WELLING-TON.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 190, 28 September 1871, Page 5

WELLING-TON.

(From our own Correspondent) September 17. Last week a discussion took place on Mr. ' O'Neill's resolution for the reduction of the export duty on gold. The resolution was lost, as were also • several amendments, after a protracted discussion extending over several hours. The Colonial Treasurer and the Gro- • vernment opposed ifc, on the ground of general financial depression, and that, therefore, the colony could not afford • to lose any of its revenues. Last year the Colonial Treasurer brought in a bill which treated thia. revenue as provinciaL, and one which, the colony had -notbiug to do with. The bill made it

permissive on tbe part of any province, • by- recommendation to the Governor } ' hi Council, to reduce the duty. It was lost by a narrow majority on the provisions of the bill Which referred to the permissive reduction. Until such time as tbe miners in the colony fully make up their minds to have this duty reduced, it will not be done. So long as the miners have constituencies sending -to Parliament men of -the mind of

Mr. Harrison, of the West Coast, so long will they have to submit to special and unjust taxation. There will always be a division in the House on this matter so long as this course is pursued ; and this division is taken advantage of by the other members who represent other interests, who dread additional taxation, and who believe with Mr. Harrison that the miners are fair game for taxation. As for the Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Yogel, his mind iB so progressive that there is no stability in any measure of bis own creation. His schemes are old ones in twelve mouths, and new ones equally as changeable take their place from session to session. Last year, I said, he introduced a bill to reduce the duty on gold ; this year he does not believe in it. Last year he fixed the capitation allowance to provinces at 40s. per head of the population, subject to a reduction of 2s. per year, till it reached its minimum, 305., at which sum ifc was to be stationary ; this year he reduces the capitation allowance to 155., in order to make good a colonial deficiency — or in other words, to save the colony from bankruptcy by making several provinces bankrupt. When the provinces shall have been made bankrupt by acts of the Colonial Parliament, who will have to pay the immense sums which am owins; by the provinces by way of interest and sinking fund? I merely mention these few matters to show your readers that the colony has a thorough progressive Colonial Treasurer, who, in the face of large deficits, last year introduced' the wildest financial measures imaginable.

One good thing the Colonial Treasurer intends to do, and it is this : he intends "to pay and control through the colony all goldfields officers. The provinces, for the last two or three years, have been paying these officers ; but that system was Mr. Vogel's own, and now he is going to destroy it himself. Mr. Yogel was the great champion for delegated powers and plebeeifcps, in 1867 ; now he is the great centralist — the champion of the centralists — their butcher.

I believe the provinces will lose by the present financial propositions £30,000 per year. I believe also that Mr. Yogel is aiming at and will take for colonial or central purposes the goldfields revenue and the territorial revenue of the provinces, and I believe he will be backed in his plans by one ' class of persons in the provinces of Canterbury and Otago who ai ; e tenants of the Crown, and. who will do anything rather than be dispossessed of their present holdings, although they receive ample compensation.