The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 353, 19 March 1856, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Wednesday, March 19, 1856. Provixciax eegislatiox is growing a pace. Our several local codes bid fair, at no very distant period, to rival in bulk and complicity that amazing collection of statutes so perplexing to the lawyers, and so hopelessly incomprehensible to the good people of England.

Our Provincial Councillors appear determined to lose no chance of inflicting upon us laws remedial, laws penal, and laws anticipatorial. Of this latter class is the Roads Bill, now in committee of the Provincial Council of Canterbury. It appears to be a bill made and provided in anticipation of wants and difficulties, which may at some future perio:! exist.

The obvious policy of the promotion of this Roads' Bill, was to shift off the shoulders of the Provincial Government the onus of providing out of the Provincial Treasury the means, wherewith to make and repair all roads and drains in the province.shouid there be a failure of ordinary revenue. A majority of the Council, although countenancing the initiation of a system of direct taxation, yet by their material amend - ment of a clause which embodies the whole policy of the measure, entirely destroy the. only chance of \ its operating with any practical advantage to the public Having spoilt the only really useful and valuable clause by expressly excepting main roads and drains, it remains to inquire' what is to be gained by making the remainder of the bill law. It would then appear (should the bill be consistent in all its folio win • clauses with those already amended) to be merely intended to legalise voluntary taxation for the purpose of making and repairing bye-roads, minor drains, &c.

Now it really seems to us that the capability of the Province in any one of the proposed districts is altogether inadequate to the task, and we very seriously apprehend, great dissatisfaction must speedily follow' any attempt to put such premature legislation into practical operation. We think the machinery of this hill too tpouderuus for ilii} tiny interests it is to govern. Had it been sought to raise money' by the means proposed, in order to construct and repair the great main roads of the Province, th • rapid pru^res.siun and good repair of which are among the safest guarantees of our prosperity and advancement, there might have been some show of cause for its introduction. But years* must necessarily elapse

before the circumstances of this Province need so crushing an accession to its already very numerous salaried establishmentindeed it will be found that this bill must be the means of great, and unnecessary waste of valuable time and money, should it unfortunately become law. In order to test the probable advantage of such a bill, we must balance the utmost profit resulting from the wisest exercise of the powers put into our hands against the expense of setting the machine in motion. We will assume that ihe bill is made law; districts are constituted: and at great sacrifice of time and expense the Rate-payers are enrolled, and have proceeded to the election (in the burlesque form prescribed) of their way wardens, and i■ t a determination to do something plucky voluntarily taxed .selves to the top of their limit.

Matters being thus all ready for action, we must now enquire what is to be done with all the money ? We will suppose a particular district, containing for instance, say 10,000 acres, and the one shilling per acre tax upon which has realized £500, which is to be spent in making the byeroads and smille.r drains, and repiiring the same. We now ask, will our waj warden -work in the thorough-paced style required by the Biii, without payment? No.

The va ious duties and responsibilities put upon the Way warden, necessitate his being a man of intelligence and some standing in his district. And. such a man will not give his services to the public at less than their market value. We must certainly reckon on being called upon to pay our Way warden £ 150 or £100 per annum. We will take the last named sum ; we must next provide for his uflice^disbursemeuts, the expenses attending meetings of rate-payers, elections, advertising, &c. amounting at the least, to £50 more ; the annual cost of his working plant, another £50; leaving £300 to provide all necessary timber, &c, and to pay his labourers. Considering the present prevailing and the probable future price of labour, he cannot possibly venture beyond a standing force of two men ; for as there exist no chance of our getting good labourers at less than from eight to ten shillings per day. the few pounds remaining after they are paid, will amount to no more than a wise aid provident provision for unforeeen accidents, a few fret of timber occasionally. &c. and so our district revenue is exhausted. After convulsing (he whole Province as per Roads Bill directed ; after having established districts, rate payers, returning officers, district electoral rolls, elections of Waywardens, and appointed rate-col-lectors : after having sorely troubled many honest men with matters sadly inconvenient, irksome, and unprofitable, we have at length succeeded in nvirshalling into the field, our Way warden and his two men.

Surely this farce is not to be acted out. Are we not legislating in advance of our requirements? Are we not fitting ourselves with a garment much 100 large and heavy for our infantine proportions? We really do not believe in the present necessity for any measure of the kind now before the Council, and we are assured that the majority of our readers'will join in the opinion that the introduction of the proposed Roads Bill is a marked exhibition of the mischievous tendency to legislate in advance ol actual requirements, too generally characteristic of our Provincial Councils.