AUCKLAND.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 273, 19 May 1875, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

SIR GEORGE GREY’S OPENING ADDRESS. (From the Napier Telegraph} Continued from last issue. Reviewing the whole of the position, they had the extraordinary spectacle of Auckland, with all her manifold resources, industrious population, and raising a large revenue, making little or' no progress. The cause was not difficult to discover. Of all the colonies Auckland alone possessed no land fund, notwithstanding that the foresight of the Imperial Government had created a landed estate for the benefit of Europeans and natives of the colony. This fact had impoverished or ruined multitudes of industrious families. The claims of Auckland upon the land fund was a subsisting living right. No wrongful acts of one set of representatives could lastingly deprive the people of their rights. He still believed that either by adjustment of payment of interest on the public debt, or by some similar means, a method must be found for making reparation to the people of that province for the wrong inflicted upon them, and, in recognition of their rights, to participate in the future in the benefits of the land funds, although those may now be small. From the native land purchase made, they would see there was no hope that any land fund of importance could ever be derived from an expenditure of £250,000. To rely on this as a mode of extricating the province from her difficulties would be unwise, as in the case of loans mentioned, which, he thought, should not bo recognised, they were being treated as children. He preferred to rest on their actual rights. If the large debt owed were charged on the land fund, settlement would be stopped. The interests of the humbler classes were sacrificed in another form, whilst those most largely benefited escaped. He next alluded in detail to the revenue, of which £309,086 were derived from the province, and endeavoured to show that, after allowing for gaols and Courts of Justice, £250,000 were taken from the province to be spent elsewhere. It was a difficult thing to remedy. He reviewed the revenue of the colony, showing that, out of the estimated total of £1,450,000, interest absorbed £850,000, leaving but a bare margin for making reductions, and, although a large saving might and should be effected off this extravagant system, yet this divided amongst the provinces would reduce by very little the burdens of the inhabitants. It might be said that additional taxation must be imposed, but the limit of profitable taxation had already been reached in the direction already adopted. It was very doubtful if further taxation in that direction would much increase the revenue, whilst it certainly would greatly diminish the comforts and progress of the inhabitants of the province. The income realised from the railroad when completed would do much towards paying the interest on the debt, but the cost of maintenance and repairs for several years would be so large, compared with the possible traffic on such railroads, that but a very small margin of profit, if any, would be available for public purposes. The plan that appeared to hold out the greatest hope of a considerable [increase in the revenue is the attempt, by largely reducing the present system of taxation, to lower the cost of clothing and prime necessaries of life. This would remove the mass of population from heavy burdens, which now impede their industry and limit their comforts. Small farmers and inhabiI tants of country districts would then be able to carry on operations freed I from some of the burdens by which I they were now overweighted. But leven when this was done, it would I still be necessary to have recourse to •a system of taxation by which the wealthy would be required to contribute towards the necessities of the State to an extent which bore some proportion to the value of their property. He believed that in this way a larger revenue would be realised from the Customs and ordinary taxation than is obtained under the present heavy 6 rates of duty, and that commerce and trade would revive and increase, whilst the amounts obtained from taxes, to which those realising large fortunes were forced to contribute, would form a valuable addition to the revenue. In referring to immigration, he contrasted the number of immigrants sent to Auckland with those sent to Otago and Canterbury, and thought them small as compared with the liability incurred on their account. The Governor had, by an Order in Council, restricted the powers of legislation conferred upon Provincial Councils by the Constitution Act. He was not satisfied that these orders could be lawfully issued, and had raised doubts on the point, which had caused the others to be suspended, pending a solution of the question. Correspondence on the subject would be laid before them. Any representations by the Council relative to Mr. Vogel's abolition resolutions would receive due consideration. The system of education, which was working well cost during the year £21,000, but the subject would be brought before them in greater detail. He proposed to ask them to make provision for the ordinary provincial services for a period of six months, from the Ist July to the 31st December, 1875. In the meantime the General Assembly nail have

met, and they shall understand their future financial prospects more clearly then than they can at present. The amount of legislation they would be asked to perform would be but small, consisting chiefly in amendments of Acts.