THE GOVERNMENT POLICY.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1934, 17 July 1869, Page 3

THE GOVERNMENT POLICY.

In moving the ministerial resolutions on the limitation of the war expenditure, in the House of Representatives, on the 9th inst., Mr Fox is reported to have said—

The policy of the present Government was to ascertain what money they could spend on military operations, and reduce their expenditure within that amount. The amount which the Government was disposed to think it could expend on military operations during the current year was LI 50,000. Perhaps so large a sum would not be required. As soon as the Colonial Treasurer was able to make himself better acquainted with the state of the finances of the Colony, the Government would be in a better position to say whether this could be paid out of the current revenue, or whether extraordinary measures must be used to obtain the whole or part of it. The Colonial Treasurer thought he could provide for that expenditure, and the Minister for Defence was of opinion that he could reduce the military expenditure within L 150,000. Should, however, the Government find itself involved in more extensive hostilities, necessitating larger expenditure, it would at once call the House together, and throw upon it the responsibility of incurring such expenditure. The L 150,000 might be expended in three or six months; if so, the House would be called together in that time, The Colony had now L 438,000 of floating liabilities incurred last year ; but the Government threw this behind their backs, and merely reckoned the L.150,000 for the current year’s expenditure. Fresh liabilities were constantly coming to light. If the present rate of outlay were continued, the country would be involved in bankruptcy and ruin. He was very sanguine that the Government could reduce the expenditure from its present rate of L 350,000 a year to L 150,000. Since they had been in office they had reduced the force by 549 men, thus effecting a saving at the rate of LBO,OOO a year. It might be said this had been done by the withdrawal of the Waikerc-moana expedition, which was an exceptional occurrence, but such exceptions were the rule of the Government. The Government calculated that they would be compelled to rely upon the Colonial forces during the current year ; but it was also a part of their policy to send commissioners to England to make application for two regiments. They were sanguine of this application being successful, and supposing it were, and troops c£pne oqt before the close of the year, yet they would not have to be paid for during the present financial year. He anticipated they would be paid for at fixed periods, and probably a term of 12 months would be allowed. He was very decidedly of opinion that troops would be sent out, and many other members who had studied the course of events were of the same opinion. Had it not been for the exertion of certain advocates of the selfreliance policy, there was no doubt troops would have been despatched to New Zealand upon receipt of the news qf the Poverty Bay massacre. The position of affairs was now entirely changed since the Colonial Ministry would be in favpr of troops; the General Assembly would be willing to pay for them ; friendly relations would be re-established between the Ministry and Colonial Office ; his Excellency and his Ministers would be as one on the subject; Commissioners would be sent Home to support the request ; while it would be seen fhat the in* terests of bondholders were at stake. All tliese circumstances must make an impression upon the Home Government. He trusted he had made it clear that the policy of the late Government differed from the present in this—that it involved the continuance of an aggressive wav tp be supported by loans, raised at high rates of interest for war purposes, and resulting in the ruin of the Colony; while the policy of the present Government was to make the war an entirely defensive one t to bring it within the means of the Colony, and apply to the Home Government, not for assistance in money, but in troops.