✨ Provincial Administration Address
126
empowering the Superintendent to convey the land in question to the Society upon certain trusts, as soon as he is in a position to give a title.
Should you assent to the proposals made for liquidating the public debt, it will be necessary to pass a Bill authorizing the appointment of Commissioners, and defining their powers and duties.
Bills for facilitating the transfer of Publicans’ Licenses—for making certain amendments in the Highways’ Act—for legalizing the expenditure of last year—for appropriating the revenue of the current year—for extending the time of hearing claims to compensation—for amending the Registration Ordinance, will also be laid before you.
As the income of the Province will, both for the current and ensuing year, being in a great measure contingent upon your adoption of the proposals I have made in regard to the reclaimed land, to selling land at 5s, and to the loan, I am, until I know your decision, necessarily precluded from proposing any other public works than those I have specified.
Should you, however, agree to my suggestion, I shall be prepared, at once to place sums on the estimates, for carrying out the works at present in progress on the Te Kopi line—for extending the Ohariu and Makara roads—for converting the Belmont and Wai-nui-o mata bridle tracks into dray roads,—for continuing the Wanganui-Rangitikei trunk line to the Waitotara block,—for forming a road into the valley recently discovered near Mungaroa (a valley estimated to contain some three or four thousand acres of rich and finely timbered land),
—for completing the road from Featherston to Masterton, and continuing it thence to the 40-mile bush ; all works of urgent importance, and which would have been completed by this time, had it not have been for the disallowance of the Loan Act.
In conclusion, I venture to express a hope, that all parties, both in the Council and out of it, will unite in an attempt to maintain the Province of Wellington, in the high position to which it has already attained, and from which, if its colonists be but true to themselves, neither partial dismemberment of its territory, nor the determination of the General Government to create financial difficulties, will be able to reduce it. The noble harbour which we possess, our central position with regard equally to the trade of America, Europe, and the Australian Colonies, as well as to communication between the several Provinces of the Colony,—the abundance of land yet available for settlement, whenever the deliberate tardiness of the General Government shall place it at our disposal,—the energy of the colonists schooled by the experience of twenty years, render the future prosperity of Wellington (under Providence) a matter of such certainty, as may well encourage us to struggle with and overcome any temporary difficulties, which an unfriendly General Government, or the mutability of seasons and events may from time to time place in the path of our advancement.
I. E. FEATHERSTON,
Superintendent.
COUNCIL CHAMBER,
Wellington,
30th August, 1859.
[PRINTED BY McKENZIE & MUIR.]
Wellington Provincial Gazette 1859, No 20
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
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Financial Position of the Province
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💰 Finance & Revenue30 August 1859
Financial Position, Revenue, Expenditure, Land Revenue, Customs, Infrastructure, Roads, Tolls, Wharf, Reclaimed Land
- I. E. Featherston, Superintendent