POLITICAL.—PROVINCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 309, 16 December 1862, Page 5

POLITICAL.—PROVINCIAL.

The Council met on the 2Gth Nov.

The opening speech of the .Superintendent contained a lew ordinary generalities from which the policy of the Government could only he -faintly guessed at. Mr. Dick, the Provincial Secretary, shortly afterwards entered into a more elaborate statement, the leading feature of which was the intention of the Government to propose to the Council a loan for a considerable amount for the purpose of Public Works. The Land policy of the Government was brought before the Council in a series of proposals of a most extraordinary nature. Although in deference to the Superintendent a committee was appointed to examine into the "Proposals," and toreport gerurally oa the land regulations of the colony, not a single member appeared to be i'ivoi\'i!)ie to the scheme propounded by the Government. Its leading feature was an apinrent desire to press hardly upon capitalists, and to bring within the control of the Government a number of assisted pauper fanners. The first proposal was to sell inferior hud to fanners possessing capital. Next came one providing that farms of from ten to fifty acres should be laid out for small farmers. The third proposal stipulated for cultivation to the extent of £2 per acre within two 3'ears, or jri delimit a tax of so much per acre to be im-po-sed. The fourth proposal was for a tax on unoccupied lands previously alienated, and the fifth embodied a proposition for encouraging immigration by Lascs of from 10 to 50 acres. Such wild and preposterous proposals might be used to the disadvantage of the Province, but we are glad to say that they are universally scouted. We believe the Committee will recommend the throwing open the Hundreds at an upset price of £2 per acre, and the doing away with the Improvement Clause.

The Panama Subsidy Ordinance was opposed only by the Superintendent. It provides for a yearly subsidy of L 30,000 for five years, to a mail service between England and New Zealand, via Panama, conditional on Port Chalmers, Otago, being made the point of arrival and departure, and on Otago being reimbursed from the contributions ofyhe other colonies, prior to any repayment to the General Government, which also has a subsidy of £30,000 at its disposal. Mr. Crosbie Ward is going home to negotiate the service ; he has large support also from New South Wales. •

The financial statement of Mr Dick was a

very slovenly affair. He simply strung together the items of expenditure, which he made out to be £393,673, and of revenue which he reckoned at £167,370, and then stated that the deficiency of L 126,303, would be made up by the issue of debentures under four different loan acts, namely one for general purposes passed in 1861, the Harbor loan, the Public Buildings loan, and a new loan for general purposes to the amount of half a million. A school boy could not have made a more crude statement. The proper course to have adopted would have been to have distinguished the special appropriations to be paid by the loans. The Ordinary Revenue of the Province would then have contrasted favourably with the estimates for ordinary expenditure.

The Council will have to supply the shortcomings of the Secretary, and put the Estimates into shape. It is to be hoped the several Loan Ordinances mentioned will be embodied into the new one proposed. Only <£ 10.000 of Debentures have been sent home under one of the first three, and these are probably not yet sold. We learn that the General Government hare sanctioned the half million loan proposed to be raised by the Province. Before summarising the other proceedings of Council, we should state that a dissolution is understood to be decided upon, at the termination of the session. An Ordinance is being brought in for increasing the number of members, and re-distributing the Electoral Districts. This will enable a stronger Council than hitherto to be elected. It is believed that Major Richardson will ~«not again accept, much more become a candidate,for the Superintendentship. In which case, Mr. John Hyde Harris is mentioned as the candidate most likely to be returned. The only opponent he is likely to have is Mr Dick, the present Provincial Secretary. But the experience of the present session is likely to weaken the little chance this gentleman might have had. No one could conceive that Mr Dick has showed abilities of an order to entitle him to so onerous a position as that of Superintendent. We believe the Governor considers the post so important, as to justify him, in the event of an improper selection being made, in withdrawing from the Provincial control the management of the goldfields. He can do this at any time, and the miners, not very loirn1 a^o were petitioning that it should be done. They have been more contented since the appointment of Mr Pyke, to the head of the gold fields department.

We may conclude by mentioning the Bills already passed by the Council, which are as follows:~The Criminals Bill; Police Regulation Bill; Sheep Importation Bill; Thistle Prevention Bill ; Hospital Bill; Licensed Theatres' Bill ; Electric Telegraph Bill ; Dunedin'lmprovement Ordinance Amendment Bill ; Otago Harbor Improvement Bill; Executive Council Bill; Licensed Carriages Bill; Sunday Observance Bill ; Town and Country Police Bill; Destitute Persons Ptelief Bill ; Panama Mail Subsidy Bill.*