LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, June 28, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 408, 30 June 1849, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, June 28, 1849.

The Country Roads Bill was read a third time, and passed. Mr. Seymour then moved that the bill to prevent the dog nuisance, be read a third time. Mr. Hickson moved, as an amendment, that it be read a third time that day three months. The amendment was lost, and' the bill read a third time, and passed. i The Colonial ' Secretary brought up the Report of the Committee appointed' to consider the subject or v reprhiting (VJtße;*Ordinances. The Committee recommended that of the ordinances not now in force, and such as were passed "merely for the purpose of repealing others, the titles and analysis only should be reprinted', but that all other existing oidinances should be reprinted entire. The Report was adopted. Mr. Hickson brought up the report of the sub- committee appointed to consider the best mode of levying Customs duties. The report recommended that fixed duties should be imposed on seventy- three enumerated in a schedule; being tne principal articles of consumption, and that fish oil, whalebone, and fins, arriving in foreign whalers, should be free of duty. Dr. Greenwood objected to the Council p' edging itself to the details ; he was willing to adopt the report without the schedule. The Colonial Treasurer moved that the Council do adopt the report without the schedule. Mr. Moore said that if the committee had been preparing the schedule for the purpose of arranging a scale 'of duties they would have been more careful. It was however

only intended as a suggestion. He should "wish to see the Council adopt the list of articles contained in the schedule as those to which a fixed duty was applicable, even if they struck out the column containing the rates of duty. , Dr. Greenwood objected to discriminating duties being levied upon articles from different parts of the world. He considered that a duty of 10 per cent, was as much as could be levied without the risk of smuggling. He thought that the duty was too high on. tobadco. The revenue obtained from it was falling off, and he attributed the decrease to the effects of smuggling. Mr. Hickson would remind the hon. member that it was not a question upon which that Council could legislate, it was reserved for the General Council. With respect to tobacco he thought the falling off was not on account' of smuggling but in consequence of the present high price of the article. The Colonial Treasurer's motion was put and carried. -- Dr. Greenwood then brought forwards resolution, which on a former occasion he stated it to be his intention to submit to the Councilj — - - That under an economical and well rogulated system of Government an import duty of 10 per cent, is sufficient not only to defray its ordinary current expenses but to supply funds -for the maintenance of 'roads, and the encou.jpagement of emigration. He (Dr. G.) wished to pledge the Council ■to an opinion that the revenue, if properly managed, would be sufficient for the ordinary expenditure of the Government but for other purposes, and that the cost of the roads might be paid out of the ordinary revenue. He considered the expenditure of the Province out of all proportion to its means. It was greater per head he believed than almost any other British colony, or even than that of Great Britain itself. The revenue of this Province was derived from a temporary source which might at any time be dried up, and if the Council committed themselves to the present system they might at some future time be bound to find money to keep it up. If the Government did not effect an alteration before the Counc 1 assembled another session he should feel bound to support a reduction among the clerks. His hon. friend who was absent (Dr. Monro), had on a former occasion referred to a report, which no member of the Government had contradicted, that the Go-vernor-in -Chief had recommended an in"credse'of'the Civil Last, be hoped the reportwas without foundation, but if true it would be a poor compliment to the Council, and he thought it would be a question with him whether he should not either resign, or refuse to grant one penny beyond that sum. After a short silence Mr. Hickson said he would second the resolution with a view to discussion. The Colonial Secretary said he should not vote for the resolution, because, although it might be possible tv conceive a form of government which would not cost more than the amount of the revenue, yet' if they were to have the same departments as there were in all other colonies he did not think they could do so for less than the present expenditure. He did not think the heads of departments were paid too much, and the Council had shewn by their votes that they did not consider the juniors received too much. He thought if the British Government chose to have a uniform system throughout their colonies, that it could not do so at a less cost. He would remind the hon. member also, that, if the inhabitants jof the Province were taxed at the rate of £4 a head, the Government expenditure amounted to about £20 or £30 a head. The Colonial Treasurer said it was a popular error to suppose that the tax was entirely paid by the white people, he would remind the Council that a very large quantify,, of goods was consumed by the natives. The Attorney General said he agreed with the hon Colonial Secretary, and the hon. Colonial Treasurer, more particularly with the Colonial Treasurer's remarks as to the fallacy of supposing that the Maories Were exempt from taxation. The Government expended a certain sum and then raised a sum out of it as revenue. He could see no parallel between this and the .mother country. The taxes were levied under the form of duties, because that was £he system pursued in Great Britain, and the other colonies, but in point of fact the taxes were not taxes at all, and the result would be the same if the Home Government were to give a sum and then reserve a portion of it for carrying on the Government without any taxes whatever. Mr. Hickson desired as much as any hon. member to see an economical system of government, but he thought if any hon. member pledged himself to a resolution without making himself acquainted wijh the facts of the case, he might put himself io a very inconvenient position.-

The question was then put and lost. The Lieutenant- Governor said the best answer he could make to the' remarks of an hon. gentleman respecting the Civil List, was to lay on the table two despatches addressed by Sir G. Grey to Earl Grey stating system of government he proposed to adopt for New Zealand. The despatches were read by the Colonial Secretary, and on the motion of Mr. Hickson, were ordered to be printed. His Excellency then said that the business of the session being closed, he had only to thank hon. gentlemen for their attendance, and for the zeal with which they had attended to the business before them, and to declare that the Council stands adjourned sine die.