NELSON GOVERNMENT GAZETTE 61

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to Blind Bay. A trade has sprung up between
Golden Bay and Nelson, and it is supposed that it
will increase; therefore the steam service will be
more than self-supporting. With regard to our general
expenditure, I would call the attention of the
Council to the fact that all the items enumerated
—including a large miscellaneous expenditure for
interest, &c.—amount to £45,517. The balance of
the revenue (£28,000) we propose to devote to public
works and purposes. If I do not dwell upon any
of the items of "Public Works," it is only because
I do not think they require explanation, as some
have been previously on the Estimates, and others
will no doubt be easily understood. I shall now ask
hon. members to look back and compare the Esti-
mates of expenditure this year with those brought
down twelve months ago by the irresponsible
Government which preceded us. But I would at the
same time ask them to consider that the operations
of the present Executive cannot yet be properly
judged. When they took office they were fettered,
and a large portion of the year's revenue was spent.
In fact the principal portion of their time an 1 ener-
gies had to be devoted to disentangling the accounts
and making them clear. Of course it will be easily
understood that when accounts under the eye of the
Government in the town of Nelson were in such a
state of confusion as the Education and Water-rate
accounts, those at a distance would be still
worse, especially as they were under the management
of an Executive who never visited the country
districts. Under the head of "Justice," we pro-
pose an expenditure of £8,942, as against £12,279
of last year. Under the head of "Education"
we cannot make any reduction, and I believe we
shall have to exceed the expenditure of former years.
Neither will there be any decrease in the Hospital nor
Survey charges. With regard to the latter, it will
be necessary to increase the department, because a
better system of surveys must be instituted. Under
the head "Harbors," we propose an expenditure
of £1,895, as against £2259 of last year.
We purpose to add largely to the Public
Works, and to ask for a considerable increase. We
must economise as much as possible the money placed
in our hands for expenditure on Public Works, but
if the charges be increased by interest, and such
deductions, we must expect to have less to
spend on Public Works. Still I believe that the
revenue of the Province, and the amount available
for Public Works will this year be increased
very materially. I believe that the system under
which the lands of the Province will be laid out by
an efficient survey establishment, and divided into
sections for sale will induce people to purchase the
land and settle upon it. There must be a proper
classification of the land, and it must be put properly
into the market. The result of last year's land sales
is instructive. I find upon an analysis that
out of £6317, the total amount of our land sales for
last year, no less than £2905, was obtained from the
sale of town lands in Westport alone, while from
other portions of the Goldfields £2747 was received.

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I believe with proper management the total receipts
would be greatly increased. There is a large extent
of country available for settlement. By judicious
expenditure on survey and main roads this land will
be opened for settlement and the Province will thus
double its land sales. To effect this we strive for
retrenchment in departmental expenditure, but it is use-
less for any Government to endeavor to economise un-
less thoroughly supported by the Council and the public
with no doubt by reductions already saved £4000,
which, together with £2700 of increased revenue, gives
over £7700 additional for public works and purposes.
If the Government see their way to effect further re-
trenchments without impairing the efficiency of the
service they will do so, but this is not the time for re-
ducingsalaries. We have many valuable officers in the
service, and their salaries bear favorable comparison
with salaries paid in the neighboring Provinces
excepting the Survey department, and as a conse-
quence many of our best officers have been attracted
elsewhere. In conclusion I have to apologise to the
Council for any shortcomings that may appear in this
Statement. I have not enjoyed sufficient leisure to
have given it the amount of care and preparation
necessary for my own satisfaction; still the truth
which I hope I have made plain, that the Province is
prosperous and progressing will, I know, cordone for
the want of detail in minor matters. Nothing
could be so fatal to the welfare of the Province
as the wide spread belief that notwithstanding the
expenditure to develop our resources we are in a
decaying condition. I am glad to say such is not
the case. This Province, on the contrary, is a gene-
rous Province, and any small expenditure upon it (if
judicious) is amply repaid, in every part of it
will raise itself high in the estimation of the Colony,
and the example will be followed elsewhere. The
and if the Council will only adopt a proper policy
with regard to the expenditure of public monies, it
will raise itself high in the estimation of the Colony,
and the example will be followed elsewhere. The
question of responsible or irresponsible Government
is one which very little affects the administration of
the affairs of the Province, it rests with the men
and not with the system. The Council have intro-
duced a system of responsible Government by which
the power of administration virtually rests with them,
and I desire to see them uphold it. At the same
time there is an evil. It is a system by which in
a small Council petty grievances will be hawked
about by members and brought in judgment against
the Executive or individual members, instead of
taking into consideration the whole tenor of their
actions. I have heard that an attempt, specially
directed at one member of the present Executive. We
are as one, and have acted together and divided the
work amongst ourselves, each one discharging
his duty to the best of his ability. If there is any credit
we share it alike, or, on the contrary, any mistakes,
all are equally ready to take the blame. We
hopa that our efforts to discharge our duty have met
with the approval of this Council and the Province.
(Applause.)

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