THE WAR EXPENCES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 245, 25 July 1861, Page 4

THE WAR EXPENCES.

On the 26th June the house took into consideration a message from, his Excellency on this subject, of which the following paragraph: is the substance,4—

“ Her Majesty’s Imperial Government expects from the Colony a full ami cordial cooperation, both in men and money,, and unless he is assured of its continuance, the Governor is not prepared to instruct Lieut.-General Cameron to employ the Imperial forces. It is therefore necessary that the Governor should be informed whether the colony is ready and willing to give that hearty assistance which the Imperial Government expects.” Mr. Stafford brought forward a reply, which the house asked time to consider. Mr. Saunders,member for JFaimea, intended moving an amendment on Mr. Stafford’s .reply, but on Friday, when the subject was again taken up, it was found that Mr. Stafford had stolen a march on Mr. /Saunders, and had incorporated his amendment with. bis own original reply. This answer was'adopted by the house, and is as follows, the parts constituting the amendment being in italics, — ‘ ■ May it please your Excellency, “ We, her Majesty’s dutiful and. loyal subjects, the House of Representatives, of New Zealand, have taken into our consideration your Excellency’s Message No. 2, transmitted to this house on the 25th inst.

“ Participating iu your Excellency’s anxiety for the.success of the negociations w’hich we understand to be still pending with the insurgent natives, we beg to assure your Excellency, that we do not contemplate the protraction of those negociations beyond/ the time when your .Excellency shall, have ceased to hope for a favourable issue. The maintenance of her Majesty’s sovereignty' within New Zealand we regai/d as a matter of Imperial concern,, and yet .at the same time as one in which the inhabitants of these islands have a peculiar and vital interest, since we deem it essential to the firm establishment of peace, and to the future security of life and property in this part of her Majesty’s dominions. ..The mere pecuniary . cost of the necessary measures for the attainment of .this great end must be [/o as], at the present juncture, a secondary consideration. This House (so far as-the present Militia law allows, and the resources . uf the colony will permit J, both as regards men and money, is. willing fully and cordially to co-operate with the Imperial Government. And iu order more clearly to define, as your

Excellency invites us to do, the extent of assistance which the colony is prepared to afford, this house declares its assent to the orgariiza-, tion and maintenance of such part of the Colonial forces as may be necessary for the defence of the several settlements, and will approve of the acceptance by the Coloiiial Government of advances from the Commissariat Chest for defraying the expenditure, upon the conditions prescribed by the Secretary of State in the Despatch (No. 13, 26th Jan. 1861) referred to by your Excellency. “ At the same time this House is of opinion that the employment of the Colonists as a Militia Force, besides interrupting the industrial pursuits of the Colony , and *thereby greatly diminishing its natural resources, will be far, more costly than the employment of a larger number of her Majesty's troops, ij those troops, could be procured” The conditions referred to by his Excellency in the Despatch of the Secretary of /State, of date 26th January, 1861, are,-rr.“ I have now to instruct you, not to make any further advances to the Colonial Government from the CommissamtChest in respect to the expences of Secret Service money, or for the maintenance of any Local Force, except on a distinct pledge given by the Government of the Colony, that all such advances will be repaid from Colonial funds so far as the Imperial Government shall require repayment.”