SIR JULIUS VOGEl'S REPLY TO MR. MACANDREW. THE PROPOSED SCHEME OF GOVERNMENT. Wellington, last night.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 620, 11 May 1876, Page 2

SIR JULIUS VOGEI'S REPLY TO MR. MAC ANDREW. THE PROPOSED SCHEME OF GOVERNMENT. Welling ton, last night.

Wfi have received a lony telegram from Wellington giving the text of a reply sent by the Premior to Mr Micandrew. TJio first part of tho letter is occupied with raferencos to matters that had gone before, raktinef more particularly to Otago. The o lly portion of the loiter of colonial iutercst is thaf. in which the Premier skitclu's his scheme of conli'al .iduiiuibtiMtiDU, uml which runs as follows :—: — " Provincial Councils aad Sapcriatenden l 5l 5 wo do not propose, in any shape t > po ]>ctuato or to ivpio..Uu:e ; aud Vdriuu3

dcpaitmental services sucli as g.iols, hospitals, the adtniniotration of tho harImur, etc, we propose to cirry on. as we do the Post-oluco and Telegraph Departments. " We intend to introduce a Bill reguUitiitr thrt eleeMous of locil bodies— it* premiums being m.ido appheible to Muni cipal lloaft Boards, Country Education Bo vi ds, and oil le r olect : ons. "We propose h,^« ePcl i va l uil tiou Bill, that is, a measmro nvlu o j, wiJi_urfliiili^^ unitorm sysiern of valumg 1 property, aud pi eparing ratepayers' rolh throughout the colony tor Boroughs, Road Bonida, and counties. " We propose to submit a bill to consolidate the bxistiug municipal laws, simplified as ah oady described, but which will contain provisions to enable corporations to borrow, not dissimilar trom Mr Ballances's Bill oflast year, w ith the exception that the purposes for wuio^ borrowing is to be permitted will be more cU, ir ]y delined. The road distiiets we do nov intend to ask Parliament to legislate about tins session, excepting to the extent already descrtbed. To provide for the local charge of education, we propose to introduce a Bill to continue in existence the present .Education Boards entil February next ; elected Boards with a Email noraiual element, being substituted after that date. The entire control of the primary education, aud of the reserves for s ich education, wo propoie to vest in these Boards. It will be the duty of the boards to continue in eaoh province the system legalised by existing provincial laws. Tho Bill will provide that the inspection of schools shall ba under the control and management of tho Colonial Governuvnt. We contemplate making provision for doing away with education rates, and also fees in primary bchools whilst we propose that education shall be made compulsory. "The loading features of the County system vre de&ire have already been explained. We propose that the country, exclusive of t >wus, shall be divided into counties governed by an elective body, endowed with very considerable revenues, aud charged with carrying oue large public works- The counties will be distinct from the road bo.ird districts, excepting that iv a fuw instances, where the districts are already of great extent, an option will perhaps bo given to them to bcome co.inties, and thu-> to merge into one of the revenues of the two bodies. Tho present Waste Lands Boards we propose to continue for a time ; but we hopo to provide at no distant date, for the addition of tin elective element to them We do not propose to interfere with the laud laws, excepting that we may ask the Assembly to consider the erpidioncy of increasing the upset price, and enlarg ing tho facilities for obtaining laud on deferred payment. The Lunatic Asylum we propose to keep under the direct control of the Government with the aid of local boards nominated by the Governor. A qualified Inspector in Lunacy has been selected at home, and will, I expect, shortly arrive in the colony. We propose to devolve the charge of other charitable institutions on the authorities an<l tho counties within which they are situated, giving to those local bodies a power of placing the institutions in the hands of special committees of trustees. We regret th it in somo parts of die colony theso institutions are purely Government institutions, and wo think larger opportunities for the exerciseof voluntaiy benevolence should be afforded. The railways, as lus been stated already, we propose shall pass entirely into Ihe entire clurge aud control of the Colonial Government. Abundant reasons for this necessity have been <<hown "We propose to introduce a bill pro. viding for l.he disposal of the land revenue. This disposal will bo of a thoroughly local character, except that we shall submit for tho consideration, of the Assembly the alternative of a gradually diminishing contribution from the land revenue to meet the interest on railways, aud rather provide this paymont from an income and property tax. As we are not willing tl.at interest on railways in course of construction, sluuld be met out of borrowed money, the revenue must supply such means ior paying such interest lrom the first. The land revenues, which has benefited so largely from the railways, should have provided this interest. Jt will bo well for the Assembly now to consider whether the unused lands, or the sold land and current revenue should supply the amount required, whilst otherwise we propose to (lnrcug'ily localise the land revenne. We also intend that road districts and couafcies shall be guaranteed, by the consolidated revenue, the recpipt of (heir appointed subsidies, irrespective of whether or not the land revenue of the particular provincial district supplies for time beiny the necessary amount."