THE PREMIER AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF OTAGO.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 119, 11 May 1876, Page 2

THE PREMIER AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF OTAGO.

The following is^ the ' full text of S"? Julius Vogel's reply to, the last letter sent . by Mr Macandrew : — , General Government Offices, : Wellington, May 3, 1876. Sib -I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd April, in reply, to niine of the 13th. .., . 2 There are a few. points to which I think it desirable to reply; to others I do not refer, either because I consider that I have answered them by what I have already written to your Honor, or because they seem to me of a tuquoque nature, and entirely out of place in this correspondence. 3. I am not aware that in my letter td'yoii I assumed that Parliament would render the Government more support than Governments usually anticipate.. There WO uld be no Strength in any Government if fear of a minority becoming a" majority were allowed to interfere with the ordinary, duties" :of administration. I desired to represent to your Honor that as, by law.'the provinces cease toexist after next session, the General Government were performing only their duty in obtaining the information necessary to provide for the charge which will then devolve on them. ,4. /3Tou refer to my action some years ago,--when'l had the honor .to be a member of the Otago Provincial Executive. I acted then, as now, in accordance with what I believed to he my duty, and I do you the justice to believe that you are similarly actuated. As you Have twice referred to me personally, I may be allowed to say that I' continued to aid the provinces, and to believe that they might be enabled to survive, long affcei* 1 that belief was dead in the minds of some of the most acute men in New Zealand. No province has, in my opinion, more contributed to make abolition necessary than has • Otago — for it'has. refused to accept any limit to its desire to expend money. That, without the means at its command, it should have embarked in a variety of railway schemes, not content with the lines in progress from the Waitaki to, the Bluff,, from , Inv'ercargill to Kingston, and from Milton to ' Lawrence, sufficiently proves -the necessity for the check the Assembly has imposed. NoKdoes ' I it appear to have been done too soon; for 1 notwithstanding-; the largeness of your Honor's views as to. Otago's capabilities, the' fact is. that, in order to find means for meeting the expenses of the next six months, your Honor's Government have; had to at-, tempt to make land sales of :a most object tionable nature* I refer to the sales proposed to. be j made to runholders, . without competition, in defiance, as I am advised, of the intention of the law, and which, I feel., bound to inform your Honor, the Government would have taken means to prevent, but for the conviction that the Waste Lands . Board' would do so. . . .. , „:.., 6. Your Honor's opinion of the manner in which the Provincial Government carry o\it their public works is entirely different • f rrihr ' that which we are to arrive at from the information at the command of the Government. That information is to the "effect that the provincial railways, have been' very imperfectly constructed. . . ' 6. I regret that your Honor should venture to make such an assertion as to the cost of the Clutha railway. The Government have in their service several engineers of standing and long experience. There is no engineer in the employment of the province , whose opinions are entitled to equal weights Persons may always) be found . ready to express opinions; but I should have

£ -\ \ • 1 thdughtfthati Otago jhad, from the want of c^petent en*gin6erißgj skiljj\sufEered quifcej ehoagh to irake its cautious a|j; to assailmg the wjorkiof mejrpf experience, j^. 1.7; Ybil cectainly do 'hqt'Trightly interpret nyr; n^eahing-^in supposin^' ? that I said our : '| politer instituiiionSj^re" to be influenced! by in*one7 lenderst :Cl '" 7 i : 'ttiink the passage ifj which you rafer clearly enough expressed my meaning, that the colony should not commit itself to the expenditure of borrowed money in excess of the amount which those to whom*. it- looked. for. tjiQ. money were, \willin^tQ /supply,'!; [j-g 4, | g .v g. -Your Honor's idea of '-making Otago* an independent colony is impossible of realisation, foifcunately for the people of that "p'roTince; "Who cer tainly * would . • not "* gain-byr the proposal, which, as I have already pointed out, would mean .centralized pdwerJigL Duiie^ din, and financial difficulties oi a Very grave* , character.^ _... ,„. .... „,._.. _^~ .^.^.^ -, #, jThe subsidy proposed to be given to PjibMiu wijl not injurejth'e country districts; •it%ill be more" than by the savings -incidental/to doing away. with-the Provincial., ,GW-nm!enky / ! ( } t'-fl /[( -O'LJ 16. I cannot accept your "Honor's version* of the. meaning of abolition; Jaml you will forgive me for saying nothing but very strong strong foregone conclusions, could^ I think, make you: persist in your opinions, in the ■ face of the information wtijch has been afforded to you. - J should be most happy to jcirculaj^the !BiUs^.\Yhich,\will r embody the policy; bf ;ihe Government, tiut they are not fully prepared. Sufficient, Tfowevei 1 , has been decided to enable me, to convey to your Honor a very 1 clear idea of the measures the Government propose to -introduce in- connection with "abolition. Some of ..the Retails may;be modified; butl think the particulars which I am able to give will convince you that nothing approaching to such a thoroughly localised system of government has yet found place in the colony. V . •""'; '<T'\f ' 11. Provincial Councils \ and. Superintendents we do not' propose in any shape to perpetuate -or to reproduce; and various departmental services, such as gaols, hospitals, and administration of harbors, &c, we propose to carry on as. we do the Post Office, and Telegraph departments. 12. We intend to introduce a Bill regula- , ting the election of local bodies, its provisions : being ' made >: applicable: to municipal, road board, county education board," and other elections. Such a measure will enable the Bills by which it will be sought .Jbo-constitute, 'andempoAver these bodies, to be kept 'free' from much confusing repetition. :: 13. .We propose a! general valuation Bill —-that is, a measure which will provide a uniform system of valuing property,and ftre'paririg ratepayers' rolls throughout She country, for boroughs, road boards and counties; ; - .This; valsof ;while " simplifying the measures relating to those bodic, will pro~vide"a uniform system which is much wanted. Your v'Hono'r may have obs rved that a not dissimilar Bill has been submitted to v the Imperial Parliament during the present, session. ' ' " ' " J " ' 14. We propoßO to submit a Bill to consolidate the existing municipal laws, simplified as already described, but "which will contain provisions to enable corporations to borcaw, not dissimijsr from Mr." Balance's Bill of lajit'' year; with the exception tnaVthi purr/oses for 1 which borrowing is to he permitted will be ; more clearly defined. The road districts we dj not intend to ask Parliament to legislate about this session, excepting to the extent already described. To ; provide for the iocai" charge of education, we propose to introduce' a Bill .-• to continue in. exißtence 'f th^ '^rtsent Education Boards until February next elected board*, with a small nominee element, being substituted after that dste. The entire control of primary education, and of/ $tae Reserves for such education, we propose to vest in these 'boards. It will be the duty of the boards to continue in each province the system legalised by existing provincial law"*!' There will be one difference— for tHeibill w«ll provide that the inspection of schools shall be under the control and management of the Colonial Government. We contemplate making provision for doing, away with educa? tion rates, and also with fees in . primary' schools, whilst we propose that education" shall be made compulsory. . ; , .'.''•! : . ''"= - r 15. The leading features of the jcbuntj? ,bjbtem we desire, hare alreidy been explained! , We propose that the cpuntrr, . exclusive, of towns, shall be divided into count{ep, governed, by elective bodies, endowed ;With.,vpry f cpnsiderable revenues* an^ charged with carrying { out large public works. ; .Tbe'counties'wjiljfeer distinct from the road boara.distnctfc excepting that, in a few instances, where th'ediatrlots are already of great extent, an option will perhaps be given to them become counties, and thus > to merjie into one the revenues of the two bodies. The present Waste Landßßoards we prijpose'tb continue ■for' : a"' time ; but we hope to provide at np.distant date for the addition of the elective element to them. We do not, propose to interfere with' the land laws, excepting • ttiat' we riiay ask the Afßembly to consider the expediency of increasing the upset price and enlarging: the facilities for obtaining land on deferred pnyaients. -The .lunatic asylums we propesa to* «ceep;under the direct control of thje:GsV;eirnment, with the aid of local boards nominated by the Governor. A .qualified Inspector in Lunacy has been selected at Home, and will, I expect, phortly, arriv,* •in -jthe, colony. , -We propose to devolve the charge of other ciiaritable institutions on the authorities of the municipalities and the counties within which they are situated, giving r .jpo those locr\ bodies a power* of /placing,' the : 'iQsl|tnlion|Jn the hands of special committees or trustees. We regret that in .some parts v of the country ;thfeSe, institutions are bow purely Government ifi-i stitutions ; and we think larger opportunities for I.he exercise of voluntary benevolence should be afforded The railways, ns has been stated already, -we propose shftll pass into the entire charge and control of the Colonial Government ;■ Abundant reasons for 1 this necessity hive been shown. y> '^ ' '" r--16. I desire, for obvious reason?, not to anticipate the Financial Statement; but I will not shrink from giving yonr Hpnor,some r particulnrs/ We propose to introduce -'a ßi 11 providing for the disposal of the land revenue This ditposal will be of a thoroughly local character; exqeptin? that we shall submit for the consideration of the Assembly the alteVnativebf a gradually diminishing contribution' from the land revenue to meet jthe interest on railways/rather than to provide this payment from an income and a property tax/ 1 As- we are not willing that interest on railways: in : course of construction should, be met out of, borrowed inofaey, the revenue must inVpply the means for paying such interest. From the first the land revenue which has benfltted so largely from the! railways,: should "hive provided this interest. It, wi|l t be f for .theAssembly now to consider ., whether, jfche'.un-'. »old ; lands or the' sold lands and 'c'urreW revenue shall supply the anoount required. Whilst otherwise we propose to thoroughly localise the laud revenue, we ali>o intend that, road- districts and counties shall be guaranteed' by the Consolidated Bevenue the receipt of their appointed subsidies; l irrespectif c of whether or npt.the land revenue of ,the, particular provincial district supplies 'for the time being the necessary amount. 1 7. Your Honor will, I hope, consider that in the particulars I have given you I have not displayed undue reticence. I shall be glad to find that these particulars win you to support' ' the policy they embody; and Ifeel sufficiently assured of your Honor's generosity to believe that you will not object to being the medium of disseminating throughout Otago information which I confidently believe will more' tban satisfy everyone in the ,pfovince v whb is

k no M£ e J^ dic £y! e y on< i the,possibilitV of exetfoi6in> frb«a^*m^i>f x juigr&nX At Cany &&> j the* InforAaJioii ■% have, givra you wiU un^ef ■ ce i*s thoae^n ihg pr-MnCej#|o are opposing H i a^-9l| ion under k|totaymißapprehensip% of iti., ! nature, aiM opthe clrosegXences sffiich wii£| \fqlUiV it.^o|Pe nni%it3^f Wfeopie.oif Ofgo, what we nbw proposeNffili" mean the realization of the aspirations of many years. 18. I reciprocate, your Honor's kindly remarks. I hope I have not said anything calculated to cause you personal annoyance; 3 an 4- J^. -fully recognise, even were I unable Jo |agreelwithV>u, your Honor's p'ttblic-lpiritea MJesFreLto-'prorr-ote the advancement of-Oiagb and New Zealand. Were you a member of the Oolonial Government for three months, I -.am -convinced -you would cease to doubt-the-necessity of upholr^ng the law which has decreed jthe abolition'of the provinces. I have, &c , i Bis Honor t the Superintendent -•-- --! xU —^of otagbr— —->' --^ *■ j. ,t>^/ J .r;,:.ry v;-.;v<