Wellington Independent. "NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1870. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXV, Issue 3041, 3 September 1870, Page 4

Wellington Independent. "NOTHING EXTENUATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1870. GENERAL SUMMARY.

The Government measures, with tho modifications made on them by theGovcrnment, have occupied the attention of both Bouses of Parliament since our last summary. The Immigration and Public Works 13 ill was keenly discussed, clause by clause, in the House of representatives, but was passed without any material amendments. Tho feeling of the House seemed to be ] that the greatest possible security should be taken that the money borrowed should be fairly, judiciously, and economically expended, and that the Government should not be subjected to pressure from Provin- i cial authorities or other influences in its allocations. The Government consented to tho appointment of a Minister of Works, who should be responsible directly to the House, and to leave to the House to fix what works should bo undertaken in each j year, and what amounts should be spent j on their construction. Of the £1,000,000 for immigration, half is to be charged to j the colony and half to the provinces. The latter moiety is to be recouped from the provinces by charging 30s a head on each immigrant until the amount of cost of che introduction of these immigrants is reimbursed. With regard to the Public Works, they maybe classed as follows: — Railways, j Roada in the North Island, Water Supply to Gold Fields, and Telegraph Extension. railways. ! The Government propose the following railways to be authorised this session : — 1. A line from Dunedin to the Molyneux, at a cost of not more than £5000 per mile, on the system of land guarantee, or by an alternative of direct payment out of the Middle Island Railway Fund. 2. In the province of Canterbury the system of direct payments would be carried out, and the lines would be : — (a) From Christchurch to Rangiora; (J) from Sehvyn to the Hakrtia, and part of tho Southern Trunk Line ; (c) from Timuka to limaru. The total estimated cost was as follows: — (a) £92,500; [b) £48,000; (c) £00,000 (£7OOO to be contributed by the Thnaru and Gladstone Board). The Government would also ask for a grant of J635,000 for tho Waitaki Bridge. 3. Picton to Blenheim, cost not to exceed £3000 a mile, on the principle of guarantee. 4. Nelson to Cobden, £3000 per mile, except as far as Foxhill, on the principle of guarantee. 5. Auckland to Waikato, £4500 per mile, on the principle of guarantee. Two deputations waited upon tho Government for additional railways in tho South and North Islands respectively. The first asked for a line between Winton j and Queonstown, on Lake Wakatip ; Invercargill to Mataura; Waitaki to AJoeraki. In answer to the first, the Colonial Treasurer replied that the Government would obtain all information, and bring the matter before the House next session. The j Government also intended to ask for au-

thority to import plant from England to the extent of £25,000, if it should be found necessary to obviate delay in the construction of the lines. The second deputation represented to j the Government : — 1. That it would be better to abstain from seeking authority to construct any railway until the Assembly meets again. 2. That if such an thority is given in respect to any railway, it is right that consideration should be given to the very important lines advocated by the deputation, namely, a line from Wellington to the Seventy Mile Bush, thence diverging east and west to Napier and New Plymouth, through Wanganui and Patea; and received aroply tothefollowingeffect: — that they did not consider it would be wise to abstain from seeking authority to construct those railways whose plans, &c, had been bofore the House, and which would be ready to begin i« - espective of the Govemmout scheme ; and with regard to the Wellington railways, they recognised that, as a means towards settling the North Island, the construction of those railways would be of the highest possible value ; but they were also of opinion that it would be found desirable that those lines should be constructed in connection with plans for the introduction of settlers, to be located \ upon portion of the districts through which the lines would pass. The construction of the two lines will render available immense tracts of land, such as the Seventy Mile Bush, the Manawatu blocks, and a great quantity of land in Taranaki. It appeared to the Government that this land may not only be made a means of contributing towards the cost of the railways, but that, concurrently with the construction of the lines, there should be carried out a plan for the introduction i of settlers. With every disposition to see those lines receive prompt attention, it appeared to the Govern men t, that the end in view is as likely to be gained by their abstaining from asking specific authority from the Assembly until next session; as it would be difficult now, without prejudico to the negotiations which might take place, sufficiently to define the nature of the arrangement which it was desirable to make. And that full information on the subject will be laid before the Assembly next session, together with such proposals, based | upon that information, as may seem to the j Government best calculated to effect the object iv view, with advantage to the j colony. OUTLYING DISTRICTS . Arc to have r. grant of £50,000 a year distributed among them for the first year, according to plans proposed by the Superintendents of provinces, and in future years on plans prepared by Provincial Councils, and submitted to the Assembly. DEFENCE FORCE. Provision is made for the maintenance of a force thus : — For the first year, £180,000; for the second year, £160,000 ; for the third, fourth, and fifth years, £150,000 each. Total, £790,000, to be ' appropriated annually. PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS. The proposal to spend £-200,000 in the purchase of land from the natives, was well received by the House and passed without division. Many who had hitherto opposed the system of spending money upon the natives warmly supported the policy of acquiring land from them for the purposes of colonisation. WATER SUPPLY OX GOLD FIELDS. Construction of water-races on goldfields, £300,000, and the construction of roads in the North Island, £400,000 ; telegraph extension, £60,000. These votes were passed, subject to a restriction that with regard to the- two former not more than £100,000 should be spent on each annually. MISCELLANEOUS. The Payments to Provinces Bill passed with a further grunt to the County of Westland, and an understanding that the proportion of the railway fund for the Middle Island accruing to it should be expended for other purposes than railways. This bill is looked upon with general favor throughout the colony, and although on first coming into operation some provinces may be injuriously affected, yet the substitution of a capitation allowance for the present moiety of the Customs revenues paid to provinces is considered a much fnirer and simpler plan, and secures the apportionment of revenue according to population. The passing of the Real Property Bill, by which the transfer of real property is rendered simpler and cheaper, has been hailed with satisfaction by the colony, and great hopes are entertained that, brought into operation as it has been by a Ministry, two of whom have long advocated its principles, it will enable property to be as easily transferred as bank stock, and save it from the legal expenses which attend its transfer in the colony, and which press very heavily on small purchasers. A Savings Banks Bill has also been passed, which empowers the Government compulsorily to close all private Savings Banks, giving compensation to officers thereby deprived of situations, and devoting any profits to educational and charitable institutions in the places where they have acciued. We have enlarged ' upon this measure in another place, and i need add no further comments here. j The New Zealand University Bill was ! passed with considerable opposition. It ! was thought by .some that the University should be a mere governing body, like the University of London, while others contended that it should commence the work of the higher education, after the model of [the English and Scottish Universities. The province of Otago has in this, as in several other matters, outstripped other provinces, and inaugurated a system of primary and secondary education, mainly formed on the Scottish educational system, but happily free from the religious difficulty. Under this system public schools are built and endowed whenever twenty educable pupils can bo found ; and grammar schools are established in corporations whenever the Provincial Government •

deems necessary. A University is endowed whose annual income from endowments alone already amounts to £1700, aud the New Zealand University Bill secures to it a further income of £3000, and recognises it as the University of New Zealand. Provision has, however, been made in the bill for the establishment of other Colonial Universities whenever and wherever required. In order to encourage trade between this colony and Australia, the lieciprocity Bill was passed in the Lower House, and received the sanction of the Legislative Council with some slight amendments. The object of this measure is to reduce the duties upon certain articles of growth, produce, or manufacture in the Australian colonies, if a corresponding reduction is made upon articles of growth, produce, or manufacture in New Zealand. This measure is calculated to stimulate manufactures and productions still in their infancy, and cheapen the cost of articles of general consumption. New Zealand is celebrated forlhe production of beer. Indeed, the colonial beer has now almost driven the English beer out of the market. Australia produces excellent light wines, but we have hitherto been unable, from some fancied legal difficulties, to exchange our beer for their wine, being obliged to put a high duty on loinc in general for revenue purposes. By the Victorian, Tasmanian, aud New South Wales Constitution Acts, it is expressly provided that these countries cannot impose a general duty by one act and then remit it in favor of neighboring colonies by another, and any bills imposing differential duties passed by these Legislatures have been disallowed by the Queen. This restriction is not in the New Zealand Constitution Act, but in the Royal Instructions to Sir George Bowen it is expressly stated that be must reserve any bill imposing differential duties for the assent of her Majesty. This proviso clearly implies that the Assembly could legally pass such a bill if they thought fit. Considerable interest will be felt in the colony on the action taken by the Home Government in this matter. Whether any treaty exists which will prevent this bill receiving the royal assent is not known here, but unless some obstacle of this nature intervenes, the colony will be surprised at the Home authorities interfering with our domestic legislation, especially after the emphatic disclaimer of Mr Gladstone on the 26th April last, on the motion of Mr Torrens, which has been prominently inserted in all the colonial newspapers. A growing desire of unity is now spreading among the whole Australasian group of British colonies, and nothing is so well calculated to encourage it as the removing fiscal regulations of a restrictive character. This bill, if assented to, must necessarily lead to similar legislation in the other colonies, if, indeed, this is not made a condition to its receiving the royal assent. We have only instanced two articles, but of course, what applies to these applies to many others. We may supply hops, oats, barley, flax, timber, and Australia can give us in return wheat, sugar, and other products. The fato of this bill will, therefoie, be a matter of much interest both coin* mercially and politically. NATIVE. We have little to record under this head. Te Kooti passed Waikohu on the Ist, about twenty miles from Poverty Bay. ftopata is described by an eye-witness to have been in an s: awful" rage at Te Kooii's presumption in attacking a Ngatiporou settlement, ! and started off in pursuit of him, saying " I will pursue Te Kooti till I capture him." On account of the great floods he was obliged, however, to return without the rebel to Poverty Bay on the 21st. Later telegrams state that he intends to organise an expedition of the Ngatiporou on his own account to search for Te Kooti in the spring. The Mounted Constabulary scouts at Wairoa took a Maori prisoner named Herai Kopua. He was the bearer of a letter from Te Whenuanui to the Wairoa chiefs, expressing a willingness to surrender with 100 men. Two others fUrewera chiefs) with 70 men, are on their way to Clark at Maketu. The prisoner states that if the Urewera come across Te Kooti they will seize him and hand him over to the Government natives. The spirit of the Urewera is evidently broken, and intelligence of further surrenders is daily expected. Two measures arc before the Assembly which, with the construction of public roads and extension of telegraphs by the natives themselves, are expected to have a salutary effect. The Maori representatives in the House have complained of land being purchased from the natives through " the agency of rum." One of these Bills is entitled "An Act to prevent improvident dealings and frauds upon the alienation of land held by Natives," and provides that no alienation shall be valid if such alienation " shall be contrary to equity and good conscience, or is founded either direeily or indirectly upon any contract for or in relation to the sale of spirituous or fermented liquors or of arms or other warlike implements or stores," and empowers a commissioner to inquire with regard to every purchase from the natives, whether it has been made within the meaning and intent of these clauses, and whether ihe parties to the transaction 'understand the effect thereof. If he is so satisfied, then he makes an endorsement on the deed, without which it cannot be registered or recognized as legal. The other Bill is to endeavour to restrict the sale of spirits to the natives. The present law forbidding the sale of spirits to the native?, has proved altogether inoperative. The bill givos the native chiefs great power in restraining the evil. The Maori representatives strongly supported it in the House. One of them (Mete Kingi) declaring " out of my tribe twenty chiefs have died from the effects of drinking." Taroha said " ihe people are put down by grog. The Maoris sell their land to Europeans for grog." Several letters have come to hand showing that among a largo section of the natives the Bill will be well

received and rigorously enforced. Tin only bad news we have to report thi month is from the correspondent of tin " Southern Cross," who says " the native; have cut down all the telegraph poles oi the other side of the Waikato .River, am that Hoani Paiako threatens to cut dowi 14s miles of posts. An amicable arrange ment is however expected." Up to th< time of going to press no further informa tion has reached us. POSTAL. After a very animated debate, the following resolutions were carried : — ' ' Seem* that neither of the Australian colonies has become a party to the San Francisco mai contract, and New Zealand has been lef single-handed to initiate this line, this House is of opinion that in the future conduct of the service, the colony shoulc look to its own interests exclusively ; witt which view it is expedient that the steamers arriving at Auckland from Honolulu shoulc proceed to Port Chalmers instead of tc Sydney, calling again at Auckland on then return voyage to Honolulu. That the time to be allowed between Auckland and Port Chalmers, inclusive of stoppages at intermediate ports shall not exceed 100 hours. That with a view of carrying the foregoing proposal into effect, the Government be empowered to increase the present San Francisco mail subsidy to an extent not exceeding £40,000." So this much-vexed question is settled in the meantime. Tho fact of Port Chalmers having a dock in which the mail steamers can receive necessary overhauling and repairs, evidently carried the day. It is generally supposed, however, that the present contract must be superseded by one more adequate to the requirements of the colony. PROVINCIAL. Auckland.— Reports from the Thames gold fields are rather more encouraging, and the produce of recent crushings shows a steady increase. Business generally, however, remains dull. The Provincial Government have ordered a twelve horsepower roan steamer. Professor Samgee's preserved meat has proved a| failure. The gentlemen present at the opening of the cask hurriedly stopped their nostrils, and ; immediately drank off a disinfecting fluid | in the shape of whisky. Canterbury and Otago papers report a general dullness ; but as new railways are contracted for, and will be commenced soon, a great demand for labor, and a large increase of business are anticipated. The goldfields of Otago continue to yield well, and great numbers of Chinese are being attracted to what has proved foi them a perfect El Dorado. Numbers of men have been kept waiting on for the railway to commence, and the Provincial Govern ment provided work at 5s per day. Nelson. — The Wangapcka reefs are very promising. This and the Upper Buller district are expected to be greatly benefited by the railway to Foxhill, now likely to commence soon.