New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1871. THE WEEK.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 46, 9 December 1871, Page 10

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1871. THE WEEK.

At public meetings,held first at the Hutt and Rangitikei, and more recently at Manawabti and the Taratahi, strong resolutions were

passed against the assessment clauses in the District Highways Act. That act was also objected to on account of the districts it constituted being by far too large. But those favorable to that act have also good grounds for complaining of the delay which is being allowed to take place in putting the rating machinery it provides into operation. Naturally the question is one of great interest to country settlers ; but probably neither those opposed nor those in favor of the Provincial Act are aware liow its provisions have been affected by the legislation of the General Assembly. The Highway Boards Act modifies and overrides the appeal and rating clauses in the District Highways Act. When the former measure was passing through committee, in the Legislative Council, the Hon. Mr Waterhouse moved the following proviso to the clause relative to appeals to the Resident Magistrates Court : —"Provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise the levying of any. rate exceeding the equivalent of a rate of five per centum upon the annual value of any property, or one penny per pound on its value for rate ; and any rate imposing a contribution upon any property in excess of such amounts, shall, upon appeal, be reduced to such equivalent. This proviso was carried on a division by seventeen to one, the Hon. Mr Sewell being the only member who voted against it. It will be recollected that a similar proviso at the instance of the same gentleman, and by the vote of the same chamber, was inserted in the Validation Act of the preceding session, which had the effect of upsetting nearly the whole of the road boards in the province of Wellington} until the Provincial Council came to the rescue by simply determining not to adopt the proviso. While on this subject, it is worth noting that in 1662 the Lords returned a Highways Bill with amendments containing two provisoes concerning the erection and repairing two bridges. These provisoes were disagreed to by the Commons ; and it was ordered, “ That it bo insisted on, for a reason of the dissent of this House to these provisoes, because the provisoes are to lay a charge on the people, which ought not to begin with the Lords, but in this House ; and, although it be but a part of the kingdom, yet by the same reason it may be extended to the whole. Upon a conference, the Lords gave way.” In the foregoing instance the Lords were for imposing burdens upon others l in the colonidl case they were careful to prevent the imposition of burdens upon themselves, and in neither instance were they justified in stepping out of their own province to protect their own personal interests.

It will be seen from a report inserted elsewhere that the Wairarapa people have been the first to hold a public meeting in this province with reference to the proposed rail way j as they were the first to hold a public meeting to express their approval of the public works policy of the Government. They appear to have lhade out a good which we have no doubt will receive the consideration it deserves at the hands of the Government. It appears probable that the example set on this subject by the people of Greytown will be followed by other districts interested in the subject. A correspondent, to whom we have been indebted for some valuable suggestions, but who is of too sanguine a temperament to be always a safe guide, has pointed out to us that, notwithstanding the unimpressible character of the Wellingtoniaus, he is not surprised to learn that they have been so pleasurably excited on hearing of the early commencement of the railway ; as it will prove of immense advantage to them by the facility the railway will afford of getting away at any moment for

a short period from a town, closely surrounded by hills, to an open country. Ho adds, that he cannot conceive anything that will afford greater relief to the miud, and increase the contentment of residents in town. We, ourselves, have heard that travellers by coach on arriving at Feathersfcon—the opening of the plains of the Wairarapa—have been so excited with viewing the comparatively level landscape stretching out before them, being so different a prospect to that they had been * accustomed, that, notwithstanding the bracing air of the Rimutaka, they had no appetite for dinner. But we hardly think it was any such anticipations that created the pleasurable excitement referred to. We think that originated in the conviction that the Wairarapa railv.’ay would supply that open country to the port which had been hitherto denied it » and that they contemplated this triumph of art over nature rather with a view to profit than to pleasure. It is well, however, to look at the subject from this point of view, and to reflect that this railway will render Wellington a more pleasant, as well as a more profitable, place to live in than has heretofore been the case. Out of 250,000 people in New Zealand there are some 100,000 under 15 years of age. Probably no population ever before had so large a number of young people in proportion to tlio whole. In less than ten years they will make an addition to the working population of 50,000. These, with the aid of the immigration and public works policy of the Government, and the facilties for employment and production wdiich the railways will afford, will render our productive powers at least fourfold what they are now. Herein is found the guarantee for the payment of interest on ou P loans, and not in any cunning contrivances which the wisdom of Parliament may devise for the purpose. Complaint i 3 made against the Legislative Council that it always favors the landed or squatting interest, and that complaint is well founded. Put it is urged that the adoption of the elective principle would remedy the evil ; bub this would not necessarily be the case. The Upper House in Victoria is an elected chamber, and only the other day these elected members ejected two important measures passed by the Legislative Assembly regarding fencing and impounding, to the injury of the working settler, and for the purposo of protecting their own interests. In speaking of these measures, and of the conduct of the membei’3 of the Legislative Council regarding them, Mr Duffy, the Chief Secretary, said, “ These two measures have come back to their chamber deprived of all their leading principles. They afford no longer any protection to the working settler ; and these changes have been made by gentlemen who are pastoral tenants or large landed proprietors, and I repeat it is not the right of any Legislative Chamber to protect their own pastoral interests by power conferred upon them for public purposes. Is there apia to choose between this elected and our nominated chamber P