Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1872.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 3492, 8 May 1872, Page 2

Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1872.

The Provincial Council last night, by a majority of twelve to eight, decided not to make a fool of itself. Last session it passed an Act for the establishment of Highway Boards, and the contingent taxation necessary for carrying out their functions. As certain preliminaries had to be performed before the Act could come into active effect, the date of its | operation was postponed until those preliminaries had been carried out. Dur- < ing the interval the minds of the persons j affected by the Act have been severely exercised by certain agitators, who took good care to misinterpret the Act, and create the impression that it was an instrument of iniquitous taxation. Meetings have been held, petitions have been hawked about, but nothing has come out of all these measures except resolutions in favor the Act itself, and petitions with questionable signatures — i two of which latter were presented by MiAndrew yesterday. We can understand that objections should be taken to any law; legislative enactments bused upn considerations affecting the community as a whole are sure to press more or less unduly and heavily upon individuals, but the lex suprema cannot take cognizance of cases of this . kind. Wo certainly never heard of such a proposition as , that involved in the bill introduced by Mr Hutchison— to amend or repeal an Act which, having been deliberately passed, had not yet been brought into operation and tested. It is not our present purpose to discuss the merits of the Amended Bill introduced by the member for Wanganui, although if we had the time we could easily expose the fallacies contained in the arguments employed by ils author and those who supported him. We have simply to deal with the unprecedented absnrdity of a private member of any legislature— large or small—proposing to amend an Act, passed after careful and deliberate consideration, be fore the defects of such Act could possibly be estimated by actual experience. The Provincial Secretary put the question in a very proper light. He said — "You have passed an Act • possibly when it comes to be tried defects may be discovered and amendments may suggest themselves — but try it first. Do not stultify yourselves by reversing your own legislation— not because that legislation has proved defective — but because some half dozen persons object to it." That was , virtually tho only proper reply that could have been made, and it could hove been made with equal force and truth had there been even a very strong ex pression of public opinion against the measure. But what are the facts ? Those who on the impulse of the first moment led themselves to believe that the Act was unfair and iniquitous, have entirely reversed their first impressions, and given in their adhesion to the Act they were called upon to condemn. Mr Ptenall clearly defined the position in his remarks last evening, and showed unmistakably that there is still a proper amount of common sense prevailing amongst the settlers, and that they are not to be led by the nose by such narrow-minded men as Messrs Hutchison and Andrew. The last named gentleman did not gain much reputation by the petitions he presented against the Highways Act last night. Both were by a most extraordinary fluke received, although they bore upon their face undoubted evidence of their ungenuino character, the signatures of which —assumed and real— represented the large land owners only. The decision of the Council to give the Act of last session a fair trial was the only one it could have arrived at with any regard for its reputation, and it is to be hoped .that, now the opponents of the Act have done their utmost to accomplish the alterations they desired to see effected, they will loyally assist to carry out its principle, and help in the good work of fostering local self government — a work which necessarily involves local taxation in some form or other.

Neauly the whole of Ihe working surveys of the railway works authorised by Parliament aye bow completed, and a few weeks will probably decide whether Messrs Brogden undertake the construction of tho lines or not. The working surveys and all necessary particulars of the following lines have either been already supplied to Messrs Brogden or are ready to be submitted to that firm as soon as Mr James Brogden returns from the South : — Auckland and Mercer ; Picton and Blenheim ; Mataura and Invercargill; Napier and Paid Paid ; Wellington and Upper Hutt ; Dunedin and Clutha. The plans of the four first mentioned lines are already in Mr Brogden's hands ; the plans for the Wellington and Hutt line are so far advanced that they will be ready by Mr Brogden's arrival in Wellington ; and the plans of the Dunedin and Clutha line would have been supplied to Mr Brogden before now only that the district engineer, Mr Blair, had at Mr Brogden's request accompanied that gentleman on his examination of the country through which this and other proposed linos are to pass. We are glad also to lenrn that the working survey of the line from G-reymouth to the Brunner coal mine is just about completed. It is understood that the disagreement which arose between the Government and Mr Brogden as to tho nature of some of the conditions of the contract has been arranged, and that no further difficulty is apprehended. We are informed that any disagreement which may occur between the contractors and the Government upon the terms of contract during tho construction of iho lines, is to be decided by a reference to a Judge of the Supreme Court, who will act as an arbitrator in the matter. As a full muster

of Ministers will take place in a day or two, end as Mr Brogden will also be in Wellington we may expect to be able in a short time to announce that contracts for the construction of most o/ the lines will have been signed.