The Evening Star TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1871.

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

The Evening Star TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1871.

No doubt the Provincial Treasurer set himself a difficult task last evening: he had made up his, mind not only to show the financial condition of the Province, but to excuse the past Government, and to justify the present in persistence in its policy. His financial statement was a mere repetition of the printed balance sheet and estimates. We did not gather from him how the adverse balance was to be repaid, and the Province placed once more in the. healthy position of three years ago. Availing himself of the Balance Sheet prepared by Mr Turnbull during his short stay in office, he pointed out that the excess of expenditure above revenue of ,£97,578 18s 9d, had not all accrued during the past year, but only £54,228 13s Id; the remainder—£43,3so 5s 8d having been, spent in previous years—lie forgot to mention, and in addition, some £23,000 balance in hand when the Reid Government took office. There is no use disguising the fact—the deficiency in about two years of some £120,000, is a small part of the price the Province has paid for faction. There was something amusing too in the way in which Mr Bradshaw tried to prove that the term “no work ” ministry was misapplied. He pointed out first one work and then another that had been either commenced or executed during the last two years, but he forgot to say that all this and three times as much might have been accomplished had the affairs of the Province been well managed, without its being reduced to such a state of indebtedness, as to render much needed public works impossible. It cannot be much satisfaction to the inhabitants of the Province that they are threatened with a protraction of this stagnation until the General Assembly passes a liberal land law. There does seem some slight inclination to relax the vigorous closing up of the land gales, as the Treasurer estimates he shall receive £BO,OOO from the sale of Crown lands shortly to be placed in the market; but there is no mention of any intention to proceed with the proclamation of hundreds, so that when that already surveyed is sold, a further supply will be thrown upon the market. When first this agitation against the action of the General Assembly took place some two years ago, an independent and intelligent observer of passing events, well acquainted with the feelings of the Central Parliament, remarked privately, “You had better be “ careful in Otago in regard to your “ land agitation, otherwise the land “ administration will be taken out of “ your hands.” In this direction our Government is evidently drifting. Step by step the process has been tried. For five years the Province tried its hand at railway construction, but, through going the wrong way about it, nothing was done. Mr Reid let the last chance of making + he Clutha line slip through his fingers, nid the General Government stepped in an I took it out of his hands. For several years immigration has been comparatively neglected, and thus one of the chief purposes of Provincialism, the introduction of settlers has been ignored ; the General Government have stepped in and obtained power to make arrangements for immigration. Water supply to the goldfields has been a crying necessity for years. If it had been attended to by the Province, the General Government would not have entertained the project ; and common business arrangements might have been made for investing money in that direction, that would have been repaid with interest, and with additional advantage to the revenue through increased consumption of dutiable goods. Nothing has been done during this war between squatters and settlers, and the General Government has obtained the power to act. It does not follow because these powers, excepting the construction of public works, have not been exercised, that therefore they will bo allowed to remain dormant; and our Provincial Government may rest assured that no General Government will iong tolerate systematic opposition to its legislation, when that opposition results in paralysing the progress of the finest and wealthiest Province in l|ie

Colony. Wo care not how liberal the land laws are —they cannot be too liberal to please us. Our own views of a really good and workable land law differ very materially from anything yet propounded ; but as it would be quite hopeless to expect their adoption, we shall gladly receive anything that will promote settlement. We have no hesitation in saying that the Hundreds Regulation Act, faithfully worked, provided for this, and was. a necessary supplement to the Act of 18G6. Its beneficial working has been marred by fiction, and the continuance of faction will be the grounds on which the General Government will assume the control of our Waste Lands. People outside the Province look very differently at our doings from what we do ourselves, and Mr Reid and Mr Bradshaw may depend upon it that the only justification that will be pleaded for the abolition of Provincialism will be, that it is not only expensive but unworkable ; and the example of Otago will be held up in proof.