undertalkeu by t (h6 General Assembly with the. idivision;o^tfie;77-, country into counties, eaoh ?county^ hayin^iFuft*'l powers of local administration over { a" certain 1 portion -of the Laud Fund and Territorial ReVe- ; nue accruing within its bounds. ■"-' • - That jour, petitioners bbiieVe that there are no real difficulties in the working of such a system but what cau be overcome,, as have been elsewhere., '^ZiAZ^Z^bZybbi''^ May it therefore please y6urXpnpi;atile 4 ,p?use to appoint a committee pf l wquiry^to^ex|«nine , and report^on the past proceedings ' position of tlie affairs of] the.>3PrQfrinc(Sv^ifli^";a view toa radi'cal/ch'angelprdvideUirlak alleged by your petitioners, and which they desire an opportunity of -. - proy^l n gf- I —^ ©*^lrtvlsfei'- 1/' .^sjf sjtf m ." ' has -failed to fulfil' iKejust £^ ,of the settlors,^: but hs\s, dn^thVcmit^ the affairs "of the Prßuntfe"^ impending ruin. ' 'lJb; : - '~"\* VyPr-yy -;vH'- • And your petitioners l will eve^^ay:-'\^?bi;:.; : That which?takes^place iv other. ip^feyy vinces should t^ach us w,is<l^.^y Ij^ j.

forceijs The; treaty of Waitangi bad never; beetf Cafried < but; aftdycortld never . be ; untU-, lhe. Maories were brought into subjection, and that would not be till after a considerable amount of blood letting. «..■<...■ There being no other; candidatej Mr.' Cracroft Wilson was declared duly elected, and after a vote of thanks to the Returning. Officer, the meeting separated. There were about thirty persons present at th r eno,mhiati(jn, ; cjiiefly consisting of^ the most i expectable "class pf Ireside'nts- in '. ancKarouiid:. Christchuicb. " '""" ' ' ' "' ' '

A.YON, „

Mr. Alfred Richard Creyke, candidate for the General Assembly, and Mr. \Vm Thomson, for the Provincii. 1 CouDC.ily.were elected yesterday/ Mr. Cfreyke proposed' Mr. Thomson, and vice versa. Mr. Swinbourne seconded both The Retijrnhig; ' QflSoej. , declared . .heim duly elected. ,, NoK.one else, was present. Fatal 'Accident.—A fatal accident occurred on Wednesday 30lh*Jan.,- to- a young woman Harriet Douglas,: who ,res,ided in Colombo street, Christchurch. As she wassitling hy the fire, her dress, Avhich was fashionably expanded l>y r crinoliue, ;:CflUghtthe:blpze and y sown.-.en-veloped ber in flkWfcs... Before tlielire could be extinguished, the poor girl was so dreadfully burnt that her recovery was pronounced hope lejss by.the' medical, men. who/ -vere speedily called in; and on Thursday ihes.ufferer expired. An inquest was lield ■ yesterday.— Lyttelton Times, Feb.[2. J _ _ "/'./."■

The Weathee.— Another week of very fine weather has done great service tothe farmers in enabling them to push forward their reaping - vigorously. The wheat harvest', is &*s}# willing over a great • portion of the plains and a great quantity has by this time been* t eft^Sl(i , .e'ScelleMt order. The introduction of machldery-oi^a large number of farms tends very jpucji. pw^rds facilitating tjie hi ther to sio w progress of cutting the grain. There are this year an unprecedented nuiriber of reaping machines at, woik, an<| the time aud expense saved- thereby will arabunt to a considerable sura over, the province. The wheat crop is a full average *on§// We do not bear, from any district of "its being remarkably heavy or remarkably light,— Jiid. Kaiapoi.'— Owing lo the negligence ofthe roan placed by the Bridge^keeper to take the tolls during bis own temporary 'absence on Wednesday week,' the steamei Planet came in collision with.the bridge at Kaipoi^ carrying away ber bulwarks on the bows and rendering the shifting platform df the bridge for some time immovable. Tlie . steamer which was coming down tbe river fa. .m Messrs. Cookson & Bowler's store with wool, gave ample warn ing by sounding her bell three times, but as no notice was taken until she was almost on it, the platfoim could not "be shifted sufficiently in time ; had thamaster bf the Planet riot eased her engines to quarter speed, tbe consequences to the bridge would have been far more serious, but would probably have saved the vessel tbe delay ami loss ofa tide, which ! she suffered by waiting until the platform was restored to its plaO& ' The steamer finally got off on Thursday with nearly 170 bales on . board.-r/itrf. Cbiokbt.— A ihatph at cricket took place at •Kaipei, on Wednesday, Letween the Albion eleven and ' hd' eleven frpm the Rangiora and Kaipoj clubs. Only one innjngs was played, j which resulted in the defeat of the latter by | sixteen runs.— jhid. \ Thg. following changes hare taken place or are about to occur in the conduct of the various departments of the prbviricial business. The post ot Treasurer,, wbich has been temporarily held by Mr. Marshman during the absence of Mr. C. C. Bowen, will be fjlled by Mr, Haiman. Mr W. i'homson, is appointed \o the berth of Auditor in the place of the last named geutlenian. Mr.. Blakiston, we understand, intends paying a visit to England, and is about to re. sign the position of Provincial Secretary and his seat in the Council for Kaiapoj. Tbe Secretaryship has been offered to and accepted by Mr. T. W. Maude, hitherto deputy Sheriff yf the Province, whjph office he now vacates. MiMaude is likely to offer himself to fill Mr. Blskiston's seat for Kaipoi.- Ibid. The arrival pi* the rifles for the VolunteeCorps bas create 4 a new stiramqngallthe companies, causing them to betake themselves from the unarmed parade and battalion evolutions to the apparently, retrogade position of squads for manual and platoon drill The Lyttelton C m panics met on Saturday evetiing to consider how best to arrange the drilling ofa hundred men with twenty rifles among them. The result was the formation of a sufficient number of squads, each to drill a certain number of days consecutively, and then to give place, with the rifles, to tbe next. Opportunity, was taken at the same time te initiate the adoption of regulations for the internal organisation cf each company. Another meeting is to be held this evening at half-past seven o'clock, to further consider the proposed regulations. It was announced on Saturday evening that the post of Sergeant-Major on tbe Staff ofthe Militia of this province had been conferred upon Sergeant Lewis Carroll, the able drill instructor to whom tbe Lyttelton Companies have .been all along so much indebted for their advancement, and whose services Will $'tilj J>e retained in Lyttelton. — Ibid.