GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, May 19, 1851.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 540, 18 June 1851, Page 3

GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, May 19, 1851.

Tun Governor ix-Cmcr's oi'bmto Addrpss. GCNTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE C;>UXCIL 01 THE New Zealand Islands, «~ "In conformily with the guarantee I formerly pi?e to the Provincial Legislatuie of New Munster regarding the places at which the Meetings of the General Legislative Council of these Islands should be held, I have, upon the present occasion, caused the members of the General Legislative Council to 'ie summoned to meet me at Wellington for the despatch of business. Theio seems also to have bee'i a pccvhir propwety in my now assembling you in the Southern Piovinre, ns the questions to be committed to ycin consideration elm fly involve matter connected with i!'e interests of New Minister: indeed, upon the pioper solution of some of these, ie may be said that the whole iutuie prosperity of this colony depends?. This Province also at the present moment, appeal* to have peculiar claims upon y >ur cons>idpra'ion, liom the fact of two large anil distinct settlements having been recently foimed respectively at Cank-ibtiry aud Ota go, by the establishment of which the importance, population, and wealth of New Muiistei have been greatly increased. I entertain no doubt that the enterprise which led our countrymen to abandon their couutiy, to form new homes, and to found those settlements m these Is'atids, will receive a rich reward, as the localities they have icspeclively occupied abound with natural advantages, and with resourcee which, when developed by the industry of civilised man, will soon allord ample means for the creaiion of private wealth, and of a consideiahle commerce which will enrich, not only this ioloriy, but a'so the parent state. You will, however, I am sure feel that you should omit no means within your reach, or which your experience may surest to you, to foster the interests of these young communities, and to enable their inhabitants piofuably to develop the resources of the country. In approaching the consideration of !he various questions which will demand your attention, U must be gratifying to all to refltci thai these Islands have now, under°the bl ssmg of Divine Piovidence, enjoyed so long a repose from the calamities of v,,t, and have attained such a prosperous condition ; so thai the tv.sk you aic now about to enter upon is not, as huetolore, that of deviling the means of overcoming urgent and immediate danger, 01 of remedying pasbing evils, but the far more grateful one of develoring the icsourccs of the country, and of adopting measures which copy hold out a fair prospect of rendeiing permanent the present prosperous state of New Zealand. Amongst the most important of the measures to be brought under your notice is that which relates to the settlement of the titles to land within the tenitory which was formerly vented in the New Zeal- mi Compary. Youaie awate that, after the lapse if so many yeais, not a single set'ler within that tein'oty is in possession of a legal or valid title or conveyance to his property, and ihat the whole quc-tion of titles to land is in a most involved and Lonfu&ed state. Until so great a difficulty is removed, it is impossible that any great advances in wealth or prosperity cRn be looked for in this part of New Zealand. Immediately, therefore, that the Local Government weie enaolcd, by the dissolution of the New Zealand Compativ, to taUe any steps in refeience to tins subject, I directed my attention to it ; and I have had a ineasuie prepared for youi consideration which, i» its K^ral features, I think well adapted to adjust and finally settle the vaiious questions connected with titles to land in this pait of Niw Zealand. I must, however, neresssrily depend Upon your wisdom and kuowledge of heal dffans, for thctectleraei.it of the details of such a ihcmgu.c: and I conhden'ly rely upon your affording me such advice and assistance upon this subject as may enable me to p,ive my to such an ordiuance as may setuie to he Mijmty's subjects a clear and satisfactory title to the limdo to which (h°y are entitled ; and ab may, by nutti'ig the tenure of picperty upon a certain and beneiir-iyl footing, afford that secuiity foi the inve tmeiit ol cajiitdl in lauded pioperty which is ab^oluti ly requi&ile to ensure the lapid advancement of the countn. Al'hough the bilHor this ] urpope pioviic, in the form in which it will be laid beloie you, foi the complete settlement of the questi n of titles '.o land, I think, in reference to its t fleet upon the jjeneral prosperity of the country, it may he found nossiole to make some valuable additions to it. Should the bil' pass the Council nearly in its present form, its pfffct will be to leave m the hands oi absentees and otheis, large quaiititirs of land which they cannot use for many yea.s ; this land is moreover divi.ied into such minute subdivisions, and is sca'tered (even in the case of one owner of ceveial allutmeiits) over so great a space of countiy as to be of conspa--atively little use to the piopiieior ; in many cates the position of these portions ot laud Ims haidly been ascertained, and the owner oflen residing in England there is frequently no person in this country empoweied to dispose of such poitions of land. Even in those ciseß in which tbeproimetoi may have an agent in New Zealand, it is otien very difficult to find who the person possetwng such power over any paitieular portion of land may be. Nearly all the lmmediaie'y available huds in the vicinity ot the oder settlements aie thub eiicumtaUneed; when dierctoie, under the provisiono ot the proposed law, titles to their lands h&\e been issued to all the propnetors, I fear (hot whilst they will be put into possession oi that winch will be of little Übc to them, the Colony ujll have to relinquish, for many years, all expectation of tiny fund being let'hzed fioru the sale ot land ; and that the difiit-uliy o» acquiiing land by puiehaie will dettr intending emigrants horn lesoiting to bettlemeuts wlieie land can not be immediately purchased in the virnnty of town?, at a public onlee wheic tvaty information regarding ail the landb which a;e open for [.urrhaai tould be i.fForded to the immigrant. An attempt has been made, in the bill submitted for your ciisidi'Rtion, in some degree to lemedy thi'se evils by th« introduction into it of a piovuiou under which persons would be permitted to exchange iheir claims t<> land for sciip, whuh w. uhl oe availuole in the purchase ot any land which the Government may at any time offer for Bale i» this Province. V,ut although such a ineasuie will peihaps lem^dy one evil, by inducing many person^ to throw up their pievious I iel«*ctions, ttud thus kavc a greater quantuy of land

open to arriving immigrants, who would piobably pay for it in the snip issued by the Government winch they would jiurehdse from the holders of it ; still the evil, in so fur a» relates to the total annihilation of the land fund, would for many years remain un* touched. I think, therefore, that the proposed measure mis;ht pclups be amended by a further provision being made, which v/ould enable the holders of sciip, if they denied to do so, fo fund it by the put chase of Government debentuicß, payable al any time at the option of the Co\err>uient ulcer twelve monfl s' notice, and bearing 1 s\ low rate of interest. Many j.ersnni would pros bally nvail themselves of such a n>:;uKtioti, and its effect, in roniuncunf wiih (he other proposed mea '-ur?':, would be to re pioduce the land fund, and U> ahor.l .rnple lands fin th? selecMon, ciMier <<f the prcseni" co nvnts, or of those who may arrive. It would indeed phce the colony somewhat in the same position ii whuh it would have stood, it its founders had, in ths iirot initance, boriov.'.'d & sum of money for its establishment, the piincipal and interest of which were to lutva been a cb.ti.je upon the futuie revenues of the countiy. If the Council should, after mature consideration, think that an airangement of this natuic would tend to pi emote the prosperity «md welfare of this Colony, I shall gladly avail myself of iheir experience and ad" vice in considenng the subject. Although the precise form in which you may wish the questions connected with titles to land to be adjust* d is uncertain, I still felt so satisfied that you wou! 1 c^rce .n the j,encial pnncip'e of atu-nif ting to «ecurp to eveiy buna jiOc piojirietor an unimpeachable title to his property, builheued with no conditions or reservation?, that I have alieady directed that the burveys necessary to accomplish this object bhould be carried on as u'jmllyas possible; and the result of this anil of the measures now submitted to you, will, nolhr,iths f anding the prcenr embarrassed state of the question, be to place in a lew months titles to laud in New Mtm3ter upon r.s clear and satisfactory a footing as in any part of the world. Another law of %xzax importance which I have directed to be prepared for your consideration, is an ordinpnce for legulating the occupation of the waste lands of the Crown in these Islands. lah ill gladly cooperate with yon in endeavouring to legislate upon this subject in bucli a manner »a to promote and foster the pastoral interests of this Colony, which interests arc of the highest value to this portion of New Zealand, as being the pod cc from which you imy inamediatel) anticipate a large and valuable expoit, anil a cot>sideiable comtiutw, cM(I consequently that reaction i'> favour of the otln.i inteiestgof the tount.y which will nece,i.a nly sp/mg from increased wealth and augmented twide. Actuated by the same desire of promoting the paotoral interest 1 ) Gf (this country as will, I sni aware, iniluence you in legislating upon them, \ have, in con- ! foimity with the 1 equipments of the Royal Instructions, prepaied the orders which I propose to issue for regulating the depasturing* of sheep and cattle upon the Cror.n lands, a draft of which oiders shall be laid before you! 1 will also lay bsfoie you a bill to empower the Go. ] vernor toplac? at the disposal of any corporation which may bo cieaU'd in New Zealand, one thud of the grohs pioceeds at the revenue realized from lands which may he disposed ol by the Crown within the limits of such coiporation. Her Majesty's Government were pleased, upon my recommendation, to advise the Queen to issue Instructions empowering the Governor of the Colony to authorize the application oi any pioportion, not exceeding one-tiiiid, of" ihp gtoss moceeds of the i^alcs of Cro vn I-uula cfiecled within the hunts of any hundred, towards such put pot.es n,, shall be signified to him by the wardens of such hundred, or by such other tmthotlties thereof as shall be designated for that purpose by any ordinance to be pubsed by the legislature of the said Colony, suhjscr, nevertheless to such restiictions and regulitions as shall be imposed by such ordinance. In fulfilment of these Instiuctioiis it 1m become my duty to propose for your consideration a bill for enabling the Governor, in ihose p.uts of New Zealand where a corpora'ion may e^ist, to pla<e one thud cf the revenue realized from the cale of land at the dUposal of the corporation for the purposes indicated by the Ito^al Instiuctions, instead of leaving such pirtion ot the revenue at the disposal of the wardens of the bundled, as is .it present the case. You will find that in a<l these measures relating to the sale and management; ol waste lands of the Crown, I l.aye attempted to s.how in the plainest manner t'i><! the Government only administers tin se lands aGttu o (ee foi the public, »nd th it its only desire is to protect the public iptcrcsn in ldation to them ; and I confidently hope that the largo share which will no<v be given to the inhabitants ol the C< louy, and especially to the middling and humbler elates, in the management oi Iha vas»e L>nds of the Crown, and in tho employment r.f the funds denied fiom the sale of them, will teach thorn to how [Teat tin extent the imeieats of themselves and their families <k pond upon a juilicioua management of these lands by the Government. In relation to the subject of the waste lan Is of the Cior/n, rt" gives me £ieat sathfac'ion to be able to in(olm you tbar I havt" eveiy le-ison to hope th?t the Govirnmint will be able shortly to complete the purchase ol two extt-nsive ti<icts of laud m the llawke's Biy district, compusmg nearly 000,000 acres ot land admirably adapted to ngncultuial and pastoral purpotej, the :,cquiMiion oi this dace of tenitory cannot fail to exneuse the most bentficiiil influence upon the town of Wellington. In order that the fine ti acts <>f country in the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay district '.hou'd, as soon as possible, be connected with this town, llit; Government are making every exertion to have the Wairarapa road completed. Kee-ociations have albo been commenced for the purehase~of the IMorus district, the acquisition of which is leaded by the mbabitunts of Nel-on as essential to the prosperity of their Lftllenient ; a"d the sum of two thouiidnd pou'ids h<>s been appropriated for the put pose of opening a line of communication between Nelson and the W.niau, which road will pabs through the feitile valley of the I'elorus. I luve duected that a bill to provide for the estublijbtnent ot Piovincial Legislative Councils should be prepaud for your cotibideidtion. This measure has been drawn up in confoiiriity «ith the poweis confer, ted upon this Council by a rtcent act ot the Itupenal Parliament The hubjftct to which this bill re'ates is one wh-ch has engaged my thougbta and attention f r 11 considerable ptjiul ot time. P.evioubly to prepating any nieafcU'o lejjaidmg it for your consideration, I visited altnOLt eveiy ponlm of tlnse I lands, and acqua nted myself, in as tar as piacticable, with their wants, and lequirem> ntp. 1 afao wielully cousideied the rclai ions and iLspec ive feeli.igb of the ditkient } opulat ( itfft^trf- v Lalnlint: these I^Kaid--), and weighed, in as far ns I could, ilie divi.r«e interests ,uid prejudices which weie to be con uUed ; fin ally, vvi h a lull senge ot the deep lesponsibil.ty which re-.lid on me in to int'O'uc; Kepiesentiitive Institutions thioiighout the whole or a Colony so peeuhaily ciicumstunced as New Zealand is, with so large a native population, I caused ,1 measjute to be jitt-nurcd, winch wna the best that my

experience suggested to me ; and alllioviy'i I hv/c no doubt that many of its details may bo lie o h<"h!l/ amendsd, I have not yet be m abl? myself to d -v^e, nor have I had ] resented t,> tr>e a^iy pi in w'u"h I ran n rit'l as so applicable to tlie circmnslii.ccj of the Co'ony Bj that which I sh-ill submit for 30m 1 cnsideraliO'!. I am glad to hive it in my |,ower to <*( tie in ieiVence to the General Council for tl>o whoio of tin S3 Islands, that I undei stand that iJ t ;i !\J >iesiy'» Govphirnent will, in the present fe-s>r»n of P.iriia-'ici'l, brir>g foiward a measuie fo i- the rn-alion oi such a tnincil ; and there Crin, I think, be no doubt tins- if <tiiv m> icrdinate measure for the constuu'ion of Pr>vi<Hi i Councils which jou may pass rljodl.J In fou>ui fmtty, riil'cr m its general principles oi in ;(p details, full no.Ter will he given to the Geaer.il Council to amend and tnoLf/ such a measure in any minnci that it m;iy Hn.'k (it. I recommend to your tvmest ccnsideiation ih? diifC of ,1 measure I have had pr-pa.ed to amend th» e\Ktmg law which rPjjuUitcj marriages in the coIpoj) of New Zealand, fho prr en< iaw is not saribfactoij 'o the inembeiß of a considerable number of con^rc^ itloii', and pfVer frequent ooufeicnces with the lesdins members of such oony,!ek'ainMs, so thsi. I nji^ht thoiauhly acquaint myself with their feelings and wl-hcs, I directed that the bill which I sh-»Il lay upo-i tin ttiih should be di lwn for your consultation. I hive eve. y reason to believe that the riiOaaine now piopo->e'l would be received as, in all 1 expects a most wi^e and Batici factory one by all classes of Uer JSi.'jesty'b s'lbjset). Representati >ns having ! 'ce»i m ide to me fiotn vanous parts of New Zealand, and c pcop ly from the Viovincial Legislative Council of ?!r«', „i ureter, u» ih;, effect that the substitution of <i <i u>d svViero of 'e\ying Custom&' duties, in lieu of the ad vaiore.n duties at present levied, would prove a great advantage al once to ttade and to the revenue, I have caused a bill in relation to this subject to be piejmed K>r yourcoii«iJ-ritioti. This measure is altogether ba>ed noon the llrnort upon Customs duties whicn viob dmwn up by a Corrmntee of the Legislative Council of thi3 Provuir?, an, l whic!) waD found to have been so ably and carefully prepared, that it was thought bet'er to lay H bcfoie this Council exactly in ilie louri m which it ciuie iiot 1 the Committee who diew it up. By an Ordinance which v 13 p.-ii ed in the year 1843, the Legislature vested m me, as Covernoi in-Chief, the sole control of the Post Ofhce establishment ni theie islands, as al&o the po'ver of fixing, olumiu^, and aboliihina; the rates> of co'oninl voc,\ \g,\ It v^i <x y , tl***t time, I believe, the inti*ntir,i of (ho L 3,;L 3 ,; .ht-ue that, so soon as I had established <> postal ty-ten which w is found in practice a lvintt?ge)ui ie the co 'uiry ami r'tisf'actoiy 10 lli^i puL!,c, ,uie.j 1. -7 fV,ul<i Le c> ctp ( ? providing for tiie con'i'iU^'ioc vml m t m ot Uio system which I 'r'^ut «i c i .'jmhli. I wi!! c,H!-.e to b" !a d "■n <„'' lao'u <opi 3of the proclamations which I h ive 2G3ii°d Xiw ie^uhtion of Post ORlees, and for fisuip, the r'U.a of coloni'l post'i^c ; and it will then rest with you 10 dtiCiUhJie whetluc you will leave for some tirne loi.^Bi in operation ihe e\ ■ tsting Postage Oidinance, (01 the pui'po,^ (.1 en"v!.' <? me, in coi junction vith t'»e Rip/at [ii>». j-ablj l'\*. Postmaster- General, folly to cm -3' »\A >- \,^i[ 1 iv'tca by which letters may be pic ,i>! I.i Now Zi h\:.A <o wiy part of Great Britain, or in l!u I coa'i'i \ r to any pait <. i New Zealand ; or whe.ncv \ov. rill enac 1 ' a n >v7 Uw upon this subject, rc.ifhan; Ul^U 1^ f>.sLiit sjslem of; postal airangcmenls, 01 octJjli'Lit.^somc ot'scr bjitrta which may appear to you v..,. 0 1.1.e1y to piomotc (he interests of the colony. In order that in cumins* to a decision upon this sub« j°ct you isay be put in po-r-ssion o. tLe litct i ifon»,i tion legardmof it, cop-es \y'ill be laid upon the table of a correspondence between the P'Stims or Genial <.til the Lords CommißSiOhcrj of IT. 1 / Mr.je^i)'^ Yrei.Mry, from which you will find that the'questionof the aniflioiation of the postal arian^e:..er.!,3 iiet'veen Great Drltai'n and her coloni'il pos-sesMoa . is at iha present time recciviug the anxious consideration of the Horae Government. I have been directed by He." Majesty's Government to propose for your conaidcratioa a ml! ior taking a census of the inhabitant-, of the New Zealand Islands, in the course of the picicnt yen 1 . It was intended in tha jcar 18«1 to tike a census of the population ot the whole Criti'.h Emp»id, and I feel •uitiofied that you will, in so i.v ai ii depends upon you, afford every assistance leu auj t K e acconpht.hment of an object of such great national interest. Some difficulties will probably be expenenced in obtaining even an appiosimately correct census Oi Hie native population of thesa islands, but I rely upon }oi)r knowledge and espeiience for suguestm^ the be?t or accom-pli-hing this object, iv so fai ,h it may be fourd practicable to do b«. I hue dir'j-tcJ tti.it the pr'peis connected with this subject ninth \u.\c bo:n add ts :d to me by Hei Majesty's Govciiiiiiv al mIiOuM bs 'aid beKiu you. The Icoperii'l Parliament hn-inj; leccitiy rgieeJ tf> certain resolutions v.ith a, t^w tv j uttw L ; t a end to the troublesome and cxije»-i!vo p'tictioc of e^sji ocl^ i> the Acts of Lszish'ure, 1 hove dirt,<,tcu that copes of these lesolutioiis should l>u 1. id be'<,r.> jo'J, hecjusc tLe precedent thus afforded by the Imp i'_u Le»ijhi'urc h one which I think you may fiiij it <?k f iul;tnt and desuable to adopt in referent c u> yar «wn p!oc,eedinj;s. The Imperial r'aiHament having aKo 1 fijided the precedent of passing an Act tor shosteiinj the language used in Acl3 of PaiMamuut, wi'ich may, I think be raoU beneficially Jollowed hi Waw Ztaland, I have directed that a inea>ure tor that piupose should be prtpared for your consideiutioiii Ttie. usual fuunci 1 p ipers shall be laid before you pieviouBly to my introducing a bill to provide for the appropriation ot the revenues of these colonita, bevernl joaeasusi i in nddiiion to those vrhi' h I L\i>\e alluded to m this address vrill be pri-s nte.J for your conoidemlion, the requisite cs-knations ngaidiug "Inch shall be afforded lo you, wlun the respective hills are introduced. In cotic'usion, it only remains for rue to inform yon that I have not upon iLe pie^eut occasion preicnted for your considcianon )'ny s measuies m re'aiion to tho large native population <n thtse isbncls, not because I am wiiiffeient to, or una>vaie of th^- imjioi = tance of this subject, but because the laws 1 elating to it which have rfheady ben enacted have nj>peaiei{ to me (o suffice for the iniEjiediat" wants of the natives, and they ate am^ienily vvo km 5 -0 ben< J ficia!lv for the native population, tha I have felt unwilling iv any way to imer'ere with men o; c .ition^ ShouU however youi Kuov\!cd,e a ■ . cl eXpciif tire enable yon to hUg^e t any dniuuilujenti- m I'MStinj; Unvt relating to the native nue, or any new law o «hiuh iD.iy promote ih. ir great r weltaiu, )o« «iU n.id me, as 011 a hither subjects lelnlini; to t ln- nitejrepti ol these 1 — lands piepaied clieerlully Mid coid.aliy to jour exeitions tor ttie public giOvl." (signed) G. Grcv. Manilla — There was boine talk of a new El Dot ado hating been discovered only seventy miles from Manila. Gold has nil along i>e«'n founu (sometimes in consideial)k j fjnanliiies.)inthf be Is ot the in jimtam streams, beinx sought alter and c Uocii'd bv inJun women and children, who deliver ,t to gnveiiun.ut oiheers, at a ciiitain value. A m 1m 1 nt exploration, however, has been s.j cuomi 'agnuj, ih.>i u v, saiu " diggJH^fi'* are to bo conidCiii-Oil t>n' L\\ illi.