The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SKFTEMSKR 19. 1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 226, 19 September 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SKFTEMSKR 19. 1873.

Ix rejecting tho Provincial Loans Bill tho Legi.-dative Council has undoubtedly taken a bold step, hut .'Sit: majority .-rgainat tbe sfoouil reading ia ao largo that we cannot but {hick that some good reasons must havo been urged {'or negativing it. With nothing hut brief telegrams to keep us informed of the progress of events ia Wellington, and beirg quite unaware of the arguments made use of in the Upper House against tho Bill, we are unable to form an opinion as to which side had tho belter of tbe discussion. Tha matter, however, being one possessing much interest for tbo public, wo telegraphed io a friend iv Wellington, asking him to give us ri fair and impartial idea, of thy state of public opinion there upon a sul-ject of so much importance. Id reply wo received the message which will be found below. For our own part, although ns a rub?, we havo »rave objections to theUpp-r Ilouve taking upon itself to reject a measure of this description after it has been agreed to iv the House of Representatives by a large majority, we are disposed on the present, occasion to endorse the verdict of the Council. By those, who are in favor of tho Bill it ia alleged that the members of that body havo not been actuated by entirely disinterested motive?, but that their decision has been kfluenced by purely personal considerations. In other words it is said that the Council, being composed principally of landed proprietor?, has rejected the measure, because those who possess large properties would be liable to heavy special rates in the event of Provincial loans !>eiu<» raised. It matters not what, the motives were, so that the action taken was ju-«tifLb!c, and we are iticiintd to side with those who consider that no harm will be done by the postponement of the proposed order of things for a time, whereas much confusion might have been caused had the Bill come into force at once. Ar, the time of writing, we are quite unaware of the ccuise tha Government intend to pursue, but shall probably hear before the day is over. Meantime, we give the telegram to which wo have referred: —

" Opinions differ according to party feeling. Those who are opposed to the Bill uphold the Council for exercising th'ir proper functions iv throwing it out. They consider that no iueouveoience will be occasioned to the Colony by the measure being postponed ior a year. Cn tho contrary, they thick it will be an advantage, io wait until more labor is available for carry iDg out the various public works low being undertaken by tho colouy, whereas, if the Provinces obtained their loans immediately, the General and Provincial Govemmrnts would soon be competing in the labor market for m.°n to complete their works, thereby making those works very costly. They also consider that the colony would stili be liable for tbe debts idcui red by tbe Provinces, notwithstanding all the precautions taken in the Bill to prevent it. On the other blind, the Council is blamed for not allow iug .'he second reading after the Bill ban passed the House of Representatives by so large large a majority, especially as it is a conservative measure, the object of it being to place the borrowing poweis of Provinces upon a property defined footing, aud under certain lijied restrictions. It is thought that there are too many J.-irge landed proprietors in the Council who have taken alarm lest their estates should be made liable to be rated under the Bill, and consequently the blame falls chiefly upou them for the action the Council has taken. The Government have not yet decided what course of action to adopt, aud have called a meeting of the supporters ot the Bill for to-morrow (this day) to consider what steps it is advisable to take."