, 1891-12-09

The, Combined Court Is adjourned to
Thursday next, the members having asked
for reasonable time to consider the sugges-
tions ofthe Government submitted to them
at the Court on Thursday last. They met
together yesterday and came to an UNDER
standing on the question, which they resOlv-
ed to keep secret. On another page we give
the full text ofthe Governors speech and or
the three resolutions proposed by the TO-
vernment Secretary, which are to form enc
basis of or discussion when the Court re-
assemblies. Of the three resolutions the
> first should have been all comprehensive
the aloha and omega of the whole proceed
ings on this side, in connection with the
Mckinley Bill. 1t asserts that our duties
are not imposed for protective purposes OUT
. to raise a required income "by a method
"adapted to the circumstances OF the COLO,
"ny," and cannot on any account De deemeu
'reciprocally unequal and unreasonable.
But the second of the three Immediately nc
gatives the first, by assuming that a chalge
of tariff is necessary ITO the adjustment OF
trade relations "between this colony ana Cne
United States" and supplicatiDg as 1t were,
for permission to retain the presenC tari1
tin the close of our financial year on the
0lHL OIL MhlGu UCAta ANU IN AOOS
three invites the Court to pledge itself to
upset the greater part of our tariff arrange
ments, although we are told these are adapt"
ed to the circumstances of the colony. The
members should not accept this last resO-
luton as it stands, or pledge themselves TO
any similarly sweeping upheaval. 70 ga"
crifce the duty now obtained on, say, kero-
sine oil, would be a wilful waste of revenue.
We get the oil exclusively from the United
States, and can get it from nowhere else at
anything like the price. There is no posi-
bility. therefore, of the sacrifice OF an
port duty Oh it leading to all Increased bnsi-a
ness being done in it with the States. The
duty we impose upon it may be considered
high when compared with the price OF the
article itself, but kerosine is the alcohol OF
oils, and is not without great danger, espe-
cially in a wooden city, if it is rendered so
cheap that it can be used without any
thought as to it's cost. Notwithstanding the
apparently high duty to which it is sub
ject, it is sold to the people at "a reasonable
rate and from end to end of the colony there
has never been heard a'complaint OF its being
dear. The duties on other articles Included
in the Governments catalogue, are the whole
Of them, of just as little consequence asthat
on kerOSine, to the United States; anu we
ought to think long and seriously before
we resolve to sacrifice one penny OF them.
At present we do not know whether the Pre-
sident, would require of us to interfere in
the slightest degree with our tariff; but it
we undertake gratuitously to give him the
assurance that we are ready to throw our
fiscal arrangements into ruinous confusion
% gain the good will of the States, he may
tor political reasons find himself constrain-
eG to accept the offer in it's widest sense.
The telegram of last night which speaks of
Mr.. Lubbock's mission to the States, re-
minds us that we may be uudoing on this
side what he is doing for us on that. Let
AIS wait and see, and meantime the Court
should express itself with discretion, max
ing no definite pledges, but admitting the
probability of its agreeing to some modi6'
cation of the present duties upon certain
articles If after the nature of the duties
has been submitted to the President, he is
of opinion that they are reciprocally un-
equal and unreasonable.-Ibid.