DEBATE ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 10, 9 July 1870, Page 2

DEBATE ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

(bt. electric telegraph.) Wellington, July Bth, 4.45 p.m. Mr. Richmond opened the debate last night. He alluded more particularly to the Public Works and Immigration scheme, the principle of which he fully recognised, but argued that the experience of other colonies proved that tbe Government scheme was far beyond the resources of New Zealand. He also showed that the reveuue to be ; -.derived from the railways must not be expected to pay off the capital, but merely the working expenses of the lines. _ y; Mr. Travers followed. He also opposed the Government scheme. - [The above did not reach us uijtii too late for insertion iv our last night's issue.]

A Contradiction. — The chief Taipara |has written a letter to the Thdmes Advertiser, strongly denying the statement recently made, that the money paid by the Shortland leaseholders went to purchase guns and ammunition for Te Kooti. Taipari says the author of the statement ought to bear in mind the ninth commandment. The Pastoral Times, an Australian, paper, publishes thefollowiug rather queer announcement under the heading of deaths : — " Charley Wombee.^— Ou Sunday, the 12th instant, at Barratta, Charley Wombee, Kingof Mattengutteu. aman, who although thought to bo an ignorant savage, was possessed of good qualities, thoroughly honest and straightforward in iall dealings, ! aud oup to whom, it is hoped, Grod will, say at the Judgment Day-'-Thou goodand trusty servant, enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He was followed to the grave by the whole family of the proprietor of the station, thereby proving the estimation they held him in whilst living." The Post thus.comments on Mr. Rey-.' nolds' scheme for Insular separation, in connection with which he has placed a series of resolutions on the Order Paper : — " To gain notoriety, Mr. Reynslds is actiug correctly; to gain reputatiou, is for him impossible. No one who had a reputation to lose, or who aimed at making one could have been so foolish as to give notice of such motions, or, having done so, could expect anything better than to be laughed at for his pains. We are really sorry for Mr. Reynolds, who every session contrives to make himself look small in the eyes of every member iv the House. We feel for him, for it is painfully evident that he longs for influence and power. But we pity his constituents still more. Powerful,? numerous, wealthy, and influential, they have to see themselves miserably represented; they have to put up with a Reynolds. The number of deaths that have taken place in Melbourne lately by accident, murder, and suicide is something fearful, 'and is thus commented on- by the Age of 27th uit ; — Our life for the. last few days seems to have become a hideous, confused, and chaotic mass of tragedy. Now murder, vow suicide, now death by rashness iv mine and field. Always death, and violent death. No pause in the sweep qf his scythe, uo more change in him to-day than there was yesterday. To look over the columns of our paper to-day is a solemn, almost au awful task. Tragedy follows tragedy so closely that one wonders when the dire story .is to end, when Ytbere is to come a peace which shall be lasting. What will drive the spectre which seems 1 ' to sit in our midst, which weighs down our hearts, and, . as", it would seem, crushes out our best aud .dearest life from our presence ? Who knows ? there is a vital and terrible canker J at the root of our social. life pomewbererf-rrthat no one can deny. It wants some skilled" surgeon to probe its depth. Whp ban L j3o it? Colonial Steel. — Some exceedingly interesting experiments,; sayer -the Melbourne Age, have been made atLangland's Foundry in' smelting the Taratiaki sand, into crude steel or steely iron 1 . One experiment resulted iv 7 ozs _ of , iron being produced from smelting 27 ozs of the natural fluxing matter fouud on the spot with tbe sand, a- result, it must be stated,? which w_.s.obtained in spite ;of the crucible used beiug defective. 01 ? 1 time . to tim , e experiments have been m^e with this titanic iron sand, but-although-lt-Hps been made into the finest cast-steel known by a crucible process, it was found -impossible to effect similar results in a regular blast furnace so as to produce the metal on a large scale. This difficulty has now been overcome, and was practically and clearly demonstrated by the pateutees, Messrs. Atkinson and Henochsberg, who, it appears, have succeeded in . effecting a complete separation of the , metal from simple flux, and these gentlemen cau boast of beiug the discoverers of the simplest and most valuable method of making steel in one process. It is on account of the ore being free from impurities, such as sulphur, phosphorus, &c, that it is said to rank above auy knowu mineral of the kind. Perhaps an opportunity wili be afforded the Victoiiau public of having an interest in tbis important discovery, wheu another Sheffield may be formed in the south; aud railway carriages run on colonial made cast-iron rails.

I Why are our iron-clads like unmarried ladies ? Because they are open to ah engagement.

The following iettv addressed to the Canterbury Flax Aviation, was read from Captain Calder,\ 0 f the steamship Omeo : — " Steamship \ m eo, Lyttelton, 25th June, 1870.— E. K c haadson, Esq., Christchureh.,— Dear Sir-^ith reference to the conversation I had v_th you about the suitability of rope mat) from New Zealand flax for the rigging\f vessels, I may inform you that, while 6^ef officer, we had some 2i\ inch rope iy use for more thau two years for buntliue\ for the foresail. I consider the New Zealand rope superior to auy other for running g-V, on account of its extreme pliability iv all weathers. — I am, yours truly, George , Calder,, Master, s.s. Omeo. Our Coal Fields. — Amotion of Mr. Stafford's in the House of Representatives for a return. of the quantity and value of coal imported into the colouy since 1840, gave rise to a long and intetesting discussion, and the resolution was, ou Mr. Macahdrew's suggestion, amended, so as to •include .the names, situation, &c, of all New Zealand coalfields, together with the price at which such coal is sold at the pits. Mr. Stafford called attention to the immense quantity pf money sent out of the colony for au article which we ourselves possessed in abundance, and "of the best quality. Mr. Travers, supporting the motion, reasoned that the neglect of the development of the mineral resources of the Colony was due to Provincial institutions, the Provinces desiring to make a revenue out of the mineral lauds, and only allowing them to be worked on terms which capitalists would not enter on. This raised a perfect storm of Provincialism, aud champion after champion rose to pour floods of indignation on the devoted head ot the member for Cbristchurch. Mr. Fitzherbert said .the neglect of the colony in developing its mineral resources was due to a want pf population to work those resources profitably, and at a rate which would pay. Mr. Macfarlane said the reason the New Zealand, coalfields were uot worked more extensively, was in consequence ofthe very inferior quality of the coal, which was ouly worth about half of what Newcastle coal was. This statement was challenged by Mr. Fox, Mr. Hall, Mr. W. H. Harrison, and many other gentlemen, who quoted incontestable proof that as good coal could, be obtained to any extent in this colony as could be obtained in any part of the world. The motion was agreed io. : ; ■ Payment ,of Members.— The ..y Helton Times, in commenting apon Mr. Cracroft Wilson's. proposal for doing away with thepayment of members, says : — To carry out Mr. Wilson's proposal would be simply to turn the House of Representatives into a rich man's club, a consummation that would suit Mr." Wilson and men of liis Stamp iv more ways than one. If aoy change is to be made it should be iv quite another direction. By increasing the pay* of members, the country would obtain & wider choice of representatives, and therefore ensure a better, selection, and by decreasing .the salaries of the Executive, a strong temptation to fight for oflice would be removed. The changes we have indicated would decidedly tend in the direction of.good government." The Times is perfectly correct iv saying that by increasing the pay of members the country would obtain a wider choice of representatives, but fails to show that those who, would thus be brought in within the enlarged circle would be, desirable acquisitions as members, and apparently ignores the fact that, instead of a rich man's, the House of Representatives might be made a poor man's club. While objectiug to offering auy temptation to fight for office by paying large salaries to the members; of the Executive, our contemporary seemsto approve of the idea of making the honorarium to be paid to members a prize tobe sought after by the needy adventurer.. We should be sorry to see the honorarium altogether dona away with, as we believe ttiat by so, doing many very useful men rniy;ht be shut out of our legislative bodies, but auy proposal to raise it above the £7 per week at present paid to the members of the. General Assembly must, we feel sure, appear highly objectionable io all those who are not desirous of seeing our Parliament converted into a refuge for tlte destitute. The Rev. Wm. Taylor, of California, is vow on a visit to the Ovens district, aud preached iv the Wesleyan Church, Beechworth, on Sunday. On Friday morning wheu he wanted to start by the coach from Melbourne for Beeohwonb, he found:

that every place was already taken; but being determined to keep his engagement, offered, it is said, £30 for a buggy to take him up. His offer was not accepted, but he succeeded in getting a passenger to give up , his seat ou paying him £10 premium. It is very .rarely, certainly, that sensational . preachers are so determined not to disappoint their congregations. For remainder of News see Fourth page.