WELLINGTON.

Southland Times, Issue 1797, 23 September 1873, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(fbom oub own correspondent.) Sept. 17. The Provincial Loans Bill has at last passed the ordeal of its three readings in the House of Bepreeentatives, and now awaits its fate in the - Upper Chamber. All the opponents of this much-abused measure, and not a few of those who voted for it, fearing that if it were thrown cut a worse thing might befal them, are now inclined to say, with a well-known English politician, " Thank God, we have a House of Lords." But I am not inclined to think that there is much prospect of the Bill being thrown out in the Council, hostile to it as many of the members are known to be. If there is one characteristic more than another which has hitherto distinguished that august and venerable body, it is the faculty of knowing when and how to give way. Ten days »go, indeed, when the Council were busy discussing the financial condition of the Colony, the fate of such a measure might have been different, to judge from the temper then displayed. Since then, however, the zeal of the senators for Gnancial reform and general economy has considerably cooled down, and it is generally thought that the Bill will be allowed to pass by a small majority, cay of two or three. Certain useful hints thrown out by the Premier have probably contributed not a little to this result, such as for instance that in the event of the n jection. of their fayorite measure the Government would be prepared to prorogue at once and hold another session for the special purpose of passing it — a dire threat, the full significance of which can only be understood by those who have endured the tedium and drudgery of the past two weary months, whether as members, reporters, or Parliamentary officials qiiocuvque generis. Another and perhaps equally effective " argnment" thrown out for the consideration of the Upper House was the semi-official intimation, well known to have been inspired by the Premier, which appeared in the columns of the Independent the other day, to the effect that the logical consequence of the rejection of the Provincial Loans Bill would be the imposition of a property tax, as the local works would have to be provided for somehow. Such a project would meet with much favor from a certain party in the House, and if once seriously brought forward by the Government would soon prove to hare a dangerous vitality about it that would ultimately he too much for the " Lords," and they are very well aware of the fact. There is no fear of anything of the lrind, however, this session — that card is kept in hand to take a future trick. When one considers the difficulties with which the Ministry had to contend, in the shape of exorbitant demands for loans from every quarter, it is impossible not to see that by the introduction of the Provincial Loans Bill they have been very cleverly met, and possibly even, as is claimed, with the least possible damage to the pabiic credit under the circumstances. Bern, 1 quocunque tnodo rem J was the cry from all quarters, and it was necessary to find some means of appeasing the clamor. The project of raising money on specific security only, limits to tome degree the extent of possible mischief, and a far more important proviso was inserted at the request of certain southern members who otherwise would have voted against the Bill, the condition, namely, that no money should be rair-ed at a higher rate than six and a half per cent. Four Loan Bills have already been introduced in anticipation of the passing of the Empowering Bill, one by your indpfatigablo Superintendent, Mr Macandrew, to make the .luapeka and DuDstan railway with money raised on the land through which the line passes. Mr Macandrew, by the way, was the only member not on the Government benches who spoke in favor of the Provincial Loans Bill; "a wise and ' ctatesmanlike measure" he called it. Should the Bill become law, as there seems little doubt it will, your Invercargill merchants should bestir themeHves to get some money for the improvement of the Bluff Harbor. A little judicious expenditure there would, I am informed, soon repay itself, and with that and the completion of the ni'way to Kingston, which may be looked for at no distant date, Invercargill would be sure to make rapid strides to prosperity. The Southland Land Bill, which as Otago Land Bill No. 2 raised such dire confusion in the. House on the question of its own iclotttiry, -passed its third reading in the Re) resentatives Bafely. The modifications ultimately effected were the classifying of land into agricultural and . pastoral, the former at £2 per acre, the latter at £1, and the extension of the deferred payments system to all the land in the hundreds, and all the jaad which might be classified as agricultural land as well, the former, if need he, at 12j 6d per acre, and the latter at 255. Tins last condition, it was remarked by those opposed to it, was somewhat inconsistent with the 40a price ■ for ready cash, but nevertheless the advocates of deferred payments held firmly to it, and carriel ' it; and those who wished to prevent the Southland land from being locked up for another year, and the branch railway schemes indefinitely postponed, were glad to assist in dragging the bill anyhow out of the furious melee which raged . around it in committee, and which seemed to threaten its safety altogether, the Ministry meanwhile standing aloof, as they generally do when an Otago free fight begins. So the bill was sent up to the Council, where the members instantly fell upon it tooth and nail, and would only allow it to be read a second time on the promise that the deferred payments clauses should be dropped altogether ! So the matter stands for the present. The Otago Land Bill No 3, brought in by Mr Macandrew to extend the area of land which may be proclaimed open under deferred payments, from thirty thousand to one hundred thousand . acres annually, passed the House of .Representatives without opposition, but was instantaneously and ignominiousiy turned out of doors by the Council, by a majority of 20 to 3. So much for the prospects of liberal land law reform. ._. On Monday evening last the Premier brought ' in a bill to give £20 worth of land to all immigrants paying their own passages, Crown grant to issue alter two years occupation and partial cultivation. There wss not much perhaps to be eaid against the bill, but the Premier in moving , r the eecond reading went into the whole immigration question. He admitted that the present ■ state of- things could not be called satisfactoiy, : raid that too much correspondence with and from the Agent- General had been published already, that some further letters had been written, which f ,he npalsnot publish, but entreated the House ' 'to believe that finally all would be right, that the Government knew what they were doing, and wound up by begging honorable members who might -follow not to fee too severe in anything, r^ieymight'Bay!" 'You will naturally think this account of a Premier's; utterance on such a .■■qneetion must be a caricature, but it is nothing •'bf^the sort." Then followed Mr Beeves with a long and elaborate attack on the Agent-General.

This speech had been expected for weeks, and was said to he the result of three weeks' labor. One effect it certainly had, which was very marked, to rouse into fury all Dr Featherston's friends in the House, and he has a great many, more perhaps fh<m any other single member. MV Webster was particularly indignant, and aroused Mr Vosrcl of having instigated Mr Reevrs to make flip atttick, being afraid to do if himsrlf. This of course Mr YWel aid Mr Reeves absolutely anl at once denied. Mr Stafford snirt the Government were bound to defend their officer, which, however, they did not seem vow forward to do, and the debate was ultimately adjourned till this evening, to enable members, a-> was openly Btated, to prepare replies to Mr Reeves's allegations. The further denouement of this affair I can of course only guess at, but as further particulars will have reached you by wire by the time this letter comes to hand, there is no need that T should do so. All are agreed that unless some change for the better takes place in the working of the Immigration scheme, the Government and the country too will ere long ex - perience inevitable disaster. Where the blame lies may be a moot point, on which tho coming discussion may perhaps shed some light. But no remedy can be too severe for the pressing necessity of the occasion, and it is to be hoped that the Houee will apply it with an unsparing hand, as soon as the case \% thoroughly understood. The proposal for the new Californian service in connection with Sydney seems to give general satisfaction. The con tractors are said to be a London firm of large resources and high standing — not, as was suggested in the House, General Burnside and his American railway friends. It is to be hoped that the new arrangement will be better managed than the last, and if, as I am led to believe, the contractors a-e Englishmen, it is most likely that the line will prove a success. The route, via Kandavau, is Tor many reasons a very desirable one, and there can be no two opinions as to the value of direct communication between this Colony and th>* States, while the expense, if things are well managed, should not be great. Mr Vogel's proposal to remit all penalties incurred by Mr Webb for his shortcomings in the conduct of the late contract took the House by surprise, and it is likely he will have to encounter some opposition before he carries it. But the general rron irk is that the Government are strong enough ihio session to do anj thing !

(from a correspondent.) The Otago Wasie Lands Bill, exten \vn% the quantity to 100,000 acres instead of 30,000 acres to be set apart for defer ed payments, was lost on a division of 20 to 3. The objections to the change were, Ist, that the Bill ot last year had not been tried properly, and 2nd, that by a sidewind it did nway with the provisos which prevented more than 5000 acres per annum being taken from each run, and also that no further lande should be set apart until one third of the 30,000 acres was occupied and under cultivation. The Southland Bill was road a socond time on the motion of the Hon. Mr Campbell. Placing this Bi'l in the hands of that hon. member was looked upon as a good joke — something like setting the fox to watch the geese. The Bill provided for the classification of land into agricultural and pastoral, to be sold at 40s and 20s respectively. The Hon. Mr Holmes gave notice that he would move amendments which would bring the land regulations more in accord with those of Otago. By applying the 36th clause of the Otago Waste Linds Act, JS72, the Superintendent would .have power to lower the price in the old Hundreds to 10s ; and by clauses 47 and 64, the system of sale on deferred payments would apply throughout the Province. These amendments are not likely to be carried, as the hon. member in charge of the Bill has intimated the withdrawal or the slh clause, which is the only one applying to deJerred payments.