PARLIAMENT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1215, 12 June 1885, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.] Wellington. June 11, 1885. Parliament was opened to-day, when His Excellency the Governor delivered the following speech Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives. iv I have mncb pleasure in aga’n having-re-course to your assistance in Parliament as* sembled. The depression that was prevalent throughout the Colony when you met last year shows signs of passing away in many parts, notwithstanding the low price of wool and wheat satisfactory evidence is apparent of renewed enterprise and of confidence in the future progress of the Colony. The loyal disposition Maoris, and the readiness they have displayed in aid to construction of the North Trunk Railway must be exceedingly gratifying to you. My Minis* ters desire in dealing with the Natives to treat them with justice and consideration, whilst at the same time toe law maintained there throughout the native territory show signs that the attitude of the Maori is not only peaceful, but friendly. Tribes and bupus bituerto standing aloof from Europeans, have shown an earnest desire to co» operate heartily with the Government, and my advisers are of opinion that in order to avoid mimnderstan mg in tuture, it is most important that a better mode of dealing with Native Lands should be devised ; to accomplish this in a manner jut to the Maori owners and beneficial to tbe Colony, they propose to subim. to you a Bill to regulate the sale and otherwise disposing of lauds belonging to the Natives. The construction of the North Island Main Trunk. Railway, which was happily inaugurated near Kihikihi in April last, can .ot lail to have a most beneficial effect on tue relations oetween the European and Native races, and as lanU is provided fo< settlement along the line, the North Island will noabMess make great strines in permanent agiicul.u ral settlement. My advisers have proceeded cnntinuously but effectively with the prosecution of other works, and they hope that at no distant date the railway between Wellington and Napier will be finished. Kapi. progress is being mude in the construction of tbe Otago Central Railway, which when completed will open up the interior plains of that provincial district. No time was lost m making an agreement under the East and West Coast ana Nelson Railway Act, and Ministers are in hopes that in accordance with its pro visions Nels m and West Coast will before long be connected with the East Coast of the Middle Island, and that a vast area of land which from its nature requires a railway to develop it, wid uecome available for useful purposes. The gain to the Colony from opening the tines of communication with the West Coast, my .Ministers consider will be of immense importance, whilst tbe utilisation of the ianu of which the Colony will retain alternate blocks, must prove of great service. You wit. be asked to const mr whether the off dvo working of the railways opened for tiafiic cou d not he improved by the constitu ion of’Boards of Commissioners, to whom would be emrusted the general management of the railways. To enable you to deal with this su ject my Ministers will submit a Bill for y ur cons.deration in act unlance with the authorities given by Parliament in iBB2, and by you last session. The loans of LI,000,00(1 and L1.50U,0U0 have neen raised, and exceedingly satisiac ory prices obtained; papers on the subject will be laid before you. The Industrial Exhibition in Wellington will shortly be opeoei, an my advisers believe ihat through it, in impetus will be given to maiiuiaotu in . enterprise tluoughuut the Colony. You will be asked to authorise the represemaiion of the Colony at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, to be held in London next year. A great opportunity will thns be attorded of making known throughout the wor d the vast resources and natural a vantages of the Colony. Considerable attention has been given to the promotion of agrica tnral settlement.'' The special settlements formed un ier the regulations late y gazetted, promise to be a great success, applications far exceeding the area at present avada de bylaw, having been received by the Lands Ue ailment. The constitution of the Legislative Council has often been discussed. | A Bill dealing with tho subject, by limiting the appointment to a term of years will be submitted for your consideration.

Gbntlrmen of the House of Represent TATIVES—

The estimates of revenue and expenditure for the current year will he laid before you without delay. They have been framed with the desire to promote the utmost economy consistent with the efficiency of the departments. My Ministers believe that the time has come when there should be some readjustment of taxation, and pro posala wuh this object will shor ly on subnutted to you. Hon, Gentlemen of the Legi lative Council and Gentlemen of the Houss of Repre* sentativea—

For some time during the recess cons siderable apprehension exiate I of an outbreak of war wuh Russia. Mv Mimsteis, therefore, felt it necessaryjto make immediate and strenuous efforts to pi me the Colony in a state of defence. With this object consider'd expense has been incuare I, to which you will no doubt readily assent. Tue main ports are being put i i a state to r»sist attack, ami it will he proposed to vou to sanction furth r expenditure to render the defence ot the Cot my still more complete. You will lie invited to express your views on the question both of naval and land defence. Tn re has neon throughout the Colony ad sire to improve the syste n of local government; my Ministers consider that any reform attempted should interfere as little as possible with existing institutions so long as the obj ct sought can be attained. They have prepaied for y.mr o nsideration various Buis making provision for granting local ho lies larger powers with a more assured local finance, thus enabling them to perform their important function without continually referring to the central Govei nment or to Parliament for aid and assistance. The attention of my Ministers has been much directed to the development of the great mineral wealth of the Colon , the interest and enthusiasm awakened in the minors by the lectures recently delivere on chemistry and mineralogy,and the desire for the establishment ot school ot mines demonstrate the confidence these enterprising settlers have in thair pursuits. Yon will he asked to give further facilities to the mining industry, and there nro other industries which require yonr ca'etul attention. The forests o> the country if properly cultivated woul i not only give full employment to many colonists but their value would be greatly enhanced, much valuable timber is uow being recklessly deBlioved, and in will he for yon to <onsjder whether now for economy as well as climatic reasons, greater effort- should not be made to conserve and utilise the forests lands ot the Crown. A Bill uu the subject has been

prepared and will ho submitted to you. The Phenes, though known to be valuable bavn hitherto received very little notice. Proposal* to found fi-hing settlements and the development of fishing industries will be laid before yon, and I have no doubt they wi'l receive yonrcareful consideration. The relations to the Vustralian Colonies and the South Sea Islands have occupied the a teuton of Ministers during the recess, my Ministers considered it their duty to npoosthe Federal Council Bib in the shape it has been brought before .he Imperial I’ariia P mont, a”* l ti ' l y° n oonld h |Ve an o Pb" r, “- W.nity of expressing y»ur views on the suh- " The new Mail Service to the South Sea Islands which you authoris-d w*U. it is honed, strengthen he commercial relations ' and increase the trade between them and New Zealand. Correspon'ence with the , Rjuht Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with the Premier’s of the Australian Colonies, and with the King of Samoa, will be laid before you. Dispensing to the , p oor and sick has proved, especially since the abolition of the provinces, a difficult task. My Ministers think rhat such cannot be efficiently administered by a central government, but should he locally a 'ministered. A Bill with this object wil be submitted to yon. I commend to your careful consideration Bills which will be

brought before y-n for various purposes, amongst others for consolidating the Land Laws; for limping the liability of Insur. ance Co’s »hj -reholders ; for modifying the criminal law tor consolidating the various Mnn cipal Corpo'-arions Acts ; the Native Land Laws and the Land Transfer Acta ; ami for establishing a system of parcel post, and fo- the issue of postal notes. I earnestly hope that with the b easing of God you may be enabled to discharge your onerous In i«” with good effect.