THE BUDGET.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2233, 4 July 1870, Page 2

THE BUDGET.

Our Wellington correspondent writes that the Treasurer’s financial statement was hob received with ridicule, as has been asserted by the Dally Times correspondent.' We give tho authorised report of the debate which followed the Colonial Treasurer’s speech ! Mr R, G. Wo op said it was nob his intention, at so late an hour, to address the Com mittee at any length. He simply desired to state that he had listened with very pa ient attention to the financial statement of the Colonial Treasurer, and he might say that, in all his experience, he had novpj: heard of a scheme so wild, so unpractical, axd so impracticable, as the scheme which the honorable gentleman had detailed to them ; and all the amount of consideration that he could possibly give it, and all tho amount of detail by whichjit could in subsequent debates be elucidated, would not, he was quite certain, alter his general opinion of that scheme. Therefore he had reason at that moment to say he should oppose the resolution which had just been submitted, and divide the House upon the question that night, Mr Vogel was sure the honorable member would permit him to say that really tho jud„ uio it which he had forced qiily confirmed him in the impression which he had had beforehand, that the honorable member had arrived at a foregone conclusion, and that it would be quite impossible for any measures to come from the Government of which ho would approve. He thought the honorable member's opinion had been entertained before ho heard the sta emeut. He need scarcely point out to tho honorable member that it was very unusual to raise a discussion upon a statement under the present circumstances, and that there wou'd be plenty of opportunities of doing so ; and also that it was absolutely necessary that the duties iu question should be collected iu tho me mi while, whether the House decided iu favor of tho resolutions or not. It was quite out of the usage and custom of the House to take any decision upon the general merits of the statement immediately after its delivery, so utterly impossible was it for honorable members to give it a fair consideration. The Government did not shrink from putting it to the test jn the House, and moreover to test the opinion of the country. He was quite prepared to say that whatever might be the opinion which the honorable member might form, ho was not justified in coming to the rapid floccsiou which he had announced upon the merits of the proposals which tho Government had made. Mr Gillies thought it was unusual to ohject|to such a;proposal, hut that it was equally unusual on the part of a Colonial Treasurer to submit such a proposal : a proposal to impose a tax upon the community without affording the slightest previous opportunity to the community of having any idea that an increase in the taxation—for it would be an j increase—was to he imposed, I

Mr Vogkl saiil the honorable member was in error in supposing that it was usual to announce any proposed alteration in the customs duties. It was necessary to pass the resolutions absolutely at the time, so as prevent speculation.

Mr (riLUKij, —The honorable member surely did not suppose that he was unaware of that fact. It was not the flrst time he had seen Customs duties brought down in the House. But the honorable member must know that the country was led to expect beforehand, not that the details of the Customs itself should be known, but that increased taxation would take place. The

'<i honorable member for Parnell had been twitted with having come to a foregone conclusion. It needed no great knowledge, m great exercise of judgment, to come to a foregone conclusion on that which most men of ordinary intelligence must have come to a conclusion upon long ago—namely, as to the question whether protective duties were to be imposed or not. He (Mr Gillies) did not come there with a foregone conclusion ; he came to listen to the statement of the Colonial Treasurer, with every desire to support him in what ho was going to bring forward, and with every desire to support the Government, but he would endorse, and endorse most heartily, the rvords of his honorable colleague the member for Parnell, that a more wild and extravagant scheme never was brought before that House or before any country ; and he might say that, if the House were to put that scheme into effect, it • would simply be the signal for every man who had any respect for himself or property, to make preparations, as soon as he could, to raise a reasonable amount of money, to get quit of his property and go out 1 of it. He would not enter into the, general questions involved in tbe financial statement, but would say that the resolution proposed by the Colonial Treasurer was not formal, but was a pledge that the House should impose tho duties. If it wore a mere.formal resolution, any other resolution might have been used as well. Mr Vouel said the honorable member would understand, when be (Mr Vogel) said it was formal, that lie did not moan that it was formal in respect to its effect,’ but that it was formal in respect to the necessity of absolutely stopping any speculations upon the matter : that the customs duties proposed to be raised must be immediately raised as sobu as the ■anhouflfcembnt Ivas mlide iu the House, ahU that the should have instructions to make the collections. Mr Gillies only asked that the House should have an opportunity of considering those duties, \To e continued.) > ; -