THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1874.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 186, 17 June 1874, Page 2

THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1874.

“ The spirit of the times shall teach me speed.” KI&.G JOHN, ACT XV.

A ciectjlae was lately forwarded by the Honorable the Premier to the Superintendents of the various provinces, statin" that the Government were considering the desirability of abolishing free immigration to this country, at any rate for the present, save and except, with respect to single women of good character, and that all others persons would be required to give promissory notes to the amount

of dS7. The Superintendents, each and all, were requested in the same letter to give an opinion on the proposed change ; and we are glad to learn, on undoubted authority, that the Chief Magistrate of each province throughout the colony disapproves of Mr VogePs cautioning proposition. In consequence of this “ round robin” from their Honors, the following Government telegram was recently forwarded to the several Superintendents “He Assisted Immigration— The Government, after considering the replies of Superintendents, have com© to the conclusion to instruct the AgentGeneral to limit the number of immigrants despatched by him, between the Ist March and the end of the year, to 25,000.” There is no doubt that we want “ hands for our acres”—people for our land, and there is ample room in this new land of ours for the importation on a large and extensive scale of labour of every description.

A petition against the education tax to the following effect is being numerously signed in Auckland. We learn that a copy of the petition will be shortly forwarded to Tauranga for signature : ** To his Honor John Williamson, Esq., M.G.A., Superintendent of the province of Auckland, The humble petition of the undersigned inhabitants of Auckland : sbeweth—That your petitioners are inhabitants of the province of Auckland, and as such are already, as we believe, far too heavily taxed for the purposes of the Government of New Zealand, both General and Provincial, That your petitioners humbly pray that your Honor will refuse your assent under the Constitution Act to any Act or Ordinance which has for its object the placing of additional taxation on the shoulders of the people for the purposes of education. That your petitioners humbly represent that the General Government is at the present time taking from the people of this province very great amounts of money annually, which, we believe, if properly expended, would yield an ample supply for any necessary purposes of education for those who need, or those who desire a State education. That although ' our petitioners are desirous to see the cause of education prosper, they submit that they should not be forced against their convictions to submit to a compulsory, unnecessary, and unjust taxation. That your petitioners are convinced that the levying of any such taxation will be impeded and hindered so as to seriously endanger its success, not from any factious feeling among the people, but because they feel themselves aggrieved and wronged. That your petitioners believe that the surest way to compel the General Assembly to take up the question of education, which it is their plain duty to do, will be found by your Honor declining to assent to any such bill as herein alluded to. Therefore, your petitioners humbly pray that your Honor will refuse your assent to any act which provides for the additional taxation of the people for the purposes of a State provincial education. And your petitioners will ever pray, &o.”