NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5123, 24 August 1877, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH.

AUGUST, 1877.

for transmission hy the P.M.C.S. City of Sydney, fxv\n Auckland, on the 27th August, to via San Franoiscoc ‘ - Since the publication of our last summaryfair progress-has been mado : by New Zealand’s Legisl at ureinParliamentasseinbled-/ and doubtless still more would have been done but. for the time occupied "by the Opposition in' making long speeches against the Ministry, and endeavoring (unsuccessfully) l l6‘ turn them out. If they were'better organised, and had a. leader whomthe majority of the Assembly would follow, they might have a better chance; but' it is evident that they have neither, and by having shown their weakness iri‘ these respects they have strengthed the position . of the Ministry. Some strong opposition was offered to the Native Lands Court Bill introduced by the Government,;'-in: which 1 -several memi bers who usually support the Ministry joined, on the ground; that it would tend to throw the lands'bf : the natives into the hands of large speculators, and shut out the agricultural settlers of, small means—a class of persons wlibrii it is most desirable to see absorbed into the,permanent population of the country.; (■ Considerable, dis-; cussion ensued, and ultimately the Bill was discharged', from the Order Paper to enable the:-. Government to give effect to anamendmentproposed by Mr. Baelance, that the Bill should be withdrawn with a’ view to T its- 1 being altered. The Government intend to bring in an amended Bill next session,'and in tha meantime to get an enactment passed .prohibiting all pri-.i vatedealing withhativelartds'nntil the end of the next session of -Parliament. Considerable discussion has also taken place on the question of altering .the . incidence of taxation. On a motion that the House go into Committee of Supply, Mr. -Woolcock movedi an that* the time ' had arrived when a charigb'dn theHncidence of taxation of the colony was necessary. The Hori: Mr." Bowen said that the Government fully recognised that the, time had arrived‘when the whole question should be considered,.'and -they wquld, consider the' subject-with' a 'view to, the, preparation ..of‘. proposals next .sessiopv: He moved as an amendment, that, 1 in the opinipn.of -the. House, ••the:{incidence ■ of taxation i should be so decided as -to impose on property a fair share of the burdens entailed on the-colony by the expenditure,: on public works, .arid, thereby afford means' for the ‘ reduction of ‘ the taxes on. necessaries; and • that the finan-, cial proposals of the Government should embody this principle.,..The.'Matter, at, the time is still (pfactidally under discussion. On the 31st ,ult,the f Colonial Treasurer made his Financial Statement,, which was of ‘a most satisfactory' nature, utterly refuting the prognostications of the Opposition journals. "The--colony commenced the year with a credit balance of £148,000,.. delayed 'partly 1 from‘'-‘in>, creased revenue, and- partly. from .savings; upon votes.' 5 ‘The''revenue for. the' past year exceeded that of the previous twelve months by ..the largq^sum.of£23BiPOO... These are' facts worth any. quantity of arguments,-,, and-are mostfgra.tifyingp.tt}-, record. To' supply funds/ for-/necessary, public works, and to take up guaranteed" debentures, a tWomilhonloanispfopdaediß The Treasurer showed how thisloari could" be reduced to £l,2oo,ooo,butlhe - -also pointed out how unadvisable. ,it would! be* to dispose of our guaranteed debentures' in order to effect this reduction. ' He further argued that by reducing ,theproposedexpenditnfe bn public'works by one-half no appeal to the London money market need bo. made for trie;,next: eighteen: months ; but he very properly declined to, 1 ad rise the. House to: adopt thati course. Consistent with due economy, our works rnust be pushed ahe.id, : and as the credit of the colony is sound in the Lonpon market, there ' need be no apprehension of aroonrit.i The Statement j-tyas a simple andfejear, one, was well received by the House,and is calculated to inspire additional? confidence in the country’s :resources”and pro--

gress. , >■_- ‘’ During. the ■ month two “wrecks" have taken place, particulars of which,will be found in another portion of our columns; one, the Queen Bee, on Cape Farewell Spit, Nelson, at, midnight .on .tfye 6th inst.j and the other ,of fhe barqpe Robin a Dunlop,, which occurred suhse-, qnently at Turakiria. In the formericase;: an investigation has been held, and the captain’s certificate'has been suspended for three years. An inquiry into the circumstances connected with, the loss of the 1 itter vessel will be held to-morrow.' 1

There has not been much business calling for remark in our Law Courts lately, blit on Monday a trial of a, somewhat peculiar character will commence, and will probably last some time. A portion of the evidence has been taken by commission in. Napier, where over'a.'fort-': night was spent on this part of the proceedings. It is an action for libel brought by the Hon. Henky Russell against the editor and publisher of the Waha‘' 3£aori •newspaper, which is brought out under tin; auspices of the Government, who may tm said to be the real defendants. Pending the issue of the trial, it would not. be right to say anything a's to the merits of the case, although a good deal has been said respecting thern iri the Assembly. The leading lights; of our local bar, kith supplementary counsel ’ from other parts of the colony, fire engaged in it., and it promises a harvest to them, whatever its results may be to the’parties to the suit.- • ■ ! .v ■ ;t /;r- T'::

Several of the new buildings now in cnnr«o of erection in Wellington are rapt.lK' approaching completion, and will add considerably to the attractive appearance of this rapidly increasing and flourishing c itv. Amongst these'may be mentioned the new Club House,on_the. Jemice, Australian" Mutual Provident Society’s ..dices (a remarkably handsome Building), the Athenreum, and the new Theatre in Tory-street. Private ' houses are also springing up in all direotions; and land suitable for building purposes is in great demand. Yesterday, a . sale of the township of KiUdrpie, Evans Bay, was held at Mr. Pu.was’b auction rooms,;when very large prices were’realised’. This property; when put. into the matket a year or two. ago could not find a purchaser; now itis eat/erly competed for. 1 1 ' 1 ' J.n the way of amusements Wellington has been well off lately. The Theatre Itond, the Odd Fellows’ .Hall -(where i& diorama, of the American war is being exhibited), and the Skating Rink, are open every night, and' drawing ,go6d 'houses; - The’ Princess Theatre, in Tory-street’, a new candidate for public, faypr,, has,hgen;, open tor a short time,, and; ,wiU ,re-open., a rain next week; and the Manners-street, theatre will sOon be addedntOi the listn The Assembly balls 'and private .parties given during the session of Parliament: are also in full' swing just'‘nOw ? and the’ numerous visitors from other pirts of'the ■colony now staying in the capital cannot ’ fail to be favorably impressed with it.