THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1871.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 41, 23 November 1871, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. THURSDAY , NOVEMBER 23, 1871.

Tiik speech of the (Superintendent of Auckland to his Provincial Council yesterday appears in another column. Never, perhaps in the history of Provincial Institutions, has there appeared anything so lame, barren, or impotent. Put the speech is not that of the Superintendent. It is the production of the united wisdom of the Executive. We are governed by “responsible advisers.” His Excellency the Governor has his responsible advisers : and by virtue of a resolution of the Auckland Provincial Council, in direct violation of law, his Honor the Superintendent has his responsible advisers also. These gentlemen arc Messrs. Lush, Sheehan, and Hurst, and not to the Superintendent, must we look for the authorship of the feeble state paper before us. It consists of sixteen paragraphs ; and if measured by a footrule, is at least equal to any speech on a similar occasion which preceded it. Put judged by the standard of merit, it has nothing to recommend it. The speech is intended to be a kind of compromise, no doubt: and as such it takes no cognizance of the many important questions of general policy affecting the province which were debated in the General Assembly last session. These are all quietly shelved. There is no mention made of them. Any one ignorant of public affairs, reading his Honor’s speech, would be apt to conclude that nothing whatever had occurred to disturb the even tenor of provincial politics during the current year. The revenue is in a flourishing state, we are told. Native affairs are assuring. Peace, and her sister, plenty, reign supreme over this province : and his Honor’s Executive contemplate the future with a serene calmness which only the consciousness of good to come can produce. Why is this ? Do these gentlemen think they can blind the province to actual facts? Are they so conceited

as to suppose that by a little suppression on the one hand, and exaggeration on the other, they will succeed in imposing on the Council and the public ? If they do, they are mistaken. Granted that “ the financial position of the province is satisfactory.” Let us ask, from what heads of revenue this result has been obtained ? Has it been from the General revenue of the province? Certainly not. The general revenue has fallen off; hut the revenue derivable from the Goldfield has increased. Hence the satisfactory position of the Provincial funds. It remains to be seen what the Goldfields members will say to tins speech and the general policy of the Executive of the Province. For our own parts, we are not at all satisfied with it. We think much more might have been done for the goldfield, am. we insist in future on a clear appro illation of goldfield revenue to goldfield purposes.

Wc are not aware of the circumstances involving an expenditure on the goldfield in excess of the appropriations, as stated in the speech, but we learn that a special order for a sum of £1,805 12s was signed by the Superintendent since bis return from Wellington, which sum is stated to have been expended on tlie goldfield. Wc suppose a full explanation of this expenditure will be given by the Executive. A total of £2,413 13s. Id. appears to have been spent during the recess in excess of appropriation. The allusion to the Thames and Coromandel is of the mildest possible character. Less could not well be said. It is notorious, however, that but lor tlie Thames the province could not have carried on, and now its sole dependence is on this community.. W c are promised public works, it is true, but it is simply a promise. Wc do not trust the Executive. They have hitherto manifested very scant appreciation of the requirements of the district.

In conclusion, we may enumerate some of the more important omissions in the speech. There is nothing said of the tax on bread and increased duty on stamps. No allusion is made to the permanent loss to the province of £15,000 a year, by the policy of the General ' Government. There is no reference to the new constitution promised for next session, or to the attempt made during the late session of the General Assembly to change the constitution of the Council, and make the Superintendents ot provinces tools in the hands of the Colonial Government. Nor was it deemed at all desirable to allude to the assumption, by the colony, of the task of introducing immigrants. This duty is withdrawn from the local authorities, who best knew the local wants, and is centred in a practically irresponsible body at Wellington. Tlie repeal of the pension clauses of the Civil Service Act, on which the Council addressed the Superintendent hist session, is also passed by in silence. And although there is an admitted decrease in the revenue, there is no intimation that the expenditure shall be kept within reasonable limits. Altogether the speech is eminently unsatisfactory.