The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-18 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

colonial executive had proposed a measure in which this
difficulty had been avoided, and the Council had carried
against it the amendment which made the bill on this
point as objectionable to the Crown lawyers as the for-
mer one. Mr. La Trobe has therefore referred it home—
most likely to meet the same fate. The financial condi-
tion of the colony is treated very carefully is the ad-
dress, for it appears rather anomalous ; with an enor-
mous revenue the province is running somewhat reck-
lessly into debt, is increasing taxation, raising its tariff,
and even repudiating some of its implied engagements,
on the simple plea that it has not the means of fulfilling
them. No less than 1,300,0001. has been voted for pub-
lic works in the estimates of the present year, over and
above the provision for the ordinary expenditure, though
that alone is described as large and liberal.' Taking
the revenue at 3,000,0001. sterling, nearly half that sum
i 4 proposed to be spent on undertakings, some of which
are more magnificent than useful, and others that, how-
ever useful, might be deferred. This seems to have been
the opinion of Mr. La Trote himself, for he takes care to
state that the votes were inserted in the estimates
mainly at the instance and recommendation of the
Council.' The Executive is now evidently desirous of
fixing the responsibility of this more than regal extrava-
gance on the representatives of the people. But the real
check came from that region of reality, the money.
market. As soon as the Government found it would be
necessary to borrow a round million, it discovered that
many of the items of expenditure could be dispensed
with, and they have been, in effect, cancelled accord-
ingly. The Governor says, 'it will be found inexpedient,
if not impossible, to attempt the completion of the whole
of the undertakings projected, at the present time,' on
account of the 'scarcity of labour' as well as there not
being required ; thus the 'real' excess of the expenditure
over the total revenue fcr the year—an excess that is
still to be provided for by extraordinary means,' i. e., a
loan—' will fall very greatly short of the sum now con-
templated.' As the necessity of the suspended works
and the price of labour could have been calculated long
before the estimates were framed, voting hundreds of
thousands for schemes now found impossible to execute
was a great errer. The general state of the colony is
described in the address as highly prosperous ; the yield
and export of gold continue steady, while the returns of
the export of wool from the port of Melbourne shows a
considerable increase, instead of the decrease that was
predicted as a consequence of the discovery of the pre-
cious metal. The other measures have only a local
interest.

" The decrease in the revenue of the province alluded
to above is 102,0001. on the first quarter of 1354, as
compared with the corresponding quarter of 1853. Of
that sum, 99,0001. has been lost by the reduction of the
gold license fees. This may be recovered on the year,
as the territorial or land revenue shows a healthy ten-
dency to increase, proving that more capital is being an-
vested in freeholds ; but the increase of revenue from
the import duties that continued throughout nearly the
whole of 1853 has perhaps nearly reached its limit. In
that year the revenue of Victoria was rising at the rate
of nearly 2,000,0001. per annum. Judging by the
quarter just elapsed, the increase of 1854 will not ex-
ceed the rate of 272,0001. per annum, unless English
and American speculation again pours in goods in un-
limited quantities. Mr. La Trobe thinks the present rate
of imports excessive,' and 'caused to a great extent
by an imperfect knowledge of the commercial arrange.
ments of the colony' (commercial requirements is the
term intended). Quicker communication between Eu-
rope and the colony will, his Excellency supposes, rec-
tify the miscalculations that have been made of its power
of consumption. There is no danger of the revenue
being permanently diminished so long as gold is raised,
and the diggers consume at the present rate ; but it was
impossible it could continue to increase to the amount of
a million and a half a-year. This enormous rise in 1853
probably dazzled the Council, and produced the kind of
intoxication in which it voted money more lavishly than
the Government wished, and contemplated gigantic
works with a contempt of expense almost worthy of a
Louis XI V. The design for the new Houses of Assem-
bly was put in during the competition, with an estimate
of the cost ; it amounted only to 2,000,0001. sterling, for
a community that does not number 300,000 souls 1 This
plan was certainly rejected ; but the mere proposal of
anything so monstrous shows the spirit that was abroad.
Other works, as they were urgently wanted, would have
equally involved a waste of means. As the construction
of magnificent houses of Parliament may well be post-
poned till the population becomes something greater
than can be represented by a pretty compact parish
vestry, so it would be a scandalous extravagance to
sink indefinite thousands in building a viceregal palace,
when the first half-dozen governors will probably be very
well satisfied with an elegant mansion as a residence.
For the next ten years, at least, the expenditure of the
colony should be strictly limited to works of necessity,
the construction of roads, bridges, and drains, and secur-
ing the city a good supply of water. The tendency to
begin at the wrong end, and waste the public resources
on what is showy and splendid, while the capital itself
is neither drained nor lighted, and there are not 100
miles of sound road in the colony, ought to be checked
by every influence that can be brought to bear
against it.
" As in private, the man of extravagant habits often
descends to what approaches the shabby ' Victoria' being
with all its wealth a borrower, thinks itself forced to re-
pudiate some of its implied engagements. It is rumoured
certain benevolent institutions have received notice that
the usual allowance from the Treasury must be with-
held ; and it is quite certain that the Council annulled the
labours of the committee appointed on the motion for
granting a reward of 10,0001. to Mr. Hargreaves, as the
discoverer of gold in the colony, by which discovery
Victoria has profited the most. At the time the com-
mittee was appointed the Council did not wish to be
behind that of the sister province in justice or generosity.
When the report, which was in favour of a grant of
5,0001., was brought up, and it was moved that it be
received, count out' was managed, and the question
shelved for the session at least. It bad then been dis-
covered that the Government had already undertaken
too much, and had no money to spare for such purposes.
The question, however, is to be brought forward again
next session. It is to be hoped the reported resolution
as to the benevolent societies is unfounded, or will be
reconsidered. The new taxes imposed have not been
happily devised; with the large revenues of Victoria,
they ought not to have been required. The Squatter
members of the Council, who voted the expenditure
freely enough, did not consent so easily to the increased
rate on their cattle ; they cut down the amount proposed
by the Government nearly one-half, and shortened the
period over which it was to extend. The postage of
letters is increased, and a postage is also to be levied on
the local newspapers. Neither of these sources of
revenue will be very productive ; they are both retro-
grade in policy, and an unfavourable contrast to the
practice of the other provinces.
"Some important alterations were made in the
Victoria Constitution Bill after the report was brought
up. The qualification for a member of the Upper
House, or Legislative Council, was reduced from 10,0001.
to 5,0001. freehold, or 5001. a-year. They are now to
be 30 in number, elected by six constituencies, called
electoral provinces ; they are to go out by rotation, 10
every two years. The electors for the Upper House
are to be freeholders of 1,0001. or 1001. a-year, and the
graduates of any university, qualified surgeons, physi-
cians, lawyers, clergymen, and officers of the army and
navy. The Legislative Assembly or Lower House is
to consist of 60 members, with a qualification of 2,0001.;
to be elected for five years, subject to dissolution by
the governor. The electors are 501. freeholders, 101.
leaseholders, or persons receiving a salary of 1001 a year.
The electoral districts are to be 37 in number. A civil
list is reserved for the payment of salaries and
pensions to actual and retiring officers of the Govern-
ment. Seven of the high officers of the executive are
made liable to removal, and are provided with pensions
in that event. An annual sum of 50,0001. is reserved
for the encouragement of public worship.
" By the distribution of the representatives over the
electoral districts, it is calculated the predominance of
the squatting interest in the house will be shaken ; it is
stated it will not be able to command the return of more
than 11 members out of the 60. From a little incident
that occurred in one of the last discussions, however, it
is probable the character of some of the proposed dis-
tricts was not clearly understood. Mr. Goodman
pointed out to the committee that if the Murray
boroughs were left as they. stood
would be an intel-
ligent in the electoral
schedule, the principal constituento
ligent aboriginal,' corm n
Bogalong Jack.' Bni
oY known by the name of
eechw rth was therefore added to
the Murray boroughs, to furnish a few additional
electors, and lessen the undue borough influence of
Bogalong Jack, the intelligent aboriginal, who has been
swamped by a schedule as unceremoniously as if he had
been merely a British peer.
"The New Customs Bill for Victoria provides for the
collection of duties on goods imported by land from the
province of New South Wales, at Albury, and also on
the South Australian frontier. In course of time the
Australian provinces will have to form a kind of
Zollverein, or commercial federation. Unfortunately,
the richest province, Victoria, is, by mismanagement,
the most in want of money, having contrived, on an
enormous revenue, to run in debt, and is setting the
bad example of raising its tariff and imposing new taxes,
some of them of doubtful advantage. Victoria and New
South Wales now confront each other on the Murray,
at Albury, in the persons of their Custom-house fune-
tionarie.,,, like France and Germany on the bridge by
Strasburg ; and in time, with the help of official zeal, the
right of search will be as great a nuisance there as every-
where else.
" The reports from the surveying party at Port
Curtis state that the blacks have lately been very
troublesome at the new settlement, and aro daily be-
coming more aggressive. Three of the native police.
sent out to make a marked tree line, have been attacked
and severely wounded.
" The General Screw Company's stesmer Crcesus is
laid up in Port Jackson, undergoing some repairs. She
will be ready for sea in three weeks.
"The South Australian journals announce that the
Governor-General of New South Wales has consented
to reserve from any pastoral lease all the land on the
north bank of the river Murray, for a depth of two miles
from the stream, from Albury to the South Australian
frontiers, a distance of about 500 miles. The north shore
of the Murray is, for that distance, within the territory