VICTORIA.

New Zealander, Volume 10, Issue 888, 18 October 1854, Page 3

VICTORIA.

[From the Sydney Herald, Sept. 20.] By the London we have received Melbourne papers to Saturday last. The Legislative Council was opened with the usual formalities on Thursday by Sir Charles Ilothani. The following is his Excellency’s speech entire: — Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Legislative Council , — I feel much satisfaction in meeting the Legislature, and I eagerly seize this opportunity to testify the high sense 1 entertain of the loyalty and sound feeling of the people of this colony. The state of social order which I found existing amongst the population on the gold fields especially deserves to be recorded, in common with the inhabitants of every district which I have visited, they manifested, in the strongest manner, their attachment to the throne and institutions of the country which gave them birth. I am commanded to acquaint you that her Most Gracious Majesty, desirous to mark the interest which she takes’ in the growth and welfare of “ Victoria,” has been pleased to direct that her portrait be presented to the colony. I have to request the Legislative Council to decide upon the place most proper for its custody. By a recent Despatch from the Secretary of State, l am informed that her Majesty’s Government, unable to afford sufficient time during the present session of Parliament for the mature consideration of the Bill embodying the Constitution proposed for this colony, had been obliged to postpone the subject until Parliament should rc-asscmblo. It is evident that the time has arrived when sanatory regulations should be enforced by Legislative enactment. A Bill for the purpose of establishing a General Board of Health will be submitted. You will, I doubt not, furnish its members with sufficient powers adequately to fulfil the trust confided to them, in the hope that should it be the will of Divine Providence to bring to our shores that disease which has already inflicted havoc in another colony, it may be mitigated by observing sucli rules ns tlie experience of other countries has ascertained to be most calculate 1 to meet the case. Measures to amend the present Impounding Act, and also the Law relating to Auctioneers, with a view of preventing as much as possible flic crime of horse and cattle stealing, arc in course of preparation, and will be laid before you. A Bill for the regulation of common lodging houses, and a Bill to render Vaccination compulsory, will also be brought forward. I would invite the earnest attention of the Council to the subject of intemperance. The sale of intoxicating liquors may, without undue interference with private rights, be placed under such restrictions ns will check the increase ol drunkenness—the fruitful source of so much evil. The acts for the regulation of the conveyance of passengers, and the management of the customs, will require emendations. Bills lor those purposes will be submitted. The importance of the establishment of Municipal Institutions for the Administration of Local Funds lias not escaped me. I observe that the attention of the Legislative Council has been drawn to the subject during the last session; 1 hope that the consideration of it will he resumed at an early period. The amount of crime, more especially of horse-

stealing, lias everywhere been urged upon my notice; whilst, on the other hand,'it ‘would seem that the pressure upon the eoloi y for police establishments has arrived at its extreme point. A Bill will he presi nk>d to yon, which, upholding the rights pertaining to her Most Gracious Majesty, will, 1 trust, preserve the colony from the serious dangers with which it is threatened.

A Bill for the amendment of the Law relating to foreign seamen, and other measures of importance will he brought before you during the session. To the construction of railways I would request the serious attention of the Legislative ■ ou.icil. > The na'urc of the climate and the cost of the material prove that ordinary roads are ill suited to support the wear and tear occasioned by heavy traffic; on the other hand the general character of the country presents every facility to the engineer. The completion of such works will necessarily require the assistance of the foreign capitalists; one mode of obtaining this would be the guaranteeing, by means of legislation, a certain rate of interest for a specified number of years on all the capital subscribed for these undertakings. I avoid entering into die details of this scheme, and only allude to it as in every way well worthy your consideration. Rewards for the discovery of new gold fields have already been promulgated : every week brings intelligence of some fresh discovery, and many of the old fields arc iu consequence abandoned. With a view to their further development, as well as for the extraction of gold from quartz, I propose to grant leases to persons desirous of employing machinery. By so doing, the resources of this great contributor to our colonial prosperity may be made still further available, and an additional impulse given of the interests of the laborious miner. In pursuance to the practice of my predecessor, I propose to communicate with the Council previously to transmitting funds for the purpose of immigration. It is not without feelings of pleasure that 1 have observed the disposition of those immigrants who have acquired competency, to settle and locate themselves on the land of this colony. I deem it of the utmost importance to obtain so valuable a class ; and, whilst not unmindful of other interests, I shall not fail to employ such means as may seem suitable to produce this result.

I have given directions that the estimate for the revenue and expenditure for 1855, together with the supplementary estimate for the current year, shall be prepared and brought before you. Profittbig by the experience of gentlemen who have male finance their profession, I am endeavouring to acquire such information as may enable me to obtain a clear insight into the financial requirements of this colony; and it will be the object of my government to enforce such economy as will place me in a position to appropriate any available balance to the promotion of those public works which are evcrvwhere so much needed.

Arrangements are already in progress for obtaining increased wharfage accommodation ou the River Yarra.

The officer commanding the Royal Engineers has reported that it is impracticable to defend the Bay by works erected on the land. I have received information that some heavy ordnance will shortly he despatched to this country; and, should circumstances require it, 1 shall, at the proper time, take the necessary precautions for the preservation of the ships and property lying in the harbour.

Finally, 1 avail myself of this opportunity to acknowledge the liberality displayed by the Legislative Council in providing a suitable residence lor their Lieutenant-Governor, and to assure them of my anxious desire to co-operate in all measures calculated to advance tiic prosperity of this noble eouutrv.

The Melbourne. Morning Herald, in commenting upon the speech, observes: —“Probably because general expectation was raised high, some disappointment appears to have been felt at Sir Charles Hotham’s speech yesterday on opening the Legislative Council. To some extent we feel compelled to concur with this feeling. Not, indeed, that there is anything positively to be objected to in the speech ; what we consider its faults are all negative. It requires close examination to make out what it really means. It is not the bold and explicit account of what the intended policy of Government is which we hoped would have been given. It is formal without being systematic. It gives some minor measures such prominence as would only have been bar monious had the Council been presented with an elaborate review of all the questions likely to be brought before them. Indeed, the distinctness, with which his Excellency treated the various subjects on which he touched was nearly inversely proportional to their iuportance. The squatting question was so distantly alluded to that nothing but the highly nervous sensibility of Mr. Goodman on matters personal, could have stimulated his perceptive faculties into seeing anything alarming m the only passage that can be construed into an allusion to that subject:—‘lt is not without feelings of pleasure that I have observed the disposition of those immigrants who have acquired competency to settle and locate themselves on the land of this colony. I deem it of the utmost importance to retain so valuable a class, and, whilst not unmindful of other interests, 1 shall not fail to employ such means as may seem suitable to produce this result.’ In the same way it requires some consideration to ascertain what Sir Charles alluded to when he said ‘ a bill will be presented to you which, upholding the rights pertaining to her Mjst Gracious Majesty, will, I trust, preserve the c dony from the serious dangers with which it is threatened.’ Some after allusions of Mr. Foster’s, in reply to the observations of Dr. Greeves, made it clear that this passage referred to some modified ‘ Convicts’ Prevention Bill.’ which the Government proposes to introduce during the current session, n hether his Excellency’s speech is to be regarded as altogether his own, or as a composite production got up by bis ministry, we are alike puzzled to understand the purpose of this obscure style. The council and the public are put to the trouble of laboriously fathoming the nuauing of what might, one would think, be as well clearly said at once—and they are also exposed to the danger of misunderstanding what was reallv meant to be conveyed. Had it been possible, by evading in the speech the land question and tlie convict difficulty, to have the after responsibility of dealing with these subjects it would be easy en o ugh to understand the merits of ambiguity. As it is, however, the approbation that candour and openness would have elicited have been sacrificed, while the advantages that may in some instances be derivable from secrecy' have not been secured. Although Mr. Foster is perhaps more skilled in making plausible excuses for doubtful conduct than in any other occupation, we think he scarcely satisfied the reason of most members by' the justification he attempted. The drift ot his argument was, that it would be time enough to object to the new Convict Act when it was forward, and that, considering how short a time Sir Charles Jlotham had resided here, ho acted very wisely in not pledging himself to either party us to the squatting question.” The Argus lectures the Governor in the following terms: —“It will he seen from a perusal of this speech that it only omits, or only makes a faint reference to, the really vital questions in which the colony isat present interested. While justice is done to the social order of the diggers, their loyalty' is misinterpreted—at least, its real meaning does not seem to be appreciated. Horsestealing' and the Impounding Act are brought prominently into view, while man-killing and the Convicts’ Prevention Act arc overlooked, or referred to by implication. Some new regulations with respect to quartz-mining and the discovery of new gold fields receive special mention, while the standing grievances ot the diggers, recently urired upon his notice, are passed over in silence. lt°is not our intention to criticise the speech in detail. His Excellency will not shine either as a writer or a speaker, in the diplomatic sense. He appears to be a man of deeds rather than words, or the latter only in so far as ho gives direct expression of his osvii sentiments and personal convictions. In this respect he presents a striking contrast to his predecessor, who was mighty in words, hut insignificant in deeds. If Sir Charles Botham sink the Governor in the man, he will defeat the intrigues of faction, and secure the support of the people. If he sink the man in the Governor, and try to earn a reputation by writing despatches and state papers, he will run imminent risk of failure. As we stated, from our first impressions of him after his arrival, lie is not a statesman in the parliamentary or bureaucratic sense of the term. Hitherto, he has made no pretensions to it, and he will do better with his

blin" and ft >ne, than with tlu; i ntrlcil armour of a giant. We must not dose this section of the summary without recording that the squat- \ tors have already taken alarm at the absence ot i all allusion to their interests and privileges, which, coup’ed with the promise of the Governor to tho j diggess to open up the lands, they profess to re- ! regard as ominous of hostility'. Notice was atv icordingly given in the Council on the day of opening, that they would try the validity of their claims in the Courts of Law. A private meeting was held yesterday, m pursuance to this brilliant determination, and the question will probably now be as who is to “ bell the cat.” This may j be the proper course for them to take, and will i probably bring the matter to a speedier issue than talking about it year after year in the Legisla-* i ture. Meanwhile, the Government, carrying out I the direct instructions of the Crown, and supi ported by the opinion of its own law officers, will fulfil its pledges to adopt the most suitable means to promote the settlement of the colony. And if the squatters find, by reference to the law, that their claim to compensation had no legal foundation, they will, by such steps, considerahly weaken their imral title to any such conr cession, and large sums of money may be saved to the colony.