New Zealand Parliament.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 295, 7 August 1865, Page 3

New Zealand Parliament.

OPENING OF THE ASSEMBLY.

[Prom the N. Z. Advertiser J His Excellency the Governor, Sir George Grey, formally opened the General Assembly yesterday at 2 o’clocr. The Volunteers of the city, under charge of Major Gorton, formed a guard of honor, and received His Excellency at the entrance of the building. The inclemency of the weather rendered the display much less brilliant than it would have been under more favourable circumstances. The Hall of the Legislative Council was crowded with a most influential assemblage; and, although the unpropitiousness of the day prevented the ladies from appearing in very large numbers,- there was a large attendance. After the usual preliminary ceremonies his Excellency opened the General Assembly with the following speech;— Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— In opening this fifth session of the Parliament of New Zealand, I am able to congratulate you upon the partial establishment of peace, and the suppression of insurrection in several districts in this island. I trust that, whilst devising means for the suppression of outrages which still occur, you will at the same time consider how to ensure the future peace of the country, and promote the union of the two races by facilitating the admission of her Majesty’s subjects of the native race to a full and equal participation in the privileges of self-government. It is my intention to invite certain native chiefs to meet at Wellington, and a Bill will he laid before you, enabling me to appoint from among them a commission, to report and advise upon the best means of obtaining a parliamentary representation of the native race. The resolutions passed by your respective Chambers in the last session of the General Assembly, relative to the withdrawal from the colony of her Majesty’s land forces, were duly transmitted by me to her Majesty’s Secretary of State. From the tenor of my most recent despatches, lam led to infer that the policy agreed to byfyou has been approved of, and will be fully adopted by the Home Government. The Taranaki and Wanganui country has long been a focus of disaffection and fanaticism. Peace cannot be real or lasting which is not preceded by the establishment of her Majesty’s authority in these districts, to be permanently secured by the opening of roads and the formation of self-defending settlements. Pending the decision of the Home Government, I determined therefore to avail myself of the services of a portion of the Imperial troops, so long as they remained in the colony, for the establishment of order in the district between Taranaki and Wanganui, and I issued instructions accordingly to Lieutenant-General Cameron, which will be laid before you. Contrary to my anticipations, however, considerable delay took place, which involved consequences fraught with disaster, and which led to fresh outbreaks in other parts of the colony. I therefore ordered the Colonial Forces to advance against the Wereroa Pa, —a movement which has resulted in its capture.

The thanks of the colony are due to Major Hookes commanding, and to the officers and men of her Majesty’s European and native Colonial Forces engaged in this important operation.

I also recognise the readiness with which Bri-gadier-General Waddj, C. 8., Colonel Trevor, and the officers and men under their command, afforded me all the assistance that was in their power, though precluded by their orders from taking any active part in the operations against the enemy’s stronghold. I am able in the meantime to congratulate you on the improved state of the settlement of Taranaki, and on the immediate prospect of its ceasing to be a source of weakness to New Zealand. For this result, the colony is mainly indebted to the zeal, energy, and ability of Colonel Warre, C.B. commanding that district, and to the conduct of her Majesty’s Forces, Imperial and Colonial, of both races under his command.

Additional proof has been afforded throughout the operations at Taranaki and Wanganui, that the colony may rely with confidence on the skill, and gallantry of its own officers and men, whilst the devoted courage evinced by the loyal natives, has placed beyond doubt the attachment of a large portion of the native race to the Crown, to their European fellow subjects, and to the cause of order against turbulence and fanaticism, I shall now at once issue orders for the return to England of five regiments, which I trust and believe may be quickly followed by the remainder of the Imperial troops. The conditions imposed on the colony for the full attainment of constitutional Government in native as well as in ordinary affairs will thus be fulfilled. Gentlemen oe the House of Eefbesentatives, — The measures adopted by you in your last session have enabled me, by the disposal of Colonial Securities, in a great measure to relieve the financial embarrasment in which the colony was then placed. The credit of the Colony, however, in England has been and continues to bo injuriously affected by the extent and manner in which Provincial loans have been contracted and placed for negotiation on the English money market. You will, I trust, take into consideration the means by which these evils may be remedied, and the conditions under which Provincial loans may in future be regulated, and their payment guaranteed out of General Revenue with safety to the Colony and increased security to the public creditor.

In order to provide for the burthens pressing on the Colony, it is my intention to submit to you, proposals for raising aditional Revenue b Stamp duties. I trust that by reducing to the utmost limit all extraordinary expenditure connected with the suppression of the present native insurrection, or incidental thereto, and by careful economy in the ordinary service of Government, you will be enabled to sustain the credit of the colony and provide for its financial exigences, without encroaching materially on the provisions heretofore made out of the General Ordinary Revenue for the services of the Provinces, _ It will, however, be necessary fop you to consider the expediency of modifying to some extent the present distribution of the Ordinary Revenue between the General Government and the Provinces. It has been a source of great satisfaction to me that my Government has been enabled by an approved system of Treasury accounts, to lay before the public full information as to the state of the Revenue and Expenditure of the colony to the latest possible period. I trust you will take measures for securing the permenauee of this system, and that you will further provide effectual checks against the expenditure of public money without authority of law. Honorable Gentlemen op the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House op Representatives,— _ The changes which have taken place in the relative distribution of population and wealth in different Districts will render it necessary for you to re-adjust the Representation of the colony. In pursuance of the power vested in me by an Act of last Session, I have agreed with the Panama, Hew Zealand and Australian Royal Mail Steam Company to confirm, subject to certain modifications, the contract entered into with that body, for the establishment of a Postal Service bv way of Panama.

I have also entered into an agreement frith the Government of New South Wales for admitting that colony to an equal participation in the benefits of the Contract upon terms equitable in themselves, and which will, I doubt not, prove equally advanatageous to both colonies. The completion of these arrangements, with the liberty of extending them to other Australasian colonies, will require your sanction. The recent discoveries of gold on the West Coast of the Middle Island have opened new fields for colonization, and given a fresh impetus to the development of the material resources of the colony. Amongst many causes of anxiety which have clouded our prospects it has been to me a source of great satisfaction to observe the steady advance of the colony in population and wealth: I see no cause for anticipating any check to this onward progress, which, with God’s blessing, cannot fail to carry it through difficulties—temporary in themselves and already beginning to disappear.

The Governor retired immediately upon the delivery of the above address. The Hall of the Legislative Council being cleared, the Speaker took the chair, and the Council engaged in prayer. The Speakeb read the proclamation convening the Council. The following gentlemen were present:—Messrs Buckley, Buchanan, Crawford, Outfield, Johnston, Renwick, Richmond, and Stokes. The after mentioned new members were introduced to the Speaker, and, having taken the usual oaths, were admitted to the Council: — Hon. John Burton Arnold Aekland, Canterbury. Hon. Joseph Coote, Wellington. Hon. James Prendergast, Otago. Hon. James Crowe Richmond, Nelson. Hon. Arthur Penrose Seymour, Marlborough.