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SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE GOVERNMENT.

THB AUCKLAND CASE AND SUPERINTENDENT. The following telegrams have been placed at our disposal for publication, on application to the Government ; Wellington, March 25, 1875. The Governor will be advised to make the usual delegation of power under the GoldfieJdf , and other Acts to your Honor. The Orders ' in Council can be published in the next Oazeltt. Daniel Pollen,' To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, 25th March, 1875. In the event of my accepting delegation, I have become aware that a large expenditure will be necessary in connection with new goldfields, to provide roads, bridges, and other necessary works. No revenue will be received by the province on account of Ohinemuri for a considerable time to come, and it will be necessary that such works should be undertaken forthwith. I understand that some of the works have been already begun. Will the Colonial Government place funds at my disposal for this purpose t The Hauraki district does not appear up to the present time to have had its just share of the loan moneys set apart by the Assembly for roads and works on the North Island. I consider also that to enable me to carry out these delegations, the police force should be restored to provincial control. Will the Colonial Government do this ? G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Wellington, March 27, 1875. There are no funds which can be placed at your Honor’s disposal for expenditure on public works at Ohinemuri other than those which have already been granted in aid of provincial revenue by the General Assembly. Under the Public Works Advances Act, 1874, sixtyfive thousand pounds have been authorised to be paid, and under part Y of the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1874, a sum of fifty thousand pounds is authorised to be expended in and about works on the Thames goldfields. Your Honor will be able, I hope, to find in these supplies the means of carrying on necessary works on the new goldfield at Ohinemuri. The question of restoring the police force to provincial control, is one which the Colonial Government cannot determine. Your Honor will, I think, find that the Auckland Provincial Council has persistently on many occasions negatived a similar proposal. I have replied thus at length by telegram to your Honor’s message, in order to avoid the delay of the course of post, as X am anxious that the question of the delegation of power should, in the interest of the new goldfield, be speedily settled. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 1, 1875. A consideration of the papers regarding control of police force, leads me to a conclusion opposite to yours, that “ the Provincial Council has on many occasions persistently negatived the proposal that the Superintendent should have the control of the police force." It is a power necessary to enable me to maintain the peace of the province which pays for the police. I shall feel it my duty to try to obtain such control. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Wellington, April 2, 1875. The power to terminate the existing arrangement regarding the Auckland Police Porce is in the hands of the Provincial Government. Will your Honor be good enough to say when and how you desire the change to be effected, so that the necessary preparation may be made. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Wellington, March 31, 1875. Two thousand pounds for Pumping Association and eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three for Provincial Account remitted by ■wire yesterday to Bank of New Zealand. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 5, 1875. Re your telegram of 31st ultimo, advising payment of eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three pounds to Provincial Account. I shall feel obligedif you will let me know on what account this payment was made, and whether any portion of it relates to the special allowance of twenty-five thousand pounds. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, AVellington. Auckland, sth April, 1875. Under section 2 of Provincial and Public Works Advances Act, the advance of forty thousand pounds to this province is made payable by quarterly instalments of six thousand pounds ; only two instalments of that amount received hitherto. On the 31st day of December and March last respectively, instalments became due, but instead of twelve thousand only five thousand remitted, leaving seven thousand due. This amount is now instantly required to pay provincial accounts ; and as the temporary advance authorised by your guarantee on the application of the DeputySuperintendent has now been settled with the Bank, I beg that you will cause this sum of seven thousand pounds to be placed to our credit by telegraphic advice. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, AVellington. AVellington, 6th April, 1875. Detailed account of remittance was sent by post on the 31st ult. from the Treasury here, and will be in your Honor's hands. Three instalments of £6OOO each on account of advance have been made, viz., on 27th June, Bth October, and the last due on the 31st March. I am advised that no more money than has been remitted is due and payable to the province. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 5, 1875. I have been waiting for an answer to my telegram of yesterday, requesting immediate payment of seven thousand pounds, being the balance of the forty thousand advance, payable up to date. I find that through the irregularity of the payments to the province on this and other accounts the Provincial Government has been made to incur a charge for interest upon overdraft with the Bank, and yesterday my cheque for eight thousand pounds odd was dishonored by the Bank, which might have inflicted a serious injury upon public and general credit in the province. I therefore beg for an immediate reply. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, AVellington. Superintendent’s Office, Auckland, April 5, 1875. Sir, —Adverting to my telegram of to-day’s date I have the honor to request that you will cause me to be supplied with a statement, showing in detail the payments made up to date on account of the Special Allowance of £25,000 to this province, under section 8 of the Provincial Public AVorks Advances Act, 1874. —I am, &c., G. Grey., a . To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, AVellington. Wellington, April 6, 1375. Mr. Mackay reports a discovery of gold in the Hauraki district, and urges extension of the boundaries of the existing goldfield in order to include the land on which the discovery has been made. Your Honor has not yet expressed your willingness to accept the usual delegation of the Governor’s power, as proposed in my telegram of March 25 ult. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland.

Welliuctnn, April 7, 1875. I received your Honor’s message of the sth instant on the afternoon of that day, Monday, and replied yesterday, as soon as I could obtain the necessary information from the Treasury. 1 regret the incident of the dishonored cheque for eight thousand odd, and the apparent want of confidence on the part of the Bank. Probably there wore not sufficient funds at credit of the provincial account, and your Honor’s advisers had failed to make with the manager the preliminary arrangement usual in such case. Under these circumstances, I venture to suggest to your Honor, with great respect, that the possible danger which you see in this incident of “serious injury to public and general credit ” might have been obviated by a simple expedient. This Government desires earnestly to give your Honor every possible aid in discharging" the duties of your office, if you will permit our co-operation; and, in order to provide for the immediate need of your Provincial Treasury, will at once advance the whole of the sums payable to the province during the current quarter, under the Provincial Public Works Advances Act, 1874, if you desire to have that accommodation. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 7, 1875. It is true, as your telegram states, that three instalments of £6OOO each, on account of the £IO,OOO advance, have been paid to the province in the months of January and March. By a mistake in the telegram of advice, sent from the Colonial Treasury, the last remittance was stated at five instead of six thousand pounds. We are, however, entitled not to three but four instalments, that of the 30th December or 31st March, as the case may be, has not yet been paid. There is, therefore, a further sum of six thousand pounds now due on the account. G. Gkey. To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Auckland, April 7, 1875. Re explanation of remittance of £BOOO odd requested by my telegram of sth inst. The account for February does not show the information which I require. I nosh to know the particulars of the item £6739 4s. 7d credited to the province as capitation and special allowance, and whether any portion of that item relates to the £25,000 special allowance under the Act of last session. G. Grey. i To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Wellington, April S, 1875. Officers of the Treasury insist that three instalments only of the forty thousand advance can now be due ; these have been paid. A statement of items of the “ sum of six thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine pounds four and sevenpence,” will he sent to your Honor by mail to-morrow. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Wellington, April 8, 1875. Mr. Mackay urges extension of goldfield district at the Thames. If your Honor does not object, his Excellency the Governor will be advised at once to make the necessary proclamation, which can be published in Gazette to-day. Mr. Mackay will be able to give your Honor all necessary information. ° Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 8, 1875. Re fourth instalment of £6OOO. Please look at the correspondence referred to in my telegram of this date. G. Grey. To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Auckland, April 8, 1875. I thank yon for your prompt reply to my second telegram, and am obliged by your offer of providing for the immediate wants of this Treasury. I only asked for what this province is, I believe, entitled to as of right. See your correspondence with my predecessor at Wellington in April of last year, and refer to practice pursued on this subject, from which it seems clear that fourth instalment of £6OOO was payable on the 31st March ultimo. G. Grey. To the Hon, the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. . Wellington, April 9, 1375. I have looked again at the papers on the subject of the advance of forty thousand pounds at your Honor’s request. I have also looked at the Provincial Public Works Advances Act, which I think leaves no doubt as to the will of the General Assembly in this matter. The question of “ right” which your Honor has raised being thus, I hope, disposed of, I repeat, on behalf of the Government, the offer of accommodation made in my telegram of the 7th instant. A sum of fourteen thousand three hundred and thirty-three pounds odd, being the fourth instalment of the forty thousand, and the unpaid balance of the twenty-five thousand will be remitted now, if your Honor will apply for it, as an advance of the regular payments on these accounts. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 8, 1875. In your telegram of 27th March you suggest that perhaps I may be able to find funds for the necessary public works on the new goldfield at Ohinemuri in the fifty thousand pounds advance authorised under the Loan Act, 1874. Do the words “ Thames goldfields” in section 18 of that Act mean the goldfields existing at the time of the passing of the Act, or do they include Ohinemuri or any other goldfield which may be proclaimed subsequent to the passing of the Act ? G. Gkev. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Auckland, April 8, 1875. Can you let me to-morrow morning have your answer about the fifty thousand pounds ? I think I see my way now, when this point is settled, to accept the delegated powers of the goldfields. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Wellington, April 9, 1875. Yonr Honor will, I hope, excuse me if I decline to be the interpreter of the words of The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1874. Daniel Pollen. To his ‘Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 8, 1875. Mr. Mackay explains that the Government have full power for raining, &c., over all the new portion which he wishes the Government to add to the goldfield. Subject to this explanation, I see no difficulty in the proclamation issuing. G. Grey. To the Hon Colonial Secretary, Wellington. . Wellington, April 9, 1875. His Excellency the Governor has issued a proclamation enlarging the boundaries of the Hauraki gold-mining district. A copy of the New Zealand Gazette, containing the proclamation will be transmitted to your Honor by the mail to-day. Daniel Pollen. To his - Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 9, 1875. Your telegram of this day received. I now accept the usual delegation of power under the Goldfields and other Acts, and will act in conformity with the views of the Government expressed in your telegram of March 27, regarding the expenditure of part of a sum of fifty thousand pounds. I am advised that all other funds are appropriated. 1 assume that if

it becomes necessary to do so, the Government will provide further funds to fulfil agreement with Pumping Association. G. Grey. To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington Wellington, April 10, 1875. I have just now received yonr Honor’s message of last evening. His Excellency will bo advised to make the usual delegation of powers without delay. On reference to my telegram of 27th March, I find the words used, after specifying the several suras granted in aid of the Province of Auckland by Provincial Public Works Advances Act, 1874, and the Immigration and Public Works Act, were :—“ Your Honor will, 1 hope, he able to find in these supplies the means of carrying on necessary works in the new goldfield at Ohineinuri.” I did not indicate the fifty thousand pounds vote specially as being that one from which such funds might be obtained. 1 desire to note this point, in order to correct the error into which your Honor appears to have fallen. I am not aware that the Colonial Government has entered into any agreement with the Pumping Association, or has any liability to provide “further,” or any funds for that body. The Provincial Government has entered into an agreement with the Pumping Association. The vote of the Assembly was for an advance of fifty thousand pounds to the province of Auckland, to be expended in and about works on the Thames goldfields, ’this advance will be repaid by the province. Your Honor says that you are advised that all other funds (than the fifty thousand pounds, I presume) have been appropriated. Your Honor may have been wrongly advised. There has not been a session of the Auckland Provincial Council since the twenty-live thousand pounds was granted as a special allowance, and as it was not known that such grant was to be made, the money would probably not be appropriated in anticipation by that Council. I desire strongly to save your Honor from any misapprehension on these points at this stage. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland. Auckland, April 10, 1575. It was agreed between the two Governments on the 14th April, 1874, that a first instalment of six thousand pounds should be paid iipon the passing of the Provincial Appropriation Act, and six thousand pounds every three months thereafter, until forty thousand pounds had been advanced. The total amount was to be repaid by the province ; certain provincial funds were to be retained by the Colonial Treasurer until the whole forty thousand pounds was so refunded. In fulfilment of this agreement the Appropriation Act was passed on the 17th June, 1874, the first instalment of six thousand pounds was paid on the 30th June ; the Assembly ratified this arrangement on 31st August, 1874. The second instalment fell due on the 30th September, and was paid on the 9th October, 1874 ; the 31st December passed without a third instalment of six thousand pounds being paid. I am advised that in an interview with my predecessor, about the end of January, you did not lead him tc suppose that any doubt existed that this third instalment had not then become due, and from that time the Provincial Government, in order to meet what it understood to be your wish as expressed at that interview, pressed its demand on the Colonial Government as little as possible. During the two months which followed this interview no intimation was given by you to the .Superintendent that the payment of the third instalment, due on the 31st December, was to be disputed. On the 31st March ultimo the Colonial Government made a third payment—a payment of six thousand pounds. All this in agreement and practice constituted such an undertaking between two Governments as is, I believe, always held sacred. Of the will of the Assembly we know nothing; of actual words of pledge, of securities given and accepted, of acts performed, there can be no doubt. It might be said that the will of the Assembly would be fulfilled by one penny being paid to the province every three months. I believe that by every rule of public faith this province was entitled to the payment of a fourth instalment on the 31st March ultimo. The forty thousand pounds was voted for works determined on by my predecessor, not to be applied as I may think proper. The Colonial Government is very good in offering me such large advances. I could not accept such an offer without a total sacrifice of my own independence and that of this province. I therefore, with all respect, stand on the rights of this province. If these are ignored, I shall do my duty to the best of my ability in poverty, but with independence preserved. G. Grey - . To the Hon. Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Wellington, April 10, 1875. Re offered advances, I regret very much the determination which your Honor announces. Your Honor’s predecessor (to my interview with whom you refer) never claimed, or, I think, imagined, a “ right ” to make five quarters in a financial year. We held ourselves very fortunate in being able, frankly and cordially, to co-operate with and assist him in his efforts to promote, the interests of the province of Auckland. The Colonial Treasurer will, I am sure, take great care by prompt payment to the Provincial Treasury of all moneys accruing due to reduce as much as possible the inconvenience of the situation in which your Honor must find yourself. Daniel Pollen. To his Honor the Superintendent, Auckland.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18750413.2.16

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4388, 13 April 1875, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
3,191

SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE GOVERNMENT. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4388, 13 April 1875, Page 2

SIR GEORGE GREY AND THE GOVERNMENT. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4388, 13 April 1875, Page 2

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