OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 161, 4 February 1854, Page 9

OTAGO.

By the Shepherdess we [received the Otago Witness of the 7th ult., containing an account of the opening of the first Provincial Council of that settlement, with His Honor the Superintendent's address. The Council assembled in the Mechanic's Hall, Dunedin, on Friday, the 30th Dec. Mr. J. Macandrew having been elected Speaker of the House, and prayers said by the Rev. Thos. Burns, His Honor proceeded to read the following Address:— Me. Speaker and Gentlemen, —After having been so long and completely in the dark as to the erection of our Constitution, I trust you will appreciate my motive in having convened you on so short a.notice. The despatches which have enabled me to do so will be laid before you. The powers, and the funds which are thereby placed at our disposal, are certainly gratifying; and the more so, from the state of neglect to which our isolated position, and other circumstances, had so long exposed us. But on the other hand, it is again evident that the Constitution Act, as a whole, is suspended. Provincial Governments are set up, but the New Zealand Parliament is not called, and its functions, both as to land and revenue, has been otherwise assumed. Objectors in other provinces have raised the question of illegality as to the disposal of public revenue, but I humbly think our policy should be, to take all that is given and use it for the public good, but at the same time under protest against every infraction or suspension of the Constitution in all its fulness. I have thought it my duty at once to appoint a Provincial Treasurer, in order to receive the monies to be paid over to him for your appropriation. Other appointments, accompanied by reductions, must necessarily follow, but these I postpone till the public business, and the offices necessary to it, shall have been considered by the Council. The first and urgent matter for attention is the state of our roads. There could hardly perhaps be a district with fewer difficulties for practicable thoroughfares than the Otago block, and which is nevertheless almost wholly ■without them. I should therefore propose in the first place, and under the present emergency, that advantage be taken of the exertions now being rrade by settlers in various parts of the block, and to assist them with sums of money, somewhat in proportion to their own voluntary contributions, and their judicious application of them. The Government for years past had been repeatedly and respectfully urged to a re-survey of the Otago road lines, on the ground of those upon the original maps being, as in the case of Wellington, and to a great exteut, utterly impracticable. The evil still exists, and the remedy is becoming daily more onerous as lauds are being sold and occupied, and I would therefore propose that a surveyor be appointed, to be assisted in each locality by persons the most competent among the colonists, and from whose reports, with plans and estimates of expenses, the Executive and Council wculd find much to guide their proceedings, as limited by means at their disposal. Liberal as those means would appear, when regarded as two-thirds of the general Revenue of the Province, I yet believe them to be wholly inadequate, in conjunction with other charges, to the making of roads ; and that without a portion of land fund in addition, ami solely applicable to this purpose —say to the amount of not less than Jos. an acre—Roads and Bridges (with inland navigation) must remain in a state which operates to the hindrance and waste of means of the country producer and the general commerce of the place. But on the other ham), with such a fund, together with a portion of reveuue —as a fixed reality however at the

hands of the 'Assembly—and the whole made binding by some special act or sanction of the Imperial Government, cheap money could be borrowed in England, and ithe colony shoot ahead with the impetus of a Canadian district. But in order to all Public Works, together with a supply of British labour for the wants of the community, there must also be an Immigration Fund —a fact which is now admitted at Wellington by parties in power, who had once believed that labour would flow to New Zealand as it does to America. But whatever the source of such a fund that may be devised for other provinces, I am inclined to think that in the province of Otago it could only be derived as heretofore from • the land sales; and if so taken, that it would avert the possible sense of injustice and retrogression caused by the early and final disappearance of the labour supplied by former purchasers in consequence of the draft upon it by parties who pay nothing to maintain the supply. , But my object in thus far alluding to finance is for the purpose of calling earnest attention to the real responsibilities of our position. That all matters connected with the peace, loyalty, and lawful deportment of the people we have to deal with will he easily provided for, I have no doubt of whatever. It, in fact, only requires that we should sympathise and go along with them in their own fixed and cherished, principles. But iv another sense our responsibilities are great. Much will be expected of us under a Constitution so great and so good in itself, and under the fact that although suspended in its higher element—the House of Representatives—so much of the public Revenue has been assigned to our disposal. Be it observed, that the tendency under despotism is to look to government for the supply of every public want, for the carrying out of every public improvement, 'and that under a belief that, as its powers are unbounded, so also, in some way or other, must be its resources. Now, a delusion like this is not easily got rid of, and many will continue to look to us precisely as they have been accustomed to do under a different regime. Already, and even thinking persons may be carried.away by the magnificent aspect of " two-thirds of the general revenue," so as to adopt exaggerated expectations of its capabilities. Our duty to ourselves, therefore, and the public,—stretching that public, moreover, to the many 'eyes that are upon us in Britain itself, from the statesman to the humblest kinsfolks of our thriving labourers—l would say, let us look with rigid attention for the development of our Province to the " ways and means," and, by so doing — openly and candidly—to carry sympathy and iutelligence along with us. The resources of the New Zealand Government have hitherto been—the general revenue, the land fund at a minimum of 20s. an acre (directly and indirectly), and large giants from ihe Home Treasury". All this is suddenly changed. The Treasury grants are closed, the land fund is reduced to nil (after paying the expenses created for its management),"and the Provinces are left with, two-thirds of the general revenue alone, to do all for themselves, and as they best can. Should we, therefore, fall into any mistake, or leave room for public dissatisfaction, it would be not only damaging to ourselves, but to the great cause of freedom and self-government. Among the Despatches to belaid before yon, I would call attention to those relating to the administration of lands.and appropriation of the funds, "until,", as stated by the Governor, " further provision is made by the General Assembly;" but more especially' to the Despatch of the Bth August (N0."03, 1024) as signifying, that whilst the land of the Province is ruled under the proclamation of 4th March last, the part of it which is called <£ the Otago Block of 144,600 acres," is to be administered under the Terms of-Purchase dated 1849. I had already called the attention of Government to the facts, that surveys of each kind of allotments, as stipulated, and to be selected from the binds bought for and assigned to the Otago Settlement, had never been completed, but had stood over as an open account with accumulating claims on the part of purchasers ami colonists, since the Company's retirement, and had so remained under the joint protection of the Uoionml Minister and Otago Association ; that no part of die Block, except the town of Duned n, bad ever been proclaimed; and that, to deal iv the matter, as proposed, without re-

ference to parties, or any adjustment of the account referred to, might not only be -found unjust, but must infalliby lead to claims of compensation, confusion, and litigation : whereas, had it been left with the settlers themselves, as represented by their Council—and which I believe to have been intended —to make alterations in the terms of purchase, there can be no doubt of the whole question being easily and peacefully adjusted,—and that too in conformity with any change of circumstances that a review of their position should elicit. To these representations (of which copies have gone to England) there has not yet been time for reply ; and I have now great satisfaction in leaving the matter for the Council to consider and express its views upon. Gentlemen, I leave the affairs of this Province for discussion and legislation, with the most entire confidence in- your integrity and sound judgment, and, moreover, in the satisfaction of feeling assured that between electors and elected—between the Council and Executive—there will be that harmony which arises from singleness of purpose, and aiming at the practical, with the forbearance and kindliness of Christian charity. On the motion of Mr. Gillies His Honor's speech was ordered to be printed for the use of the members. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND LAND'SALES. On Thursday, His Honor stated, that having consulted with several members of the House, he had deemed it advisable to establish an Ex* ecutive Council, and with that view had sent for their consideration an Enabling Bill, authorising him to create an Executive Council to advise with him, that the policy to be pursued might be in accordance with the views of the majority of that House. The Executive Council was to consist of three members, two of whom were to be members of that House, and the third, such official person as might be deemed advisable. The importance of having this law at once in force was such that he would suggest they should suspend their Standing Orders. He also proposed to submit for the consideration of the House the propriety of voting a sum for immediate purposes. The Treasurer had received the sum of £302 11s. Bd. from the Collector of Customs. His Honor was of opinion that the funds placed at the disposal of the Council would even, with the strictest economy, be barely sufficient to meet the salaries of necessary officers, and those officials would be necessarily underpaid. Hitherto four-fifths of the revenue had been devoted to the service of the Province: they would now have but twothirds of that amount, and an increase in the Customs' Department had been made. The only other fund at their disposal was the fund derivable from land sales. He believed there would be nothing from that source. For the last ten years all public improvements had been made at the expense of the land fund. If matters were put upon their right footing, and the settlers allowed to alter their terms of purchase, they could effect sales, and the proceeds would be applicable to local improvements ; as it was, it was hopeless to expect a fraction from that source. An imaginary boundary had been drawn of the Otago Block, and no man in his senses would purchase land at £2 or £3 an acre at a distance of 60 miles, whilst land in the neighbourhood of Dunedin could be had for 10s. The colonists should have the power which had been held by the New Zealand Company and the Association concurrently under the Terms of Purchase of 1849; they might then reduce the price to such a sum as they found rtbost advisable, and the proceeds, whatever th%- might be, would be applicable to local improvements. Under the present system of land sales, by the proclamation of the 4th March, there could be no hope of any proceeds ; they were all consumed by the cost of collection, and the unsatisfied claims on the Government in the shape of scrip. There we're however, some small sums in the shape of savings, and accumulations, amounting to £800. The estimates would be laid before the Council at the earliest possible date, but in the mean time he would ask them to vote the sum of £75, for the purpose of meeting current expenses, and a •sum of £200, to be applied in aiding the settlers who were making efforts to improve the roads. Afterwards £75 was voted by the Council to meet tlie current expenses, but on the motion of Mr. Hauris the proposition to grant £200 for the improvement of the roads was postponed.