DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 146, 24 November 1870, Page 5

DUNEDIN.

(From our own Correspondent.) November 21, 1870. The Council of the Province has been in sess on upwards of a week. It i ; , and was said to be a special o-i^, call d tog ther for the purpose of rjgulating matters having reference to the United Province of otagc- --oa hland, and ihai the session would last only a week or ten days. Those w.io were of that opini >n — th.it is as to ihe matter of time — must have altered it as soon ai t icy haard His Honor the Superintendent's address on ! the occasion of the opening or the Council. There w,is, in my opinion, sutliciant in it to keep the members of the Council talking for at least a month ; provided always that due consideration is given to each member for the indulgence of speeches of a personal character relating to themselves ; to the abuse of the Government for the committal of all soi\s of crimes Uioit of murder ; and last, but not least, the condemnation of the Col arlal ; egislature, the Colonial Government, and the Honorable Julius Vo^el in par.icular. Fearing, however, ih-.it the address did not contain buliiciem to ke p the members employed tor the week or ten d.iys, liis uonor sent down message No. 2. Message iSo2, concains amon o sc other things, correspondence from your district to the Colonial viovernment relative to the survey of a Lne of l'ailway to Lawrence, and the supply of wa c: for utilising auriferou3 lands iv tiie '1 uapeka di triut. The message ru.)3 thui : — "The duparinteulent transmit-* herewith for the consideration of the Provincial Cxinc 1, coai.nursi a iori3 from the General Government with respect to the v idjr-.njn ixaed waives p.'o >oied to be canned ouc under the provisions of the 'Publb Works and 1m u;gr.iti>n Act, lb7J,' viz : — Is 1 ;. Tl.e survey of a line ot rail .vay from i'olcomairiro to Lawreuse, and for the supply of water for aurifer >\u lauds in the Tuapeka district. 2nd. Water supply for the Wak.itipu goldfields. 3rd. The construction of the Southern Trunk Railway." In order that this important message should be fully considered, tue Provincial Secretary has in >ye*l — " rhat thi3 Council having hid U:ider its consideration the communication from tlie hon the Colonial Seoretai'y, enclosed in his Honor's message No. 2, is of opinion that although it is exceedingly desirable that the works therein referred to should be constructed without delay, yet, that it is inexpedient for this Council to make any reco nmendation with the view to the initiation of any works under the ' 1m migration ami Public Works Act, 1870,' uotil the whole policy of that Act has been considered by the various constituencies throughout the province, and either confirmed or modified by a new Parliament." '1 his motion, it is said, will bj carried by a large majority, and if so, then the present Council doe 3 not approvu of the financial policy of the Colonial Treasurer ; will decline to make any recommendation to the Colonial Governin- ait, and will remit the whole thing to the country for consideration by the new Council and new Parliament. After carefully reading over the Col >nial Secretary's letter of the 12th Is'ov., 1870, I am still of opinion, and more convinced th.m when J wrote my last letter, that it will be better for the province, and the Tuapeka district, that the railway fram Dunedin to Clutha, and also to Lawrence, should be constructed by the province underthe Guarantee Act, which empowers tha province to go to the extent of L4OO,OJU. 'I he3e, then, are points of the Colonial Secretary's letter, very signiiicant and suggestive as to the intention of the Colonial Government in respect to the construction of public works in this province, The language ought not to be misunderstood. It is plain, simple, and to the point. It is th' 3 :—": — " The Government do not think it would be expedient, iwcler existing cuaiumatanp^s, t° entertain any proposal ftarthft qpiv&i'Uctioii of the. railway from Dittod^ -to, Clutha, except on a guarantee, and they-are advised that the Government are not authorised by

law to enter into any absolute contrac for the construction of a railway iroin ' nver .argili ' to ' - l .>a'aura.' " Now wh it is the counnon sonse meaning of tiiis languag.j } Well, I take it to mom, that with the war in Europe, together, witli a falling revenue, there is a doubt as tn whatlier we could borrow th* iuon.s/ r - quired at the rate of interest authorised by Act, but we will undertake to construct the Clutha line on the principles of a guarantee ; and w 11 cause a survey to be made of tlij Lawrence line, but a3 the Attorney-CJeneral has advised us we have no authority to construct the " Mataura " line, we do not see how we can entur into any absolute coutrcct to construct the ''Lawrence" one. Under existing circumstances, therefore, it would be both wise and prudent for the province t> construct its own railways, i£l£ 1 have read the Colonial Secretary's letter right and placed a correct interprutarion on it. 1 stated in my last communication that the expenditure of the ('"lonial Government for the year 1870 71 will be about L320',000 more than the estimated revenue for the same period. This immense deficiency is made up from borrowing. I have, more than once, heard that statement contradicted within the last week. Some by impugning the correctness of the figures, whilst others state th.it it doe 3 not necessarily follow that the money voted and appropriated, will jbe expended. Such a statement might apply to Pr vincial appr -priation.- 1 , wheie it is a rule to permit large sums to be placed on the estimates in excess of the revenue, witiiout making any provision in ways and means to meet such appropriations Circumstances of this kind do not occur in the Colonial Parliament. Ways and means are provided to meet appropriations which i he following figures show. They are worth a peruial, and will to a degree explain how nicely things in nuance, hy an able Financial Slinister lik; the Honorable Juihu Yogel, are done : — "Revbxub. Ordinary Rave-ma - - £1,051,500 Borrowed it nev in ' ash. Auckland Loan Allocation - 27,000 Paranaki Do - 6,000 Wellington Do - 2.U00 Wanganui Bridge - - 15^000 Southland D^bts - - 23,411 Roads, North Island Refund of Expenditure, 1869-70 - - 25.000 Defence Loan - 18), 000 De.icit .... 4G,sb'B £1,37d,479 Expenditure. Deficit 1889-70 - - - £35,521 Estimated General Charges - 194,412 Permanent Charges, General 35 ,0*03 Liabilities 1809-70 - v - 84,498 Payments to Provinces - 561,375 Defence Constabulary - - 112,800 Defence Contingent - - 0"7,20:> idterest not provided for - 15,000 £1,376,479 Deduct now the estimated revenue <?f L 1,051,500, 051, 500 from the expenditure 1-1,376,-479, and there is a deficit of L 324.979, wiiic.i is made '>y borrowing, as shown alone Now this de icit will take plac j i:o L withstanding that th-i reven.ie will keep less to what it was in 18^9 70. fn my next, T will give a state went which will prove that in the province of Otago the Customs Uevenuehas fallen off considerably during the last two quarters of tlie year ; and in other part 3of the colony the falling off ia equally great, if not greater than in Otago. For the construction of public works we must, therefore, depend on our Land Revenue or submit to fresh taxation.