CHRISTCHURCH.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2585, 20 April 1877, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

Thursday.

Mr Kolleston, M.H.R., addressed his constituents last night. He said one of the greatest evils of late has ,been that the Ministers wandered about the Colony. The Ministry has thus been made responsible for the acts of any one of its members/which led to serious trouble and difficulties. The Ministry was unhappily constituted. The members of the Honse elected to oppose the Ministry had joined it, atid now it represented every kind of principles. The colony had been badly treated by public men: changing their opinions after election. The run question had been unfairly made a political matter. It was purely local. His opinion was that the tenure of pastoral tenants" was merely one for grazing, and the State was bound to get. the utmost value but not to do that at the expense of shutting the country up in any way. If they go in for. extreme rental they are bound to give the extreme privileges of the tenure. With regard to the Government proposal of deferred payments for land^ he thought it not advisable: to adopt it generally, but believed the Government would do wisely in connection with the immigration system to set apart blocks of lands for the purpose of settlement on the system of deferred payments,- It would be well to adopt the tillage system, similar to what formerly was proposed by Mr Stafford. He said he was glad to see Mr Fox agreed with the principle. He believed Mr Stafford's idea—that up to a certain price per acre the whole receipts of the land fund should: •b^madiß; colonial revenue, but above that price the receipts should go to the district in which they were raised—would meet with the general approval of the public. - The present system of finance with regard to the / land fund was a perfect jumble, and left us without any means whatever for making roads, bridges, &c. It was also bad in other ways. Take the case of Auckland —£BG,OOO. charged against ;;its land fund this year, and £62,C00 would serve the purpose much better, and would have been agreed to by- the Canterbury members last session but for the interference of the Government. It was a mistake to create counties having".powers concurrent with road boards. This was probably done, with .the idea-of the cpunties absorbing the road boards, but he did not think that would ever be the case. The civil service was not as efficient as it should be. Central instead of local management of the railways was a matter of "great difficulty, and .would tax all the energies of the Government to' do it satisfactorily.^ The;imposition of school fees in the colonial education system was a mistake,; and he hoped soon to see it rectified.. The questionof representation was yery important, but fie was f not prepared to say. what steps he would take in the matter. With the present: state: of the finances they cannot go on with the present system of paying: current expenditure by Treaßurytßillsy and the question ?then comes^Where tarei they to get the funds from ? Many taxes had been proposed, but he thought-the' country generally wo,uld prefer .very much td have the "subsidies; cut off before going in for direcT taxation, which would haye to befoundJby Treasury^ Bills,,for which the '.colony-, will have" to pay] He feared, we shall have to meet considerable de-, ficiency this year in the Customs revenue. I As to the charges 6n the land 1 fund for i railways and education, Canterbury and Qtago were Jthe only twQ provinces able to pay them. t The whole system of finance, therefore, - wanted remodelling.- The County system, as already worked-out, was a failure. He«greed there should be some body intervening between the road boards and the Government, but Counties should barmuch lairger" aSd" include Boroughs, as County Councils would then represent the interests of all. One, or at least two,-Counties in, Canterbury y would be sufficient.' A property tax, he believed, would be detrimental to our interest, not only here, but in the-old country. The system of subsidies necessitating the issue of Treasury Bills was a most pernicious one. The general establishment of > Hari bour Boards last session would force itself on public attention again ere long. One thing which should be dealt with' by the colony at large should be that of Harbour Boards. At the conclusion of his address a-vbte of confidence was ■passed."* ; " i: