THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 43, 29 May 1880, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

AND .GbnTIBMEN Q? THS HOITS* O# j . RIIBEE3iIA?ATIVB3,— - I* j In accordance with what was TilndeTstood to be the wish of both branches of " the Legislature, I haTe called you together at :l an ewlicr qJ? thd yew

and after an interval of littls ssors t<ij\ five months eine» fcfci " laat Session '• oi Parliament. When I last met you the country was ■offering from severe monetary pressure, ■ and a general depression m various branohei. >of industry and trade. It is satisfactory to me tb'be able on the present occasion to congratulate you upon the partial relief whioh has been experienced, arid 'upon the. degree of confidence which ha* been revived., by an abundant harvest and by the increased value of most of the staple product* of the country } hufcat the same time tW . condition- of this colony, demands your careful consideration^ : I -regret: that* there. • should be a considerable Amount of -amongst ~tha working-classr^ I trust and helieve this may he. only of a- temporary character. ' It m engaging the serious atten- ' lion of the. Qioyernment, who hare taken, •tepsforinquiringinto the meatJi best calculated to encourage^such local industries as. rwiJl afford steady, anjd. wmunwative employ^ ment to the people. In accordance with the decision of /thaLejirtttuip, appointed a Beyal Commission tio. i&ouire. into the, grievances of a ; .poftjpn, of,,lhe. Ifetire Bace, with respiactr to their Jattfs? o« the West :.°»« fe u^" th « Is^nd.. ; The* report*: and reeommendatipn> dl'tn^reommissiori wdl belaid t»efoj« yoA. I trust that the mea»m?e«-^at r lC ince firm arid conciliatory ; -^^ii'-^T* oein-aiioptbd "by 1 'inyGoTernjaent; "will isibe m £ prtrmirieit arid satisaotory settltirieat of ; the which, have arisen m; that part of th« colony. Th©. determination which vhal been showk to redress grievances where., they may be.'proved to. •xwt,.aad at the sftmt time to nage^b the, supreniacy o| the Orpwn, cannot but faTprably- affect - onje. relations with the whole. Maori race. The steps which should be taken for the defence bf:.the.'harbon of the, C °TO' haT * tym cwpf «#7 considered and £bly r reported on by Colonel Scratchley, aa «pi»sriced-offi cm. of tke Boyal Engineers. Xo.U_wjlLbe •sk^bQ jßonsider k the.«tent to* why (jt it trill be »iTisable to gire effect to* his iiiggwtions. £ '■'}! .a X 1/ /'^' ■■ •. JBHTATI'V^BB? s H f^ ! ''X _' ; ' ; Carefully prepare. JJitimates of the rev renue arid «^penditure. for the ensuing^ twelve i^n);li|i,,wfll b» lavi, beforja you. The. facts elicited by the Comimissibners whom, Ivh'ate' appointed^ to" inquire ;into th« present, position of the ciTil^errice, will, I have no. doubt, assist my Responsible Advisers m, affecti^ s^tan^ialreduptionfl in.the cost; of that.serrjce. . X regret; to have.td announce! to.yon, that a falling off^.has taken place m ~ "almost all the. principle itemfl^-qf-Tevenue. •'. While this, may m spme measure be attrir buted. toitemporaryrcaui^ it would be unwisetto ignore, the fact»th»t i>rlor y tb; the ex-, isting depression, there had been "a time !of extraordinary inflation consequent upon Ibhe. expanditure., ot. large.: sums- of borrowed mpnej. . Wittthie Jesseiling af the abnormal influx of foreign- capital, ' the^ country mu»t look for a diminution, m the rate of progress it has recently been accustomed to, both inresp/^Bt to ijEs ordinary^ and terrir toriaj revenue. In, those circum»tances my Advisers entertain no doubt as to the course^ to be pursujßd -r expeudfture must be de-. creaseofc, luxuries must be' curtailed, thapublic works|whieh,'hay> already been con? striicted must b». made, mpre reproductive. It is to iniluifcry and economy that the co-" loriy has to, look, {qj a derelopmeufc of.ifcs re-r. sources and the inairitaingncaofajhealthy pro-, gress. jTou^illbeaskedjtoAojtoideraplan. which it m believed will place the finance ofthe loeal^bodies pnj| satisfactory basis, anil will' enable '.those bodies to. carry on their, wprks m a, self ;reliapit,and independent man.^p^^^^i^iaatpp xni Mqvn d*. ' JflßPJißSEifTATiyßi'.— - At a~time"wh7Slt"ia indispiniable that tho. closest attention! sh6;uld:be c b^towed upon the state of our finances, upon, the selntion, of. I^atiye. questipns of grave importance, upon the. settlement of the, waste lands, and" upon, the general .economy of- administration, it it. not the, intention of /my Govern-. , mpn); to, aak'yoUj to devote a longer time to. t^e. -itorlt. of . legislation than will *b»^ required- to complete/-^the. constitutional, nieasi^e^.alr«adjJn?^te/Jrfand; tpedeal-witb. pressing questions of social arid administra* tife : reform^ will beprwenttd to you^ for consolidating and amending the licensing laws of the colony, for placing the ad-.. minißtration-pf .hospitals and charitable aid on a sourid and'intelligible. basis, for com-1 jpleting tkft eh%ngj« m, the-.«|e^fcor«l law*. wKach, %«re! : co,m)n©ncia during th© Jajt sas- . sipn. of. . fjor readjusting the. 're'preseritation oorf r the' pisople, and foramending, the laws affecting arid dealing . with Native lands, and the constitution ot] the Natiye. Lands Qourt. The work of eon-.' sdlidating the IStatuW, 0 as authorised byyou, has^inadf^commendable^progress, and a riumberbf :Biils_, the rejiult of the labor., of , . the, .Commissioner: will.a^o. be placed before you._L The necessity fox revising th*J whole system of legatproofcdings now m force m the Supreme Court, and m th*. ojbher.cpQrts of the, colony, has. foroed itselfupon tbe : attentiori : of my GhiT«rnment. Th*. subject is too large to enter^upon during th«^ present session, but it is 'proposed to ' insti*. sute ari;inquiry- with! th'eivieWy of preparing--suoh mewures of reform as will render thai administration of justice more speedy and; . efficacious, as well as iless costly than at present. The; work: of; opening up the. Waste Lands of the Grown' for settlement Has been vigorously piwsebuteld^ and blecks. of land for occupation .upon the deferred payi^erit arid village settlement'system hare, been -set aside over k large ; p\>rtion of the. colony. -The desire -whidhi;exißts f or tii«. occupation of land m small holdings, ex-. hibits a'determiriatiori on -theY part of th» people of the; colony to devote themselves, steadily , to the development of its -resources. It is to be regretted '.thatiift some parts bf> the country knd has been bought on terms, witti wijicti the parcHsken: bar* fo»ndifc. impossible $6 comply. The subject is undet. the consideration of niy Government. J^- . In now ieaving~jou.iK> the lab.or« of- th% Session,! haTe,to / aßsur«yo,u > of, my earnest desire io. co^opji<»t« i v?ith: youdnyour efforts, to promote the welfare of the country, taxi, to express my Jtiope,tnat.God's;bl«BSUig mayrest upon yeur deliberations.