PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2608, 27 June 1871, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Yesterday. The Speaker having taken his seat, and the usual formal preliminaries having been gone through, several notices of motion aud questions were given. We observed some little alteration in the mode in which the Council had arranged themselves, a transference having been made from one side to the other by some members. We do not know that there is any significance in this, for like the happy family, in which cats and mice, rats and dogs, sit side by side, our present Provincial Council give no evidence of their political instincts by their neighborhood. In reply to Mr rfaughton, the Provincial Solicitor said the Government were not prepared to advise the General Assembly to check the immigration of Chinese miners. He believed the hnn. member had given attention to the subject, and the Government would be glad to receive his suggestions. In reply to Mr Green, tire Provincial Secretary said there was not the slightest probability of the Port Chalmers and Blueskin road being completed for dray traffic during the present financial year. In reply to Mr Galbraith, the Provincial Secretary said that a number of p'ans wei’e laid before the Council for improving the Harbor; that the expense referred to in the reports bad not been incurred ; that dredging a channel 32 feet wide had co-t only LI 7,000. Both Mr Balfour's and Mr Thomson’s plans were being carried out at Black Jack’s Point, When, through the carelessness of those in charge, the dredge came to grief, it was engaged in taking off a portion of the sandspit. The dredge bad done the work at Dunedin jetty of deepening the water to 10 feet at less expense than estimated by Mr Thomson. He had been informed that the most important work iu the Harbor was dredging a passage across Black Jack’s Point. Mr Haughton moved that the petition of certain miners and settlers in the Wakatip District relative to William Fox bo referred back to the Private Petitions Committee for reconsideration. The prayer of tire petition was that a reward shou'd be awarded for the services of William Fox as the discoverer of gold in the district. The Committee reported against the prayer of the petition on the ground that he was not the discoverer of gold at the Arrow, on the goldfield, and had not made his discovery public, but had to be tracked to discover where he was working, and had no claim to the reward. Mr Shepherd said the committee decided mainly on the report of Mr Fyke, in reply to which, Mr Haughton said Mr Warden Beetham stated that Fox wag the discoverer, and had made the discovery public. The House divided, and the matter was referred back to the Private Petitions Committee. Mr Bastings’s resolutions to reduce the Provincial Council to the position of a municipal institution, was opposed by the Provincial Secretary in toto; and after discussion, the debate was adjourned to Wednesday. The Provincial Secretary's motion for setting apart a reserve for the Port Chalmers Water Supply was adopted. the financial statement. There was a full house when Mr Bradshaw moved that it should go into Committee of Supply. The Treasurer prefaced his remarks by claiming the indulgence of the committee on account of his newness to the office ; and more especially on account of the great difficulty he labored under in having to speak of deficiencies, failing revenue, aud an overdraft. Launching into his subject, he referred hon. members to the balance-sheet, and to the first item appearing on it—viz , 143.350 5s Bd, by balance against the Province on March 30, 1870, which meant there was a deficiency qn that date of L 43,350 3s Bd. The next item he desired to draw attention to was that of expenditure from April 1, 1870, to March 31, 1871, amounting, to L.344,957 I9s lid, which added to the deficit, male the expenditure apparently L 393.308 5s 7d. I he next item on the other side was that of revenue for the same period, amounting to L‘295,729 16s lOd. If hon. members deducted the item of revenue from that of expenditure, they would sec the deficiency was L 97,578 18s 94. But it should not be imagined that this deficiency took place during the ’ast financial year, 143.350 5s 8d took place in previous years; and if that sum were deducted from L 97.578 18s 9d, it would show the actual deficit for the year to bo L 54/238 13s Id ; that was to say they had spent L 55.238 13s Id more than their income. The estimated revenue for the year ending March 31, 1870, was L 327,900; while the amount actually received was L 263 443 10s 7d, or less than the estimate by L 64.456 9s ss. (A return showing the items of revenue was real. The greatest fallings off were consolidated revenue, 142,552 16s4d; and Crown lands, L 41,356 3s sd). While the actual revenue received was L 263.44.3 10s 7d, the balance sheet showed it to be L 293,729 6s lOd. The difference was made up from the following sums, amounting to 1,32,285 16s 3d, viz. : General Government on account of Southland debt, L 27.500; do compensation to Southland officers, L1,54l 17s ; scab assessment, Ac., LS9O ISs Id; pilotage and port charges, Southland, L22S 15s 7d ; railways, L 2,124 os 7d ; and these amounts added to the actual revenue, make the L 295.729 16s lOd, as appeared on the balance sheet. Recurring to tin return of consolidated revenue --for a certain number of mouths the consolidated revenue was received under the old system, and during the remainder of the year the capitation allowance was paid under the new system of L2 pe bead of the population. The balance under the old system was L6,2U 6s Kid. In April we received L 10,875 12} 3d ; In May, L 9,193 3s 2d ; in dupe, L 9,309 12s 7d. Then in July the new system of capitation allowance came into operation, aud wo. up to trim end of tho year, received, including the amount for Southland, Ll1)0,389 Iss 9d, making a grand total on account of consolidated revenue and capitation allowance of L 135,979 10s 7d. The next item was suspense accounts, amounting LIS, 179 18s 6d. This amount had been brought to suspense account to meet o]d liabilities. Some of these items will

never be called for, amounting to L 957 14s, which can be struck off, and thus reduce the deficiency to L0G,621 4s 9d. The next item on the balance sheet was L 12,680 5s sd, amounts due on deposit account; and out of that amount L 4,270 could be brought to revenue, thus reducing the deficit L 92.351 4s 9tl, or for the year to L 49.009 19s Id. The next item was a very ugly one, amounting to L 81,955 8s SJ. This amount was due to the Bank. It was incurred in anticipation of revenue, and to fulfil the wishes of this House. There would have been no deficiency for the last year, if two items estimated for had been receive I—viz. , consolidated revenue and Crown lands. On these two items alone there was a deficiency of L 53.908 19s 9d. If the laws had permitted the Government to place in the in rket what lands were required for public purposes, without the intervention of the General Government and irresponsible Commissioners, there would have been no deficiency either last year or the year previous. But if money was borrowed in order to carry but public works and the votes of-the Council, the only actual loss to the Province was the interest paid for the borrowed money The Province had the land, and if private properties wero to be increased .in value by the construction of railways, the public lands would be increased in a like proportion from the same cause. After explaining a couple of other items in the sheet, the Treasurer went on to say that it had been stated by an honorable member that the deficiency amounted to L 120,000. The honorable gentleman must have got his information from the man in the street. But the honorable gentleman should not have consulted (he man in the street—he should hj xvc consulted the balance sheet; and then by more ways than •ne he Avould have found that the deficit for the two or more years amounted to L 97.578 18s 9d, The next item in the amount of loans, L 1,283,400, the annual charge for which is L 60,985 10s. This large sum had been caused by taking over the Southland loan, the annual charge and sinking fund on which amounted to L 28.722. As a set off against that annual liability, the Province received from the General Government L 27,500. Those payments made a large hole in the general revenues of the Province. In maVthese remarks he did not question the policy of the union of the Provinces, and merely mentioned the fact as having a bearing on the finance of the year. Honorable members would naturally wish to know what became of the revenue received from Southland. The Government had received for the half-year, including the assessment on sheep, L 875 0; and the expenditure for the same period amounted to L 8,063. Taking, therefore, the half-year’s revenue and expenditure as a basis, he had arrived at the conclusion that unless the revenue were largely added to in future by the sale of lands, there would always be a large annual deficiency, which must be paid out of the revenues of the Province. He had prepared returns showing the amounts received from October to March* and also the expenses during the same period, The Treasurer read the details of the statement, from which it appeared that the receipts varied from LSSO to L 2,240 monthly ; and the expenditure was on an average about L 1,230. He had heard it said that the late Government was a “ no work ” Government; but during the last year facilities were afforded for constructing roads and works but on examination, he found that a sum of L 86,000 had been expended on public works during the past year —on roads, bridges, jetties, exculsive of L 20,000 granted to roadJßoards and spent in miscellaneous works. T1 e amount was as large as in 1867. In 186S-69 the sum appropriated was L 151,000, of which LI 14,000 was spent. In 1869-70, thfl appropriation was L17'1,000, and tie amount spent was LBB.COO. In IS7O-7J, the sum appropriated was L 133,000, and the expendidure as already stated. He might mention that in that sum was included the erection of the Girls’ Provincial School and the dwelling bouse of the Rector of the High School, besides improvements in Pitt street, the Botanical Gardens, works at Anderson’s Bay, &c. The Treasurer then wept through the details qf the departmental expenditure, stating what the Government proposed doing and comparing it with the Government salaries last year, qnd pointing o,ut that the saving in the cost of Government wouldhe about Ll0,0()0 a year. A further reduction of the deficiency wquld be sure to take place through the non-expenditure of the sums voted, and no further reduction would be possible unless the revenue were increased by the sale of lands and by assistance from the General Government. He would like to make a few remarks on the attacks made by tbe General Government on the Province. It was plain to him that unless the resources of the Province were economised or increased taxation submitted to the beginning of the end had been reached. The policy of the General Government was to secure the land. The interest on loans very nearly absorbed the capitation allowance now, and there were new lo ins for railway construction, the interest of which must be provided, for which no provision had been made. The interest for those works must be deducted out of the capitation allowance, and then where would bo our territorial revenue? Railways, although beneficial to the Province, would not be immediately reproductive for some time to come. However members might differ on matters political, on one point ho hoped they were united, and that was to resist any attempt to appropriate the lauds of the Province. In saying that he had no other object than to benefit the Province. He moved that the Committee authorise payment of interest on loans, Several items were passed without remark, until LIOO9, Waterworks guaranteed interest, was proposed, Mr Duncan moved that the conside atiou of the item be postponed. The Provincial Treasurer, therefore, moved that the Committee report progress, which was carried. Mr Bathgate introduced a Bill, authorising a reserve for a cattle market at Blueskin, which was read a first time, and ordered to ho printed; and the Council adjoumel at 8.15 p.m.