Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 105, 10 April 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1863.

In our issues of Friday last and to-day will be found the discussions amongst the members pro and con, upon the merits of the great event of the Provincial Council Session for 18G3, namely, the Loan Bill. The importance of this measure is too apparent to need comment, and we have, in a previous number advocated the raising of money upon the security of the Provincial lands unsold, but with the proviso that when the Provincial Government ask the Council to pass a bill for that purpose, his Honor should be prepared with some sort of feasible scheme, at the back of his bill, for securing a speedy and profitable return of the money when invested. For it is manifest that, if the money is borrowed, and remains in the bank, liable to heavy interest and unprofitable, or, on the other hand, is expended in buying valueless or inferior lands which will not readily sell, and when sold will not increase the importance of the settlement, then the difficulty in the shape of debts will be greater than ever, and the last state of this Province will be worse than the first. We all know how very easily the little matter of .£150,000, which has been raised from the sale of lands since the proclamation of our independence of Wellington, has been all absorbed, and how little we have to show for it. And it is, therefore, only fair to expect some guarantee from the present Provincial Government against the waste or useless expenditure of any additional monies, and the more so when those monies are borrowed on heavy interest, and upon the security of our lauded rights, both present and prospective.

That the member for Porangahaxv should have been the spokesman and expounder of the merits of the Loan Bill, seems to us to savour rather of a little piece of quiet satire upon his past conduct in the matter of the lands of this Province. We were struck with the penitential appearance and utterance of that gentleman, whilst delivering his speech, for he was like unto one undergoing a very severe penance, with “ bell, book, and candle,” in being thus publicly obliged to recant all his antecedent doings against the advance of Hawke’s Bay, and proclaim himself the champion of progress. Hitherto Mr. Ormond has principally distinguished himself by bis preternatural opposition to anything like progress, and has snubbed and bullied every unfortunate member who has presumed to advocate anything above ss. Land sales, and to suggest a fair distribution of the profits. It is, however, satisfactory to reflect that there is more rejoicing over one Country member who repenteth, than over ninety and nine Town Members who need no repentance. We do not altogether concur with Mr. Golenso in the views which he has taken of the Loan Bill, but we are decidedly of opinion that he was quite right in endeavoring to oblige the Superintendent to give some definite idea of his intentions as to the expen diture of the money when got. If we. are to have only Mr. So-and-so’s run bought, or

a mere tract of wilderness, answering the description of Major Whitmore’s little property, then this loan will put a finishing stroke upon poor Hawke’s Bay Province, and she will sink into an untimely grave, unhonored but not unknown.

The Estimates, laid on the Council table by his Honor the Superintendent, are so manifestly made up to suit his party purposes, that they are really quite a curiosity in their way. No doubt the object Ostensibly bad in view is to secure cheap work, but these Estimates do so something after the fashion adopted by that profound Paddy of whom it is recorded that, in order to economize his blanket, he cut off a bit from the top of that valuable article, and stuck it on to the bottom. We notice that Mr. Colenso’s out-spo-ken, and, under the circumstances, the highly proper views entertained by him upon the subject of the Loan Bill, very just opposition to that measure, has cost him his berth, and that the duties of Provincial Treasurer devolve in future upon the Chief Surveyor ! What an absurdity ! If the last-named functionary attended to his present official duties in the way iu which they ought to be attended to, he would find quite enough to do without undertaking any additional work. So that, although the Government may succeed in showing their disapprobation of Mr. Colenso’s views upon their pet measure, we do not see that they have effected any material saving to the Public purse, which is, after all, the great question with the people. We ignore entirely the item of £-1,000 for Police Barracks, the necessity for that, force, upon the showing of Mr. M’Leau himself in his opening address, wherein he distinctly states that our relations with the natives are highly satisfactory, is a mere delusion, and its utility is a dream. We, however, as is well-known, strongly object to, and will, as long as we are able, as strongly oppose Sir George Grey’s system—it is, throughout, a mere machine for making places for favorites. This detachment of Mounted Police will be merely for show, and although our contemporary’s correspondent “Delta” is of opinion that if from 10 to 15 per cent, of sober men can be secured in the force it would be desirable, we cannot, even , with that liberal allowance of sobriety to boot, admit that under the present “ bribery and talk” system of managing the Maories, any good will come of this corps. Besides all this, we are an unostentatious, and utility-loving people, and have a great dislike to having all cry and no wool attending our shearing and other industrial operations.