Parliament.

Manawatu Herald, 25 September 1897, Page 3

Parliament.

— + — .— Parliament was duly opened by the Governor on Thursday afternoon, and he read the speech in which references were made to the hospitality of the British nation, the discussion with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the success of the Colonial troops and Bisley team. The death of the Hon. Major Bopata Wuhawaha was fittingly referred to. The increase in the Education expenditure was alluded to, as was also an improved telegraph service to Auckland. A measure is promised providing an endowment for a University College in Wellington, but on such conditions and so safe guarded aB to secure to students from the primary schools whose parents are not well-to-do the advantages of a university oourse. The Speech then proceeds to Bft y : ~ One of the fir3t measures you will be asked to pass is a Bill to provide for the protection of young girls, and for the prevention of an evil whiab, it 13 painful to admit, exists in the larger cities of the colony. You will also be asked to repeal an undesirable Act now on our Statute Book relating to a subject which for some time pa9t has caused considerable controversy. You will aho be invited to consider Bills to amend the Constitution by abolishing the life tenure of members of the Legislative Council under certain conditions, and by providing for the reference of ' resolutions of both Houses, and rejected Bills, to the direct vote of the people thereupon ; to limit the hours of labour of persons engaged in factories or in and about mines to eight hours ; to prevent usury ; to provide an optional system of Government fire insurant ; to amend the law relating to masters and apprentices ; to extend the municipal franchise and consolidate and amend the laws relating to municipal corporations ; to extend the operation of the Land for Settlements Act ; and to ensure satisfactory export of products ; and other necessary measures will in due course be submitted for your attention. You are no doubt aware that for some time past litigation has been pending between the Crown and the Cassel Gold Extracting Company (Limited). To end this matter, but without prejudice, an agreement has been made by which the Crowu, subject to the approval of Parliament, acquires the rights of the Company for the sum of £15,000. You will be &3ked to consider a Bill to give effect to this proposal. You will be pleased to hear that the mining legislation of last year is working satisfactorily. During last years Parliament an Act was passad for the purpose of ascertaining what number of aged people there were in the colony who, under certain conditions, would claim pensions should the State decide to provide the same for them. The returns will be laid before you, and you will be asked to give your attention to this most important and necessary though complicated social question, and to the means by which provisions may be made for aged and deserving persons without casting a Btigma on the recipients, It having been proved that in certain portions of our colony beetroot can be grown with satisfactory results, my Advisers consider that the time has arrived when the production of sugar from New Zealandngrown beet should be further encouraged. A Bill to amend and extend the .present law will ba submitted to you for your consideration. For some time past exception has been taken to the tax imposed upon non-resident commercial travellers. It has been looked upon by the other colonies as unneighbourly, and in the Mother Country it has been stated that the existence of of this tax prevented merchants aud manufacturers from sending representatives to New Zealand. Under these circumstances, and a healthy ex« chequer permitting it, the' question of repealing the existing law will be submitted tc you for your consideration. The trade and commercial prospects of tho colony are good, and the settlement of the people on the land is progressing satisfactorily. During the recess there was a slight falling off in exports, but this was in value more than in volume. On the other hand, a legitimate increase in imports took place, evidencing comparative prosperity, increased population, and enlarged spendingpower on the part of the people. The 3 1 advance in the price of bank, insuri ance, gas, shipping, woollen, meat, » railway and building companies' J i shares shows confidence, and proves ] I that the financial mist which cloudeti

the buisiness borigott three year's ago is fast disappearing, and that largei [ investments are flowing into natural ancl reproductive uu?°nels.