The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1350, 12 June 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1878.

" One striking defect of the present system of conducting the public expenditure," said the Hon. Mr. Larnach, when delivering his financial statement, "is that the General Assembly frequently meets some time after the commencement of a now financial year. After the meeting of Parliament a period of several months sometimes elapses before the Act of Appropriation passes the Assembly. Under such a system, the expenditure is conducted without any appropriation having been made; and it is incurred solely on the authority of Imprest Supply bills, which direct the moneys to be charged in a manner thereafter to bo expressed in the appropriations of the year. From this it results that the Government is able to incur any expenditure it pleases by simply placing on an estimate any amount for any servico it may think proper to undertake; and the duty of the Assembly resolves itself rather into the ratification of expenditure incurred during several months of the year than a careful watching of the amounts which it is asked to vote. To cure this system one of the duties of the present Government will be, either to alter the time of the commencement of the financial year, or to take care that the Assembly meets at an earlier period, say not later than the first week of June." Well, no one can possibly have a word to say against the sentiments expressed in the above extract. It is certainly very important that the House should havo the fullest control over the expenditure of the country, and any step which will secure this should be warmly supported. Let us see what the Government are doing in the direction pointed out. The first week in June is already gono, and not only has Parliament not been summoned, it has actually been prorogued to the Ist [of July, the day after tho closing of the financial year, and then it has not been summoned for the despatch of business. The consequence will be that, according to Mr. Larnach's own showing, the present Government mean to continue " one striking defect" in the present system of finance —a system which enables the Government''" to incur any expenditure it pleases." There is no possible excuse for the delay which has taken place in the summoning of Parliament, at any rate with which the public are acquainted. Many months ago attention was directed to the useless waste of valuable time on the part of Ministers, especially of tho Premier, and recent disclosures have proved how true the assertion was. Even since Parliament was prorogued the members of the Cabinet have spent the greater part of their time away from the seat of Government. At one time the affairs of the colony were left in charge of the giant intellect of the Hon. Mr. Fisher, at another in the hands of the equally inexperienced though abler hands of the Hon. Mr. Ballance. The departmental work of the Government must for months have been terribly neglected, and all for what P That the Premier might air his eloquence in favour of a policy his Ministry did not intend to carry out. Those trips also gave Sir George an opportunity of patronising Que or other of his colleagues, as promising and rising politicians whose great abilities he had had the sagacity to discover and utilise for tho benefit of the colony. As an intellectual treat, it was no doubt a great privilogo to listen to the addresses of Sir G. Grey, but considering the important interests which ho was neglecting, wp are of opinion that a better time might haye been chosen, especially when it turns out that he wa* net oven speaking on behalf of his Ministry. iN.or was it necessary that he should go all the way to Woolston, for escample, to tell the electors of the statesman-like qualities of the Hon. Mr. Fisher, for had not that gentleman been a leading politician in Canterbury for many years before he was dragged into fame by tho great proconsul 9 It is therefore much to be regretted that so much valuable time was spent upon useless work, when there was the most urgent need for the combined ; presence of Ministers at the seat of Government. Tho legislation promised for next session is not by any moans of an ordinary character. Not only havo large administrative reforms been announced, but wo are to have bills dealing with constitutional and financial questions upon which great issues may depend. Had Ministers kept their announced resolutions Parliament would have been in session and those great measures placed before the country. The financial dangers 30 -vividly pourtrayed by the Hon. Mr. Larnach might have been avoided, and one out of the man/ promises made by tho Government might have boon kept,, But although no Ministry since the day ■ the Constitution was granted has been more profuse in this respect than the present Cabinet, strange to say it has never onco during its short career been betrayed, bv accident even, into fulfilling any one of such undertakings.