The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 651, 20 July 1876, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1876.

From the telegrams published yesterday it is abundantly evident that the greatest confusion prevails among the members of the House of Eepresentatives. The Opposition have either failed to agree upon a united course of action, or they have been more successful than is usually the case in keeping their plan a secret. The land fund of course is the great stumblingblock. The Auckland party are eager to make it part of the Consolidated Fund, while the representatives of the South Island are as determined to preserve it to the districts. Its manner of distribution is also the weak point in the Government measures. Their proposal to make advances to the landless districts out of the consolidated fund is no doubt vicious. It is not at all likely to be faithfully carried out; the advances would never be repaid. When the day of reckoning comes another loan will be required to take up the treasury bills issued on the security of those districts. The Government proposals are in this respect a makeshift, in order to respect the compact of 1856. But unsatisfactory as they are, they are, to our mind, the only solution of the difficulty, if the unity of the colony is to be maintained, and the compact of 1856 respected. They secure the land fund to the districts in which it is raised, and they provide means for carrying out the government of those districts which do not possess such a fund. They are, at any rate, an improvement on the state of things which has existed hitherto. For years past the Consolidated Fund has been called upon to contribute to the maintenance of the Provincial Governments of many parts of the colony. The worst of it has been that in many cases the money so obtained has been squandered in an utterly useless manner—in the payment of the salaries of officers whose services were in no way required for the good government of the district. Abolition will do away with one evil. Advances may still have to be made to those districts as before, but the General Assembly, which votes the money, will have a voice in its expenditure. Of course the interest on the public works expenditure in the district must be paid. Provision must be made for education ; and roads and bridges must be maintained. But the useless and cumbrous machinery of Provincial Government will be done away with, and the colony will have the satisfaction of knowing that whatever money goes to those districts will be so spent as to be an advantage to it. The other two solutions of our difficulties are financial separation, and making the land fund colonial revenue. The latter proposal is not likely to meet with much favour in Canterbury and Otago, although to our mind it is the more reasonable of the two. Ignorant as we are of the scheme of the Opposition, we cannot at present pronounce an opinion on its merits. But as far as we can see there is no possible scheme of separation which would be accepted by the North, and which would in any way benefit this island. The North is not likely to consent to any arrangement which does not include compensation for the loss of the land fund; which would have to assume the shape of the Middlelsland taking upon itself a very large proportion of the debt, or of annual contribution. In any case we are not likely to be better off than we are at present. Bat the price paid by Canterbury and Otago to the North would not be the only demand made made on the funds. Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland will only consent to such a scheme, provided they can make something out of it, probably participation in our land fund. But it is useless to speculate at present. We shall await with anxiety the promulgation of a scheme which shall benefit this island, and yet be acceptable to the North.