OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 153, 23 June 1892, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

. — » Wellington, This Day. Parliament was opened this afternoon by His Excellency the Governor. The following is a precis of his speech : — Hon Gentlemen of Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Eepreseutatiyes: —It gives me much pleasure to meet you m .Parliament assembled so soon after my arrival in New Zealaud. I have also to express my pleasure at the warm and loyal welcome given me as Her Majesty's representative by the inhabitants of the Empire city. It is my pleasant lot at this the commencement of my term of office to be able to congratulate you upon the continued and sustained improvement iv the . finances of the colony. New Zealand is now in a sounder and more prosperous . state than at any time during the last : thirteen years. lam happy to be able to state, as my predecessor stated, twelve months ago, that the provision made during last session for carrying on the public services proved more than sufficient. Our exports are still greatly in excess of our imports and proves clearly that the colony possesses both the power and the will to steadily reduce its liabilities. It is with pleasure that I draw your attention to the fact that exports of New Zealand produce for the financial year show an actual increase, despite the partial failure of the wheat harvest of 1891, and the comparatively low price of '. our staple export-wool. On the occasion of your meeting together last year your attention was specially invited to the exodus of population from this to the neighbouring colonies which, after continuing for some years, had up to that moment shown no sign of abatement. lam glad, however, to be able to | inform you that, since the prorogation of I your Houses in September last, the statistics of arrivals and departures show a fair excess of the former over the latter. My Ministers are of opinion that this hn- < proved state of affairs is due, in part at least, to the efforts made by the Bureau 1 of Industries to accelerate the circulation of labour through the colony. '• The disposal and settlement of the waste lands of the Crown has gone on apace during the last twelve months. The i stream of applications which has been i flowing in from special settlement associi ations affords, in the opinion bfrny ad- | , visers, a further convincing proof of the i great and still increasing demand for land among bona fide intending settlers on the soil. The questions to be laid before you by the Lands Department will prove the rate of settlement in the colony is now chiefly limited by three conditions ; First, the amount of Crown Lands still available for occupation ; second, the amount of money in hand for spending in surveys ; and the unwillingness of Parliament to amend and iinproye such part of the land , laws as form a hindrance rather than a a help to rapid and genuine settlement. Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council : I deeply regret your already diminished numbers have been further reduced by four members. > Gentlemen of the House of Representatives : The estimates of revenue and ex- ' penditure have been framed with a strict regard to economy. You will doubtless 1 be gratified to learn that information carefully compiled points to the con--1 elusion that the important reform of direct taxation made by jou last session will be carried into effect without any i loss to the reyenue whatever. i Hon Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of ' Representatives : — Returns will be laid I before you showing the result of traffic, i in all branches of railway. You will be asked to give your attention to the < question of the future management s of this large and valuable part of i the national property. You will : be asked to consider Bills dealing with the land laws, and the acquisa- • tion of private lands for settlement in ■ small blocks for tbe relief of certain hard ! pressed tenan-ts of the Crown. The Electoral Bill, as introduced last year, will again be laid before you with one very noticeable addition. The Juries Bill will this year contain certain further reforms, and you will be asked to pass a Bill amending the law of Bankruptcy, and another providing for the Payment of Members, also Bills dealing with Civil Servants and other employees of the State. 1 Several measures relating to agriculture, Bills for amending the laws relating- to ' Insurance Companies. A measure for tbe establishment of Boards of Conciliation, , and a Court of Arbitration, to cope with industrial disputes will be laid before you. J These matters I commend to your attention, that your efforts may, with God's blessing, tend to the happiness and well being of the people of New Zealand.