1

B.—No. U.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT. By the Hon. Mr. Fitzherbert, 22nd August, 1867. On the House going into Committee of Supply, -weather; it nevertheless adds to the embarrassment of one who Mr FITZHERBERT said—Mr. Carleton, it now devolves has to deal «* a subJcct (duU enough at the best) from which on me to make the usual annual statement, explanatory of the "*■ bloom of freshness has been rubbed off. results of last year's financial operations, of the proposals for I am > moreover, but too well conscious (if reference for an the present year, and of the financial policy of the Government instant to a personal question may be excused) that the anxiety as affecting the future of tho Colony; and it so happens that wMdl has oppressed me whilst preparing for the present occathis is the fourth consecutive session in which I have been called sion > ha9 in a great measure unfitted me for the adequate dison to make such an official statement. Not, indeed, that I have ctarf oi the task whion now lies before me- I therefore soUcit been fortunate enough to hold the seals of office uninterruptedly consideration for myself personally , and, for the sake of the throughout such a period, for the wisdom or fickleness of our Colon J> l ask for tuat Patient bearing, that impartial suspension New Zealand Parliament forbids such an excessive indulgence of Judgment until the proposals of the Government shall have in the sweets of office; and, true to the colonial instinct of been carefully considered and weighed as a whole, which is abgetting the most for its money, it has contrived to squeeze out solutely necessary if the Committee regards (as it is untwo extras during that period of less than three years, by which doubtedly its duty to do) not only the interest of every part of means it may be supposed to have reduced the cost of budget New Zealand, taken by itself, but also the interests of every speeches to half-price. P arfc rcS arded a* a P° rtl°n of one whole Colony. ,_.,,., , . ... I now ask the Committee to pass in review the estimated ordiNotwithstandmg, however, the change of personnel made in *, _ . B! ,.,-•. r ti v ,.,,., nary expenditure as proposed by the Government for the past obedience to the impartial spirit of Parliament, which likes . , - , ± "~. .. ... ., . .. „ _ , „ _ , , , ,, , financial Tear, and contrast it with the actual expenditure for " iust to give a turn to all round, I am happy to be able to * . J ° . - , the same period. 1 he uprures are these, viz.: — state that the engine has not been reversed ; but that, on the contrary, there has been a progressive movement of the financial Estimated Expenditure for 1866-7. policy introduced in 1864 —an epoch when the Colony took the _. ., -r. . „„ _._ first step, at a cost of £50,000, which rendered the unity of _ ' _!"" '" „„„' _ . / ,.„ . „ _ ' , .. ,.,.. -, „ ... , Permanent Charges ... ... ... 266,889 national life in >ew Zealand a practicability; definitively _" ,_ , „,„„ . ,. . ., . ,, . , „ T . lfrl Government House and Domains ... 7,138 dechned to contribute to the maintenance of Imperial Troops ; , . .. , , . ., ii v j -i. ■», Public Departments ... ... ... 36,560 and, resolutelv settmsj its back to the wall, relied on itselt to T , i . . . , . . f * xl nJ ixn i • Law and Justice ... ... ... 64,8d3 maintain the internal peace of the Colony. When also, m . ,, ... .. . ,, . u_. a 11*. Postal ... ... ... ... 143,150 order to enable it to accomplish these great objects, and, at the same time, maintain the credit of the Colony and continue to sunplv tho Provinces with the funds necessary to enable them _ _ Fi J , , . . , . . , . .. '.. . MisceUaneous ... ... ... 30,922 to conduct their special work ot colonisation, the Colony un- _ „ . ... .,.,. , . ,. Defence ... ... ... ... 70,000 posed on itself heavy additional taxation. _ ' Supplementary ... ... ... 15,000 It might be supposed that, as practice is said to make perfect, I should be able now to deliver a financial statement with much TotaJ propo8ed Appropriations for Colonial greater satisfaction to the Committee and ease to myself than and Provincial Services 738,308 on former occasions. But I am free to confess, that although in Pavmcnts to Provinces 318 750 many respects our financial condition contrasts most favourably with what it was in 1864, both as regards income, resources n^ q»^ Qgg and credit, and that so far, the path along which a financial ,„„„,. ' , , L . ° . t . Actual Expenditure, 1866-7. statement has to travel has been rendered very much smoother * £ s d and easier, yet the financial problems which now demand solution Civil List 27 500 0 0 and cannot be avoided, unless indeed the Government is pre- Permanent Charges 282 472 4 5 pared to shirk its duty, are so extensive and complicated with Government Houses and Domains... 2346 18 5 so many and often conflicting interests; there are so many PubUc Departments ... ... 42,567 16 2 financial solecisms which have grown up in New Zealand; there j jaw an( j j ll3 t; co 59 409 jg g are moreover so many mouths to feed, no longer belonging to Postal 122 435 11 6 nine little Oliver Twists asking for more, but to sturdy claimants, Native 23 751 4 0 making as though they would seize whilst they seem only to Customs 40 894 7 7 solicit; that a much abler Finance Minister than I pretend to Miscellaneous 35 554 13 4 be might well shrink from the present task. Defence 71 436 18 3 But I feel also that I have been placed at an unusual dis- Supplementary (refunds of Eevenue) 9*229 17 9 advantage, owing to a somewhat free use of the privilege of Payments to Provinces 320,368 5 10 diffusing information on the part of my honorable colleagues ; Unauthorized Sundry Expenditure 6,558 18 4 for, however interesting the circumstance may be, as an illustra- Payments to Provinces, June, 1866 18,356 5 10 tion of the fact that all ships, whether merchant ships or ships of State, even those classed Al, do somehow leak a little in bad £1 Qg3 332 18 \