OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 398, 2 January 1890, Page 2

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

[raoii oub owx coxAßsrptrniNT.] Sypwxt, Dec. 11. Since my la it Jotter ths poitioel situation . ha* been disturbed by a motion of censure, 'following the Tressurer's- Budget speech. ' The a small surplus—-soma-£50,000 or op—not very much out of an income of-nin* miilioas, tMtl ettß Aeetisfactory .evidence that expenditure i* no longer allowed to outrun receipts. No change in taxation was .proposed, the Tteaiurer stating that ho would take steps to remove anoma* lous duties next year. . Now at the beginning of his term of office Mr MacMillan stated that it was the intention of the Government to do this " next therefore, led by Mr Dibbs, chaltenge the Government for a~breach of faith in ndt fulfilling their promise. This constitute* th* first count in Wr Dibbs* indictment, The second is an affirmation that an immsdirag ohaoge; of the tariff {a nece***ey i" ditectidh 0? the luqpcMtiOn nf protective duties. In th* courae of Ms speech the mover of the vote ot censure hit a very serious blot iu the financial statemeos, which shows, that the surpluais not > A4t one of actual receipts over actual expeodittara, but that credit has been taken for a Mm ot £200,990 which has' not been received, but which ia a part, ot the eatimatrd value ot land held by the Government fur future sale, and which has been imineneely improved by the expenditure on th* hew Oentaateal Parlr Of courae the existence of a email deficit instead of a email aurplu* would have greatly strengthened the hand* of th* Opposition aa showing the wed for an immediate revision of taxation and therefore hastening the inevitable struggle as to the manner-in which It shonld bo sceompiiahed. Is le ooly fair, however, to say that no oonoeelmeat was prac iaed ia ths matter and - that the Treasurer claims to have received she sanction of ths Auditor-general to th* oonrs* which he haa adopted. I must say for myself that I fail to see how money which ha* not been received can rightfully fl .rare in *n-eoaonnt of receipts In thh instance titer* ia note shadow of doubt that the asset is «f great value and eaaHy realisable. But ie ba* not yet been realised, and therefore, with all due deference to the Colonial Treasurer and th* Auditor-general I think the wiser plan would have been to take credit for it in a separate account instead ot putting it amongst item* which purport to be actu u receipt* and disbursement*, But, let the right* of thi* question be what they may they don't justify the charge* of “jugglery ” and misrepresentation which been freely used in connection with it. Still lew do they justify the stoppage of public business which is involved In a party tight at the present joaotare of affair*. With regard to Ministerial pledges as to tariff reform Mr MacMillan explains thafrciroamstances had completely altered since he gave them. It was then believed that th* firat sssrion ot the year ws* going tn be a short one. that the Land Bill could ba eerily passed by the end of June, end that the letter pert of the yeer could be devoted to threshing ont the fiscal question. But a* e matter of fact the first seraion took nearly ths whole ot the year, and only left bare time to pass the estimate* before Ghriatms*. Furthermore, the Opposition, Mr MacMillan contended, by passing the Addreas.ih.feply on "th* voices, had condoned the alleged breach Of promise. For, of course, thsAddreea-in-raplv epecifically approved of the policy enunciated in the Governor’* »p*rah-rß*m«ly to have fl**rely a •bort financial ssMion, which of soar** would ba .incompatible with a party struggle on Freetrade and Protection, All Hti* is very true. But Mr MacMillan, owing rather to impetuosity than to any desire to trim, i* still in a false position. Hagave asp eeifle undertaking to revise the tariff. He even named a certain date (December 81) as the time by which it should be done. Br fixing the date he fixed himulf. An undated promissory note is void, nb matter how carefully sxscu'eq in other respects. But when it is dated it he* to be paid at maturity no matter what unforeseen oiroumataneea may have intervened, Mr MacMillan. it-UMy-bessid, gave no written undertaking. But -in bnsiness a men’s word is hie bond, and surely ibvword of a respon. eible Minister-ought not to be worth less than that of an importer >-or ehopkeaper. Under the okeum«tano*», however, I think it would have bean more (snetoua iM well as more patriotic, on tfie part of the Qpporitiog if they had oenwoted to forego the trifling advantage whieh was given th«m. by a tew hasty words of the Treasurer-attumd months ago. Prospscte ar* <mpravia*-ae*7th* country need* reet to reoiiperbM-: tfo. material resources, It now seems o*taii»<that it is not to bavsnet. The HnmtaltMt animo*lMfo| . that have been round Intatttaky by Oommsueraent of th* Meagre fleMto threaten to reader government Unponlbta In this ” case a fresh appeal to the oountry will be neosMery, which Will probably rawl> iu the election of a House a* equally divided as thk present Assembly, and therefore e* liable tq be rendered suddenly inept gad povrerleeg by party (trite. All hope which Mr Dibba may have entertained ot carrying hie motion, has been destroyed to ell eppearenoe by the attitude ot Mr J P. Abbott, a prominent member ot the Opposition, who fo-uekmtoufl to have euggaued to the G mrnmrat the idea ot holding a short flnaMM Haeton. -In We-plam in the House Mr Abbott roundly declared tbgt dM Censure motion -wee wn attempt -to make Opposition mrinMrc “ toe the mark " a* < ■ign bt allegiance to their party leadoM, rather than any national exigency. Ha, for one, declined to be "eeiradci;-up" ia thio manner, and he should refuse to vote acainet tbp Government, foilowing aa they were, a c-iurM which he h<m*e'f bed ncommended. S<M at I eatd before, the numbers ot the pporition are so nearly aanal to those *1 the Government that' they l can render if Impoealble to berry »<t tbe-poUie buoinee*. The two foornlng dalliee openly recommend an immedMlM mpral teUh* aonetitnen* ria*. TUB adriM, taUWft woulfl have hafl rant weight bad ieMtoMtai Jta Cvieten, that it dose at peariMb It lalookoMpoa kjf the OppMidoa organ aa a threat hold oveg those memtar* who bate lately earn* Info th* poMMrion M a «*lWf voted hy the State and who may taeuppeosdtwbe taM hurry to Jeopardise it. Sines X last Wrote a considerable shrinkage b te taken place in the swtapwt mining aharac, duo rather, I imagine, tea desire to roaliao profits before Ohrlatntv* thtai co anything approaching a naale. Al the tame lime It cannot ba dented that prlaeahsdadvMcod tq a flolnt which wvrid-bowe left little margin for a further rise Jf the hrt.t eangnTnc dreatae ot the matt aangufoeapaMlgtors were tobe folly realised.- Itfe onerraely Improbable that those dreamt *i«*o res Heed la nay J givonotte. life moreovstfMrtMh that even I In a few exo*psiowvlo«MMbev am realised, a great interval qf Hfori WM-frfoWnt floc*u ttinn* in price it Lhofdly (M'iirttailMtMU ins.l to. ntp a-mitch-htni ' eft'foe a eh ire In « pibaelak irexin, »s tltey w .nld bs >;(Wag te p*y jfor the »*m* share ia (he ataeai | > *