WELLINGTON.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 13, 21 October 1871, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(from our own correspondent.) October 12.

write this by the * Keera,’ in the ope that it may reach you in advance f the mail per ‘ Taranaki,’ hence on aturday. .It is doubtful if it will, lowever. The public business has progressed a little since the date of List mail for the North. Mr. Vogel las been induced, by the gentle pressure Of the Opposition, to make a general itatement of the Ministerial policy. It Biffers but little from the points in the Financial Statement; but a good deal pf opposition is expected to the proposals for altering the constitution of the provinces. Meetings have been Leld at Hokitika and elsewhere on the

jlßVest Coast, and resolutions adopted condemnatory of the proposal for dismembering the county, of Westland, 'ffhe inhabitants of Auckland ought to consider the effect of the Government >5 neasures—as far as they may effect heir province. It is proposed to alter he electoral districts of the provinces, railing their boundaries for Provincial lections, coterminous with the electoral oundarics for the Electoral Districts Ifor the General Assembly elections ; J|lnd the number of members of the IJprovincial Councils is to be reduced to Jlhe same number of members as each Jprovince respectively returns to the Assembly. This would practically reduce the influence of the goldfield in the Auckland Provincial JCouncil to one vote —a proposal fraught gwith such mischief to the goldfield as ®to render it quite impossible of acceptance by the Thames population. ® The proposal to constitute a Board |iof Works, three of whom should retire lannually, from members of the Legisilature, meets with general disfavour. It is a direct bribe to the members, and should it become law, would place a weapon of political influence in the hands of Ministers, so great that it would become dangerous to the independence of Parliament. It is in its very nature a corrupt and corrupting proposal; and it is to be hoped that there is enough public spirit in the House of Representatives to ensure its rejection. The Government, having challenged the Opposition to debate the Ministerial I policy, were taken at their word on ‘ Tuesday last, on the motion for leaving t the chair to go into Committee of i Supply, Mr. Stafford opened the del date in a speech of fifty minutes’ jj buration; but which was a model of style and effectiveness, I am sorry I cannot give you anything like a digest of this splendid Parliamentary effort, but it would be worth re-printing from the Hansard reports, together with that of Mr. Gillies, who followed on the same side. Mr. Vogel, in a speech of [an hour and twenty minutes, replied to Mr. Stafford’s attack ; but he simply begged the question. There were none ■ of the Government party in a position : to meet Mr. Gillies’ clear analysis of j their financial mistakes and reckless extravagance. The debate, therefore, lapsed. The Government did not put , up any man to continue the discussion, and as the Opposition had arranged that unless Ministers did so they would not prolong the debate, of course, j the affair went off. But it was suffi- \ cient to indicate the points on which | the Opposition take issue, Mr. Staf- ■ ford traversed their entire policy. He t condemned their financial policy as j ruinous to the country; lie denounced j the Brogden contracts, and the pro- \ posal to give away the lands of the < colony, which should be reserved for I settlement, to foreign speculators. He pointed out how the Government had gone on to increase the permanent debt of the country. The public debt had been increased during the last three years by £380,000, to pay the ordinary expenses of the Government. The land policy of the Government—or their want of any land policy—was severely commented on. The unfairness of their proposal for relieving the provinces of their income, and compelling them to maintain the existing establishments was also pointed out: and the inconsistency of the Government which had gone into office on the shoulders of the ultra-provincialists, and forthwith deceived them, was forcibly dwelt on. Mr. Gillies made a very telling speech. The country would do well to read these two speeches. In them they will find a lucid comment on the Government policy. Other points would have been taken up in detail, during the debate, by the Opposition, so that the entire proposals of Government would have been specifically traversed; but, as I have already said, the opportunity was not afforded them. But on the bills which Ministers have introduced, I understand full debates will take place. Ihe proposal to increase the taxation of the people is yet to be considered. . during the debate on the Estimates m Committee, Mr. Creighton unearthed a glaring job, by which the Government appears to have made

things pleasant for Mr. Walter Buffer, the Resident Magistrate of Wanganui, who has gone to England to study law. He received £3OO for a collection of skins of birds, about which some extraordinary statements have since been made, and which may come before the Assembly. He received £2OO for passage money, leave of absence for eighteen months, and £6OO a year whilst in England, as secretary to Dr. Featherston, or correspondent of Dr. Hector, should the Agent General have nothing for him to dor He is also to travel on the continent of Europe on the Flax Commission vote, to make notes and report on the growth of textile fabrics in foreign countries. Now, as Mr. Buffer knows absolutely nothing of the work which is thus assigned to him,'it is clear that this is only another way of making things exceedingly agreeable to him, by paying his travelling expenses out of the public funds of the colony. Moreover, it appeared that his statement regarding his income, in the papers before Parliament was untrue. He is amongst other items allowed L 79 odd a year forage allowance, which he had as Resident Magistrate at Wanganui; although Major Edwardes, his successor, has only L2OO a year, without forage allowance. Truly, we are a great people ; and the present Government is the most scrupulously honest Government that ever ruled its destinies.

The estimates have made some progress through Committee, but unfortunately, except a single reduction of £3OO on the Government Domains rate, conceded by the Government, no retrenchment has been effected. The great battle on the Estimates, however, is yet to be fought, viz., on the Native Office, Defence, and Militia and Volunteer votes. The consideration of the San Francisco contract lias been postponed. A debate ensued on a motion of Mr. Fitzherbert, to the effect the inland postal service should be a colonial charge. The opinion of the Committee appeared to be in favour of the proposal. By it Auckland would lose over £2,000; the other provinces would not be affected.

The Committee work of the present session appears, from the statement of members, to be very .severe. In addition to the old sessional Committees, there are several special and new sessional committees : and wliat with the abominable weather, close work, and late hours, the representatives of the people are a care-worn looking set of men. The only little encouragement they receive is from the ladies, who give them countenance every evening without respect to the severity of the weather,

October 13

The ‘ Keera ’ has not arrived. I send this by the 1 Taranaki.’ Since I commenced this letter, the first blood of the session has been drawn, and the Government have sustained a great defeat. The first of their measures for carrying out their policy, namely, the Government of Provinces Bill, has been withdrawn after a debate of a single evening. Oidy four members supported the Bill—Messrs. Vogel, Gisborne, Parker, and O’Conor. The two last named supported it because its tendency was to destroy provincialism ; the two members of the Government protested it had no such tendency. About nine speakers on the Opposition side addressed the House, and their objections were unanswerable. Mr O’Rorke moved the second reading of the Bill that day six months. He professed his regret at going against the Government, but respect for his principles compelled him to do so. The Government went into power as the avowed champions of provincialism, and now they were doing their utmost to destroy the provinces. Mr Donald Reid seconded the motion. Mr John Williamson and Mr Reynolds came to the rescue of Ministers. They moved the adjournment of the debate for a week, to give them time to consider the question. Mr Williamson said he had pledged himself to support tire policy of the Government, as it was before the country, but this was an entirely new policy, and he wanted to consider how he should act. Mr Vogel took advantage of this diversion, and said the Government would withdraw the Bill. He warned the provincialists that they were doing the worst possible thing for themselves. The adjournment was carried amidst the cheers of the Opposition. Mr Swanson, was not satisfied with a single assurance, and moved that the debate be resumed that day six months, but afterwards withdrew it on the repeated declarations of Ministers, that they did not mean to renew the Bill.

The general opinion regarding the Bill was that it was crude and illdigested, and would place unconstitutional power in the hands of Ministers. All the public bills, embodying the policy of the Government, were postponed to-day till Tuesday. It was at the request of the Opposition. Altogether the Government are much weaker than it was supposed. Their forces are not disciplined. They are as dangerous to the Government as to the Opposition. A meeting of the Ministerial party is convened by circular for to-morrow (Saturday), the 14th. The Auckland members oppose the Payment of Provinces Bill. The effect would be to take all the revenue of the province, and compel it to pay over L 2,000 a year into the General Government.

In a debate on a motion by Mr Reader Wood, asking 'whether the Government would object to the settlers defending themselves against armed agression by the natives, arising out of the transaction connected with the driving away cattle from Mr Walker’s Waikato ran, Mr John McLeod made a most unwarrantable speech, denouncing the pakeha-Maoris as a class who femented rebellion amongst the natives, and supplied them with arms and ammunition. He also assailed them as men, many of whom were old colonists,

and from his remarks it was difficult to say whether, Mr Walker excepted, he did not class all the Waikato settlers in the same category. But his most outrageous attack was on Mr James Maclcay, who was charged by him with very discreditable conduct. He was forced to stammer an apology, and was cried down by the House. Mr Swanson followed, and gave him a wellmerited castigation. Altogether Mr McLeod is a huge mistake. He has neither influence nor ability, and is distinguished for nothing but liis unconcealed toadyism of the Government. A seat on the Board of Works is said to be his aim ; but I hardly think it will fall to his lot.

There is no appeaeance of a close of the session. The Education Biff has been sacrificed. The Gold Field Act has been reported against by the Gold Field Committee. I under stand it was compiled by the Coromandel Warden and the Minister of Justice, by the help of a pair of scissors and gum-pot. The original draft being to the fore is a picture of patchwork. The Biff is wholly unintelligible. Mr Whitaker drafted a Bill—the Goldfield Districts Biff—which the committee recommended as a model for a new General Bill next year. The last named measure is- likely to become law. It has special reference to the Thames and Coromandel, as lias also the Gold Mines Drainage Biff, drafted by the same gentleman. The second reading of the Licensing Bill (Permissive) prepared by Mr. Fox, and introduced by Mr. Creighton, is under debate. It is a most important bill, and should it become law, will effect a great social aud political revolution. Mr. Creighton moved the second reading on Friday night. The biff is favorably received.

The Local.lndustries Committee will report favorably for the establishment of coast fisheries. The recommendations of the Auckland Provincial Council in this matter has been generally adopted. The Whitaksr and Lundon Petition Committee have closed their labors. I have been told they will report that the the petitioners had a good claim in law in 1869. Compensation would, therefore, follow as a matter of course. The mail from Auckland is not yet reported at Nelson. We have very slow communication with the North.