PARLIAMENTARY.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1703, 3 August 1875, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

IFrom our Special Correspondent.]

The Auckland Caucus

The caucus of Auckland members met at the Princess Hotel at three o'clock yesterday, and sat till 4.30. All were present except {Sir Julius Vojjel and Wi Katene. A long and desultory discussion on the position of Auckland resulted in the appointment of a committee, consisting of Messrs. Grey, Wood, Sheehan, and Creigbton, with instructions to enquire into the financial position of the province, and how it vrould be affected by the proposals of the Government. Also, into the various claims of the province against the General Government, especially on accouut of railway, Mangere Bridge, and the disposal of money voted for the purchase of native lands. The committee were instructed also to encruire into the wide difference between the amount of money taken from the province through the Customs, and the small sum returned ; the committee to bring up a report at the meeting on Saturday next. Westland Deputation.

The Westland members waited on the Hon. Mr. Richardson yesterday regarding necessary works in that province. The Minister gave no hope whatever. He said it would take all the colony s means and energies to finish works on hand and authorised.

To-day the struggle commences in earnest. The Crudeness of the Abolition Proposals.

Speaking of the Abolition proposals, the Post says to-night: " Every clause of the bill bears the impress of unseemly haste, and the result is a crude, ill-digested series of proposals. The draughtsman, not having time to work out his details or sufficient information at command to enable him to frame his machinery, has resorted to that favourite device in New Zealand legislation, giving power to the Governor in Council to make regulations to eke out deficiencies and omissions of the law itself. We are probably not far wrong in saying that nearly half the laws by which we are governed have to be sought for in the Gazette instead of in the statute book. These Orders in Council are verily the curse of the system of law, and now we are to have a Constitution framed not by representatives of the people in Parliament assembled, but by the Governor in Council. We believe that if by any strange chance this bill should become law this session the public affairs of the colony from one end to the other would l^ng before the end of next session of the General Assembly" get into such a state of inextricable confusion and the administration would be so abominable that a reaction would set in and the people would demand a return to their former state more vehemently than they now demand an alteration. The ill success of the County of Westland scheme prolonged the existence of provincialism for several years and we have now a similar fiasco though on a larger scale. There is nothing to be gained but much to be lost by undue haste and rashness. It is scarcely necessary or worth while for us to discuss seriously or at length the only details which the Abolition Bill really contains. With reference to those relating to endowment subsidies, it was of course necessary for the Government to bid high, and they have bid very high, but we venture to think that if their bid were taken, the chattel will find itself sold in more senses than one. No thinking man acquainted with the financial condition of the country can for a moment believe that the promised subsidies can be given permanently. An effort might be made to pay them for the proposed eight months current yet, but next session Parliament would be sure to see them cut down, as the capitation allowance to provinces was a few sessions ago, cut down from 40s to 15s a head ; although, in the most solemn manner the capitation grant the previous year had been assured to the provinces on a sliding scale, and for a series of years. The Government evidently wishes to buy the support of the Koad Boards and municipalities 'on terms ;' but it will never meet its bills."