DISALLOWANCE GOLD DUTY BILL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 282, 31 July 1874, Page 3

DISALLOWANCE GOLD DUTY BILL.

Government Memorandum. the otago gold duty. repayment ordinance. Mr. Pyke asked,. .*.'. .Whether the Government had advised the disallowance of the Otago Gold Duty Repayment Ordinance ; and, if so, whether he had any objection to lay upon the Uible of the House a statement .of. the grounds upon which the disallowance has been so advised.

Mr. Vogel replied'"that the Government had recommended the Governor to disallow the Ordinance, and it had been disallowed accordingly. He would read to the Hon. gentleman a letter sent to the Superintendent of Otago, which explained the whole circumstance. If there was any desire that it should be laid on the table, he had no objection to do so—(hear) —but it would in due course come before the House in connection with the papers relating to .the disallowance of Provincial Ordinances. When the hon. member heard that letter read, he would be satisfied that the course adopted by the Government was a right and proper one :

Colonial Secretary's Office, Welligton, 18th July, 1874. Sir,—l have the honor to inform 3'ou that the Governor has disallowed the Otago Gold Duty Repayment Ordinance, 1-574. His Excellency was advised to take "that course, because there did not appear to be sufficient provision in the Bill to prevent the repayment of gold duty being made for gold, the produce of other provinces, being shipped from Otago. Although the second section of the Bill refers to jthe gold as being the produce of Otago, the third section requires your Honor to be satisfied with the proof only of the gold being shipped from the province. Thus, inducement would be offered to transmit to Otago, for shipment, the gold produced in other provinces, thereby causing loss to their revenue. It may be doubtful whether any provision for giving a benus on gold shipped could be hedged round with sufficient prohibition to protect the interests of other provinces, but provision might be made for allowing the bonus directly to the miners on their satisfying the Warden or. other authorised officer that they obtained the gold within any district, and forwarded it to the coast for shipment. A measure of that kind, while answering /the purpose of the Ordinance lately made by the Otago Provincial Council, would be free from the great objection to which I have referred, as well as from another which might be urged against it, as being in appearance, at least an unconstitutional interference with vhe authorised taxation.—l have, &c, (Signed) Daniel Pollen. His Honor the Superintendent of Otago. In a leading article the ' Star,' a paper always true to gnldfield interests, says : '". We are not surprised at the refusal of the Governor to sanction the reduction of the Gold Duty Ordinance, which would have worked so well for the interests of Otago. Our morning contemporary, as usual purblind to its working, threw cold water upon it, and, not choosing to point out the manner in which it would work, lest jealousy in other Provinces should ensue, we refrained from comment on our contemporary's affliction, less the very ground of the arrangement being advantageous to this Province being published, should have led to its disallowance. '•■ VVe believe too Provincial Executive shared, in the blunder—a failing by no means uncommon with the present' Head of it where commercial policy, is concerned. But the fact that Otago would have reaped the benefit of the gold duty : of the Colony, as it would have been the port of export on account of the saving of sixpence per ouuee export duty, did not esqape the keen scrutiny of the General government—and on the ground of securing the gold revenues of Auckland, Nelson, and Westland to these Provinces, the Ordinance is disallowed. We have no right to grumble at this, for, strictly speaking, they are entitled to their own gold revenues ; but it is strange how keen the Government is in finding orit reasons on one side for protecting those Provinces againstOtago, and, on the other, forspending its revenues in bolstering up their stagnant industries.