LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 41, 16 May 1844, Page 3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Tuesday, May 14th, 1844. This morning the adjourned Meeting of the Legislative Council took place according to the Notice in the Government Gazette. The Council Chamber was very much thronged in the morning, and shortly after 12 o’clock His Excellency entered the room and took his seat. 4’he Attorney General, Colonial Secretary, Colonial Treasurer, Messrs. Brown, Clifford, and Dr. Martin took their seats. lIIS EXCELLENCY requested that the minutes of the last Council be read, the CLERK OF COUNCIL then read the minutes, which were confiimcd. HIS EXCELLENCY then informed the official members of Council that the three non official members were sworn in on the previous day. HIS EXCELLENCY then rose and said: Gentlemen, Although this third session of the Legislative Council of Nfew Zealand, has been already formally opened, and we are now meeting after only a temporary adjournment. 1 think that a few words bv wav of introduction to the measures 1 have to lay before you, may not be out of place. But before I speak of these measures, adow me to take the opportunity of offering yon my congratulations, and of expressing niy satisfaction at having the benefit of the able assistance and local experience of the three honorable member', who compose the non-offieia! poition of ill * council. In the presence of (hose gentlemen we have the advantage o* as near an approach to the bulwark of British liberty, and popular representation, as the circumstances of this young and dependent colony will allow, and I feel confident that the\ will not only examine, but jealously scrutinize every question brought before them, and will diligently strive to promote the ge>.vril welfare o' New Zealand. It will be advisable to commence onr duties by revising the ‘‘ Rules of Council.” in order to promote the regularity, order, and despatch of out proceedings; while we carefully pteserve freedom of discussion. These rules having been agreed npon, and deliberately confirmed, 1 shall propose to lay before you a “ Bill, for Authorising the Issue of Dehens lures,” to the amount of not more than £15,000 and for making such Debentures a legal tender. This measure l am induced to propose in order to save the Colony from the extreme distress if not otter ruin, which must inevitably follow a want of any circulating medium, as has been recently threatened. For the means of repayment of these De bentures, I have confidence in the resources of this healthy, productive, and rich country, and I have confidence in the assistance of her Majesty the Queen’s Government. In New Zealand while every succeeding year brings a greatly increased production of the surface of the earth,T may well say that each succeeding year also developes ad* ditional mineral treasures. To provisions, corn flax, timber, oil, wool, hides, and beer. I look for returns for industry and capital employed ou the Surface of this territory : and to copper, manganese, nickel, lead, sulpher, rock-salt, iron, coal, marble, and limestone, I point in reply to those hesitating capitalists, who enquire “ where are the exports of New Zealand?” With such resources and such assistance to de= pend upon, I am not dismayed by our present difficulties, great as they undoubtedly are, and with your assistance I trust to he enabled to overcome them. By issuing debentures and making them a legal fender, the present crisis may be passed without disaster, and the road kept open to a prosperous future.

Statements of the liabilities and assets, and of the probable watys and means of the colony will be laid before you, at the sam- time witha“ Bill for appropriating the Revenue.” and I will then bring forward three separate bills for imposing taxes on Land, Houses and Does.

These financial measures, which require to be brought into immediate operation, will take precedence of others.

Twolamendnrents of the Customs’ Ordinance, will be laid before you separately, one for immediate operation,-and the other to await Her Mas jesty’s confirmation. In this latter will be included proposed duties on imported cattle, and alterations in the duties on spirits. I am desirous ot bringing about, gradually, a system of direct taxation ; of the least troublesome, Or vexatious character,—of the h ast difficulty and’ expence with regard to collection; the least liable to be avoided ; and affecting the poorer classes as little as possible. Some such general contribution is indispensable for the maintenance of an efficient government, and I trust that the details of the measures to be proposed will be such as to obviate many of the objections which are generally raised against direct taxes. Bv such a system, we may hope to bring about Free Trade. Probably no country was ever better suited than New Zealand fer unrestricted commerce, or less adapted for an expensive, although unavoidably inefficient Custom House Establishment, I need only allude to her 3,000 miles of coast-line and numerous harbours, to explain my meaning. You will find by the Estimates to be laid before you that it is proposed to reduce the annual expence of the present Establishment by a sum of about 10,000/, the largest reduction which it ap= pears to me prudent to attempt. In effecting this alteration chiefly under the heads of Police, Survey, and Works, I lament the necessity of interfering with the many officers salaries. This is indeed a painful task, but the public Credit, and the exigency of the case, demand that such a measure should be taken. Should a further reduction be found indispen--Blble, it must be made, 1 believe, by a general per centage on all salaries, the number of officers

employed being as few as can possibly execute ihe various and increasing duties of this colony effis ciently. 1 rely with confidence on assistance, to a reas sonable extent, from our mother country; but we must not on that account fail to nse every means in our power, and make every possible exertion ti help ourselves and gradually improve our pei u? niary resources. f will now, lest I should be tedious, glance but hastily over the list of mea sureS awaiting your consideration, important though they be, rr marking only in this place, that upon the measures already meutioned, and upon those affecting the present and future state of the general population of New Z-aland. as to instruction and ministerial disposition, all others are mainly dependeat 1 shall have to lay on the table the following bills, [His Excellency then read over the heads ot the oills published in the Government Gazette, ot April 27 h, which our readers will find in the Chronicle of May 2nd.] I very much ragret that the substance of these i measures should not have been published In sufficient time to enable the residents at Wellington, and other parts of the Colony to become acquainted with their nature. Circumstances, of which you are well aware prevenied the possibility of m 3 doing so this yeai, but in future, it will be my endeavour, if I am permitted, to give at least three months notice of every Bill which it may be intended to lay the Legislative Council. Before I sit down allow me to express an earnest desire and confident hope that every member of the Council will keep in view the grave responsibility of bis duties, and will remember his right to freedom of debate, and to discussion unrestiained, except by the rules we are about to consider. And now, Gentlemeu. humbly trusting that a blessing may rest upon Our honest exertions for tile public good, I would propose to you that we should commence our duties, by examining, and if necessary, revising the Rules of Council, which I here lay on the table. HlB EXCELLENCY then laid on he table the “ Rules of Council,” which were read, and after many alterations, some additions and much discussion, they were finally agreed to. During the discussion on the “ Rules of Council,’’ it was agreed that it should not be requisite for any member to second a motion made, but it should pass on to discussion and vote without that antiquated form which should be abolished, i’hat all Private Bills be printed before they could be received by the Council, at the expense of the parties preferring them. That the Council meet on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sa 1 today, at 11 o’clock. HIS EXCELLENCY inlorraed the Council that the tax on houses having more than three rooms was not to be considered as a permanent tax, but merely a kind of donation, and that the tax which was proposed to be levied on cattle must, if passed the Council, have the sanction of the Home Government and it would therefore be from nine to twelve months before it could by any means come into operation. The Council then adjourned to Thursday, (this day) at 11 o’clock.