A CORRECT VERSION OF HIS HONOR’S SPEECH.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 182, 8 July 1864, Page 6 (Supplement)

A CORRECT VERSION OF HIS HONOR’S SPEECH.

(b V SPECIAL P E E.M I S S I 0 X.) Me. Speaker and Gentlemen, —The absurd requirements of the Constitution xVct oblige me to call you together. It is very distressing, but I really cannot help it. I could carry on the Government capitally without you. It must be a source of great satisfaction to you to know that I have done ‘everything I possibly can to retard the progress of this Province, so as to secure our runs from the Gothic invasion of small holders, and such like breeders and hringers of population. I am happy to say that the war has' not yet extended to this Province, and it gives me equal gratification to say also that I have succeeded, in consequence, in obtaining the assistance of a large body of men, who are found to be brave and devoted customers for those commodities with which this Province abounds, which, while they afford sustenance to the consumer, alford also large profits to the producer. The war indeed has, under these encouraging circumstances, thus far proved a great blessing to this Province, and you will admit that in the present state of the Provincial finances it would be difficult to get on without it. The present state of the Natives contrasts favorably with their condition some two years ago. We can now get runs from them without any trouble ; for the efficient manner in which justice has always been administered in this Province between the two races has so imbued the Maories with respect for our laws and institutions, that it is pleasing to see how very easily they are now managed in all matters relating to “ grass money.” I have succeeded, after a hard struggle, and with greater difficulty than I at first anticipated, in effectually eradicating small holdings in this Province. Agriculture, I am happy to say, is rapidly on the decline. A few more years of my Government, and such a thing as a small farmer will not be found within our borders. You will admit that a country overgrown by Scotch thistles is far better than a country overrun by small farmers. The Provincial share of the customs revenue has nearly doubled. This is exceedingly cheering, and may be accounted for by the

fact that, whereas, the principal quantity of liquor drank in the Province up to a recent date was consumed by yourselves and the Bench of Magistrates, whom you will allow to have done their best in that regard. Now, I am glad to say, that you and your colleagues have been relieved from their onerous duties by the addition ot about 300 hard drinkers, whom I have succeeded in getting together from the adjacent colonies, irrespective of some additional hundreds of regular troops or topers sent hither specially by the General Government at ray earnest request. The export of wool continues satisfactory. The Provincial Treasurer has prepared a financial statement, which will be laid before you, and from which you will perceive that, considering that the Provincial Treasury has long been empty, we have succeeded in disbursing a very respectable sum of money. It is gratifying in the extreme to be able to say that the apportionment of the Wellington debt has not yet been adjusted. It was with this view that I used my influence, with success, to get a certain gentlemanjwell known to you appointed as one of our commissioners. I have hopes that we may yet live to see the day wheu our share of the £3,000,000 loan will come into my hands for administration. But upon this head I think it right to tell you that, notwithstanding the concessions made by the General Government thereon to the Superintendent of Wellington, I am not sanguine. It is a matter of congratulation to this Province that the facilities of Steam Communication, have been so much increased by the addition of that last boat the “ Huntress,” built in the irou pot specially for this service, that I shall not ask you to sanction the expenditure of a subsidy to other steam vessels. The Hawke’s Bay Steam Navigation Company lias, in that boat, vindicated its rights to rank amongst the most enterprising and prosperous undertakings afloat, and will, I make no doubt, when the proper time arrives, bo quite ready for any emergency. The system of assisted immigration to this Province is going on swimmingly. We have already imported no less than two entire families, and I think it not unlikely that we may possibly got two or three more in the course of a year or two. As the unmarried male population of this Province is considerable, I have availed myself of the generous and disinterested efforts in the cause of immigration of a highly estimable lady, with a view to supply the deficiency of females by the introduction of a large number of good-looking young women, a stock of which article I hope to have on hand, of very superior quality, very shortly. The addition to our adult population within the last year, in the shape of Justices of the Peace and Militia officers amounts to about 800. I have been careful, in making this selection, to get none but out and out supporters of my administration, and have not entered into the superfluous question of their qualifications. The roads are progressing favorably. We keep as many as tea men constantly at work on them, having no other hands at our disposal. It is true there are some two or three hundred gentlemen with nothing particular to do at present, receiving public pay in the Province, who might te usefully employed on the public works, but, upon representations and overtures in that direction being made to them, they declined, alleging that they had an aversion to work, and had accepted Government employment in order to avoid that objectionable contingency; with which resolution I entirely concur, as being so admirably in accordance with the nature of our service and showing so excellent a spirit of subordination. The importance of a tramway is becoming more and - more evident, and w'hile we import large quantities of timber from Australia and other places, we find the greatest difficulty in procuring posts enough to fence in the Apostolic plains. For this purpose I propose that you do authorise the making of a tramway from some convenient bush uear my homestead direct to Napier, by which means I hope that the great difficulty of getting timber will be entirely obviated.

As regards thistles, I invite your earnest attention ; they are the emblems of my country, and I respect them. But I shall certainly bring in a bill to eradicate all small farmers, and another bill to drain oft’ all that surplus and unnecessary popoulation which is nut required for the purposes of sheepfarming, to both of which hills I feel sure yon will give your cordial support. "Whether regard be had to the present satisfactory state of the Pi’ovince or not, I can only add that 1 feel quite sure that my Executive and myself have done the best we can for ourselves ; and I can only say, that

if the result of our exertions has fallen short of our expectations, it is to be attributed to circumstances over which I have no control, such for instance as the atrocious attacks of that vagabond who writes for the Times, but whom I have yet hopes (D.Y.) either to convert or to obliterate.