The Lyttelton Times

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 487, 4 July 1857, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times

Saturday, July 4. A singular rexpresssiqn has been so of't.n made use of in the Provincial Council lately, with reference to the resources of the Province, that it calls for some notice at our hands. Notwithstanding the almost lavish manner in which some votes were passed, especially at the commencement of the session, yet, towards its close, whenever any members wished to throw out a money vote, however it might redound to the credit or advantage of the province, the statement was constantly made that the province was in forma pauperis. (By the bye, grammatically speaking, what is meant by"" being in forma pauperis ?" We have heard of men defending or suing or prosecuting in a court of justice, in form A pauperis, but we never heard before of a person or a province being in forma pauperis. We presume, however, that what was meant was that we were on the verge of beggary—that is if any meaning was attached to the expression at all. Now, we think that those best acquainted with the resources ot the- province would be most astonished at hearing such a statement. On what is it based? What does it mean ? Is a country whose resources are increasing so fast that the danger lies in spending too much in proportion to the population and not too little—is such a country on the verge of beggary ? Is a country which, irrespective of any other revenue, has a landed property bringing in of itself a very large income, in a state of pauperism ? We have heard assigned asa reason for sucha statement the fact that we have already on our shoulders the Association's debt.ahd that we are about to incur -another. Have those who give such reasons taken the trouble.to inform themselves as to the state of our finances, with respect to debt ? The Revenue of the Canterbury Association's Estate is paying the interest of the Association's Debentures, and a portion even of the capital of the debt has been already paid off, without any charge on the General Revenue of the province. As to ;he debt in the future, the Provincial Government have had the authority to raise a loan for some time, but have not found it necessary, as money has lately flowed so freely into the Provincial, chest. Notwithstanding the heavy drain occasioned by the public works now going on, the balance in the chest amounts to about £5,000, and there appears at present no prospect of a serious falling off in the Revenue. We cannot emplo} more labour on public works than is employed at present, without altogether crippling the labour, market. So that, however great tiie woi'/s voted by the Council, we can see no probability of our being in what is called '-forma pauperis" for a long time to come. One source of wealth, however, we are short of, and that is labour. It is a remark-

able thing that the same. gentlemen who talk about this province being in "formd pauperis" are some of those who have morbid visions of labouring men suing in forma pauperis for relief in a country where the labouring man can command the market. Whining without a cause is disagreeable to sane lookers"on, and most nauseous to those whose case is the subject of whin- ! ing.