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Revenues in New Zealand. But the House
will perhaps agree that there is no fairer mode
of apportioning the amount of general con-
tribution to be furnished by each Province,
than making it depend on the respective
amounts of the Customs' collection. These
are a tolerably good exponent of the wealth
and number of the inhabitants of each Pro-
vince, and the share of the general burden
ought to be mainly dependent on these two con-
ditions. It has moreover been the tendency of
legislation in these Islands to appropriate the
Land Revenues as much as possible for the
benefit of the locality in which they were
raised: and I do not think the House can
legislate more beneficially for the Colony in
respect of them, than to appropriate as large
a portion as possible of the net receipts to
Provincial purposes.

In reference to that part of the arrangement
detailed in the Civil Secretary's Letter of the
8th of August, 1853, in which allusions are
made to the probability that the proportion of
the Customs Revenue payable to the Pro-
vinces, would eventually exceed two-thirds of
the collections, it is necessary to remark that
the annual expenses of the General Govern-
ment were estimated by the Governor on
the 8th of August, 1853, to be about 21,000l.,
including the expenditure on account of the
Civil List. Had this calculation proved
correct, a considerable addition to the propor-
tion of two-thirds of the Customs' Receipts
would have been available for Provincial pur-
poses. But the Civil List alone being
16,000l., this calculation allows only 5,000l.

ompenses of the General
Government-a sum quite inadequate for the
purpose. The expenses of the General As-
sembly, exclusive of the building of the House,
are estimated at 5,000l.; the interest on De-
bentures, exclusive of that on the Wellington
Land Debentures, amounts to 2,225l. 17s.
In fact, the charges on account of the Civil
List and the Departments of the General Go-
vernment amount to 37,329l. 3s. 10d., inclu-
sive of all expenses on account of the Abori-
gines. Of this sum 13,000l. are exclusively
required for departments of the General Go-
vernment not provided for in the Civil List.
Even this, I think, will be found insufficient
to conduct efficiently the present Establish-
ments. Since the passing of the last Appro-
priation Ordinance, on which the present ex-
penditure has principally been based, the
prices of the necessaries of life have nearly
doubled. Pressing applications have been re-
ceived from nearly every department of the
public service, calling the attention of the Go-
vernment to the extraordinary increase of the
cost of living, and the difficulty of retaining
the services of the present holders of subor-
dinate offices on the existing scale of remuner-
ation, when those employed in other pursuits
are so exceedingly well paid, and are enabled
from their savings to make comfortable pro-
vision for the future. Looking, therefore, to
the probability that the more meritorious and
experienced officers may be induced to leave
the services of the Government, unless some
additions be made to the present rates of
salary, it will be consistent with a proper
regard to the public interests, in a time of
great prosperity, to satisfy the urgent claims
which have been made for a fitting remunera-
tion of those employed in the public service
of the Colony. I have made no addition to
the Estimates on this account, as I prefer
leaving these claims to the justice of the
House.

The proportion which the general charges,
as shown in the Estimates, bear to the net
ordinary Revenue of Customs is as 1 to $2\frac{1}{2}$
nearly, instead of 1 to 3. It is evident; there-
fore, that instead of the proportion of the
Customs' Revenues at present paid to the
Provinces being increased, it will be necessary
to decrease it, unless a portion of the general
charges, especially those on account of the
part maintenance of Hospitals and other
aboriginal expenses not included in the Civil
List, should be made a charge on the General
Land Fund of the Colony.

On reference to the Estimates, it will be
found that the sum of 2,223l. 15s. has been
included for the Land Purchase Department.
It was proposed to increase the cost of this
department considerably. At present, how-
ever, nothing can be gained by unusual exer-
tions on the part of the Government to
hasten the extinguishment of the Aboriginal
titles to land. The Native mind is disturbed
by the extent of territory which has lately
been added to the Crown Demesne, and the
Commissioner is of opinion that these feelings
of alarm should be allowed to subside by ab-
staining for a time from active negotiations.

A portion of the purchase money for Native
land, partly situated in the Province of Canter-
bury, and obtained by the Government in
the month of August, 1853, equivalent to that
portion of the lands belonging to the Province
of Canterbury, is ultimately to be paid from
the Land Fund of the Province of Canterbury
into the Land Fund chest at Nelson. I pro-
pose at once adjusting this claim out of the
large proceeds of Land Sales now lying in
the General Treasury at Canterbury, and to
devote the sum payable into the Nelson chest
in part payment of the expense of completing
the extinction of the Native titles to land in
the Province of Nelson.

The contributions towards the expenses of
the Nelson steamer, which have been
guaranteed by the Provincial Governments,
will be placed on the Supplementary
Estimates as soon as the House has signified
its wish that the amount should be defrayed
out of the General Funds of the Colony.

I have called upon the Commissioner of
Crown Lands at Wellington to furnish a full
report on the arrangements made in con-
currence with the New Zealand Company's
agent for the purchase of Scott's grant, by
which Debentures for the sum of 3675l. 16s.,
bearing interest at the rate of 8 per cent., have
been issued to the Trustees of Scott's estate.
It having been left for future adjustment