The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2235, 6 July 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1870.

The General Government takes a haughty stand on the financial scheme, aa 3 asks that the House shall freely express-its opinion on it, so that if distasteful there may be a speedy decision either for or against' it, with a view to an appeal to the country. We observe that one public meeting has declared in favor of it, mainly on the ground of its protective tariff. This is only what we expected. Mr Yodel is quick at discerning the signs of the times, and that which is perhaps the chief condemnation of the scheme in the minds of statesmen is exactly what commends it to the majority. As a question of principle the matter is not open to debate : as one of detail it is not worth fighting about, for practically it is of very little moment to an exporting country whether the tariff is encumbered with a list of duties payable on goods that are produced cheaper than they can be imported. As the country may be the ultimate referee between the Government and their opponents in their proposed measures, there are other matters of moment to be considered on which very meagre information has yet been afforded. Appended to the copy of the Treasurer’s speech are drafts of five Bills necessary to give effect to the proposals of the Government: —“ The Im- “ migration and Public Works Act,

*• 1870”; “The Immigration and Pub- “ lie Works Loan Act, 1870 ” ; “The “Colonial Keciprocity Act, 1870”; “ The Payments to Provinces Act, “ 1870”; and “The Consolidated Loan “ Application Act, 1870.” The first of these Bills, the Immigration and Public Works Act, is divided into nine divisions.

No. 1 relates to roads in the North Island, and authorises the Governor to proclaim roads, bridges, and ferries ; to construct roads; and provides that the sum of £400,000 shall be raised for that purpose under the “ Immigration “ and Public Works Loan Act,” at a rate not exceeding £IOO,OOO a year. No. 2 provides that sums equal to those spent on the North Island shall in each year after passing the Act be “ paid to the credit of a special fund “to be called ‘ The Middle Island “ ‘ Railway Fund Account,’ to be spent “ in the construction of railways for “ the Middle Island.” The Bth section empowers the Governor to cause any of the lines of railway alluded to in a schedule to be made, and to provide the necessary engines, plant, and machinery for working them. He is further to be empowered to define the lines of railway and lands to be taken, to construct the lines only on the request of the Superintendent of the Province, to contract to pay for them in money, or by grants of land, or by lease of line and guarantee of profits or subsidies at (3 per cent. In view of these large powers, the provisions that Provincial ' Councils may recommend certain lands to bo set aside seem ironical. This section of the Act provides that money may bo appropriated to railway construction in the Middle Island beyond the £IOO,OOO mentioned, and that the amount expended for that purpose shall be charged “ Provincially.” By the 17th section of the Act, power is given to Superintendents and Provincial Councils, by resolution, “to agree with the Governor “ that such part of the Waste Lands of “ the Crown situate within such Pro- “ vince as shall be specified in such “ resolution or agreement shall be ac- “ cepted in lieu of payment by the “ Province of such amount of moneys “ as shall bo fixed in such agreement,” and “ upon any such agreement being “ entered into, the lands to which the “ same relate shall cease to be subject “ to disposal under the laws for the “ time being in force regulating the “ sale and disposal of Waste Lands of “ the Crown within such Province.” In other words, those lauds become Colonial instead of Provincial property, and are to be disposed of “as the “ Governor shall from time to time “ direct." By the 19th section, half the amount of the Stamp Duties is to be appropriated to the Provinces to meet charges for railway expenditure. By the 20th clause, the grants of land for railway purposes are to be limited to 2,500,000 acres. By the 21st clause, the expenditure is to be distributed over ten years.

Part 3 confers power on the Governor to construct works for supplying Water to the Goldfields. To this purpose £200,000 only is applicable. The amount expended is to be charged against the Province in which the works are done, and the “ Governor is “ to define the lands and streams to be “taken.”'

It will be seen that the whole tendency of these, regulations is to concentrate power in the General Government. On these ' points wo have not space, for comment, but one remark should not be omitted : Care is taken with regard to the Middle Island to localise the expenditure, but no provision is made with regard to the North Island to that effect. The two islands are equally to divide the £BOO,OOO, although for nine years two-thirds of the revenue has been paid by the Middle Island.; It may be as much as the Government can afford, but wo ask—-Is this fair 1