AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume X, Issue 969, 15 November 1854, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

The Second Session of, the Auckland Provincial Council was opened on the 28th October, by His Honor tfye 'Superintendent with the following Address :— ' Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen, of toe Provincial Council :— " I haye^ again c»]led you together ty the month of October ior the annual ' session^ of the Provincial Council, believing this to be the season of the year at which it is most convenient to you to leave your private occupations in order to discharge your legislative duties. , - Since the prorogation of the Provincial Council in February last, the General Assembly of New Zealand has met, and its sittings, .which commenced in May, were only brought to a close at the beginning of last month, ' Although .the powers and duties of the Provincial Council .have not been materially altered or affected, except in one; important particular, by any enactment of the Gf'eneril Legislature of the Colouy, yet it. must not be overlooked that cumstances have Imposed* on the Legislature of this Province additional duties and responsibilities, which' 1 trust,' and have every reason to believe it will Be found fully competent to undertake. ' ' ■-''■<.-'- The excep'ion to which! allude Is tlfe^ower conferred on the Provincial Councils, by the 44 Waste Lands Act," to recommend to the Governor regulations for the sale, letting; disposal, and occupation of the Waste Lands of the Crowo, and which, if he shall think fit, it is made lawful for him, withe advice of his Executive Council, to issue and put into force. No new Land Re* gulations, other than such as shalt be so recommended and made, can for the future become law, without the further exercise of the powers vested in the General Assembly. . \ Under the provisions of the Waste Lands Act any member of the Provincial Council is authorised to propose for adoption any regulations he may think 'fit, so that they be 'first published in in the Government Gazette of the' Province, in the manner prescribed by the Act..' One complete code of Regulations has been, prepared by a member I>£rtbe Council, who is also a member of the Provincial Government, and having been published in conformity with the law,' has, by my direction, been placed in your hands. •. This subject is «ne second in importance to none other, and I have no doubt that it will receive from the Council all that careful, consideration v/hich its importance deserves,, , A liberal, but at the same time, judicious system of dealing with the Waste Lands of the Crfjsfp* as well in reference to the administration as to the,, terms of disposal, appears to me to be the most, effectual,, if hot the only means, on which we may place ■reliance to secure a speedy and satisfactory settlement of the country 1 . ' p< »'•'* - " " " ' , * The proposed Regulations to "whjch I hayrdi-, fected your 4 attention,,, are ,calc«»Uted^t<» .eifecf most extensive altera ions, but as ttfejr are already 'before you, I do not feel it necessary at present to add more than an* expression of my opinion— that important and beneficial results may reasonably be expected as the consequence of an adoption of the principles upon which they are based. The subject of Immigration, 'second only in importance to that of the Waste Lands, and intimately connected with- it, wiir nit 'fail, I feel I assured, also to engage your earnest attention. Under Sir George Grey's Land Regulations of of the 4th March, 1853, Mid under instructions subsequently issued by. his Excellency, a certain portion of the land receipt* is set apart as a fund for promoting immigration by means of assisted passages. A sum of £5,690 12s. had, up to the 30tb September, been paid into the Provincial Treasury on acconnt of this fund ; and it is calculated that; undea the existiug arrangement, this sum will be increased to £10,000 at the close of the current year. Assisted passages for six hundred and thirty-three individuals have been applied for.' The Land and Emigration Coifmissioners have been requested' by the General Government, through the Secretary of State, to provide passsges for five hundred and thirty-fire of that number some of whom may be expected to arrive immediately, by the Gipsey, from London. Considerable delay arises from entrusting business of this description to the Land and Emigration Commissioners, who despatch, the emigrants only when a number can be collected sufficient to authorize them to charter a ship,. With a view to preveut a recurrence of this delay, a sum of £800 being half the amount required for the passages,

of eighty-one individuals — not included amongst those sent for through the Commissioners — has been remitted through the Provincial Government to an agent in London, with instructions to provide for the persons designated, passages to Auckland as early as possible, and on the most favourable terms that can be obtained. No payment on account of immigration having been made by the General Government, the . amount of liabilities already incurred cannot be calculated with accuracy ; but if, (which, however, is not probable,) all those who have been sent .for should come oat, the whole of the funds that will be available for ibis purpose up to the Ist January next, will be absorbed. ." From the statements in the colonial journals, as .well as from the reports of individuals who have .recently returned from Australia, .there is reason to conclude that great numbers of. those whom the prospects of the gold fields attracted to Sydney and Melbourne, would now gladly avail themselves of the opportunity to remove *to this Province, if , the facility of free or assisted pas-; sages were afforded them ; and it seems probable that, hyp the exercise of great care in the" selection, a r «upply of "labour might thus, at a small expense, be pbtained. * No stept in this direction could,however, be taken with propriety- without the 1 concurrence of the Government of Sydney : *nd - "Victoria. •- - > -k Population, to develope its great natural resources, is. all that the Province of Auckland re- - quires'to render it a most prosperous and important settlement ; and, as you must be aware how: .much ihe energies and exertions of those who are engaged in the most productive industrial occupations are cramped and depressed by the want of labour, you will not, I trust, allow the Session, to close without adopting some well-considered scheme for its introduction. , The extinguishment of the native title over a sufficient quantity of lend, in order at all times to ensure an abundant supply, has a most important bearing on the subjects to which I have already adverted. This, however, is a matter in which the Provincial Government has no authority to act, but I may here .express a hope that the return to Auckland of the Principal Commissioner for effecting land purchases, and the provision that has been made for the efficiency of his department, will have the effect of securing the attainment of so important an object as an ample supply of land, for all the purposes for which it may be required. The establishment of a systetr of education for the people, a matter of the first importance, is one to which the attention of the General Assembly has been directed, and over which that body may finally determine to exercise a controlling power. At the instance of the Legislative Council,^information on all points connected with this question, is I believe, being collected with a view to future legislation. Pending the consideration of the question by the Assembly, it does not appear necessary that the Provincial Council should deal actively with it, but I think that an expression of deliberate opinion by the Council on the subject would have its proper weight in finally determining the course to be pursued. The increasing commerce of the Province, the necessity of providing for ita perishable articles of export, a more speedy and certain mode of transport to the colonial markets, as well as of securing frequent arid regular postal communication with Australia, indicated the importance of the establishment of steam communication with Sydney. The ' opportunity to accomplish this object presented itself, and it will long be remembered as an instance of the public spirit of this community, and also I hope as an example of. what unity of purpose and of action may accomplish for the general good that in a very few hours, a sum of £12,000 was subscribed to purchase a moiety of the William Denny, steam ship, and thus aid in securing the services of that vessel for the Province. It was felt that it was the duty of the Government to promote in every possible way, the end in view, and guided by>the advice of my Executive Council, and sustained by the approval of a large number of the representatives of the Province, I entered into a contract to pay to the commander of the steamer William Denny, for. the monthly conveyance of the. mails to aud from Sydney for one .year, the sum of £5000. A copy of that document will be immediately laid before you. The good effects of the public enterprise are already manifest, and there is, 1 believe, reasonable ground to hope that commercially it will, prove so successful as to render future aid from the public funds unnecessary. •>. The public accounts which will be immediately laid on your table will display the satisfactory condition of the Provincial finances. The actual receipts for the year 1854 it is calculated will exceed considerably the estimated revenue. The increased price of all articles of consumption, and of the wages of labour has necessitated in expenditure in some departments in excess of the sums appropriated to their maintenance : a sup- * plementary estimate has beep prepared and vote's will be asked for the additional supplies, as well as for the prosecution of several public, worsts of .* pressing importance, in order that such'-laboujr a» can be procured previously to the approaching harvest may be made available. ; , 7 The portions of the revenue for the year 1855 arising from the Customs and from Land Sales which will be payable to the Provincial Treasury have' been estimated by the General Government at £40,000. If to this sum be added the sums of £2,650 for incidental receipts and £2,575 16s.' lid., the estimated balance from the year 1854, the probable amount available for the expenditure of the year 1855 will be £45,225 1 6s. lid. ' . From the estimates, which will shortly be laid before you, it will be seen that as the proposed cost of establishments for the coming .year is about £16,000, a sum of £29,225 16s. lid. may be appropriated to Public Works and Immigration. Application has been made to the General Government for a detailed statement of the financial position of the Province, which when received will be laid before the Council. The reduced price at which land is now being sold, whilst by encouraging occupation it renders the want of roads and bridges more urgent, provides no fund adequate' to the cost of their con-, itruction. During the past year it bas been the object of the Provincial Government to expand, economically and in such manner as to afford the greatest immediate advaotage, the sums pliced .at .Us disposal for the purpose .of .making roads, but the insufficiency of means to afford the amount, •of accommodation requited has become manifest.

I shall therefore submit this matter'for consideration and discussion by the Council, witb the suggestion that certain roads should befixed upon as 'being main or trunk roads, to be made and maintained at the expense of the Province, and that •powers should be granted to provide funds by means of iocal'assessments for making and maintaining the district or branch roads. The whole system in reference to Public Houses is one which appears to me to require revision. It may be worthy of consideration bow far it is practicable, or expedient, to hold out encouragement for the establishment of Licensed Houses confined to their original and legitimate •objects, namely the accommodation of travellers • and stranger and at the same time to discourage Htdere taps, and tippling houses. Much iraprove•ment may also I think be effected in the mode in wb'rcb 1 licenses are now applied for and granted. "The efficiency of any Law on this subject will perhaps depend more upon iti administration than •upon its particular provisions, and it may be expedient therefore to constitute a new tribunal, not only empowered to grant licenses but also to -cancel them in cases of misconduct, which tribunal 'digbtjbe intrusted especially with the inspection and -supervision of licensed bouses. The constitution jit such a tribunal would be au important matter ioi - consideration, it should at least possess the «onfiderice;of the public, and as much as possible 'be amenable to public opinion. The complicated nature, however, of the interests involved in this question, render it desirable before legislating be attempted that a foil enquiry should be instituted

'by means of a committee of the Council. As the period at which the Census under the provisions of the Ordinance, No. 11, of Session, •No. 8, should hare been taken in this Prorince, was suffered to pass by, a special enactment to enable the Government to take a census of the Province in the early part of next year is necessary, and for this purpose a bill will be submitted to you, and a sum will also be placed on the estimates to cover the necessary expenses, — no 'effort will be spared to Tender the statistical information thus to be obtained as full and as com-

plete as possible. The Harbour Committee and City Council, bodies which were called into existence by Acts of this Council during its first Session, have now been for a considerable period in operation ; and I am happy to be able to testify to the activity and energy which have distinguished their exertions to fulfil the dnties imposed upon them, and

to promote the public convenience. I fed assured that the matteri to which I have already adverted Tjeing, as they unquestionably are, of vital importance to our interests, will receive at your bauds careful and earnest consideration, and that tht measures upon which you will determine will tend to secure tbe welfare and to maintain the progress of the Province of Auckland. R. H. Wynyard, Superintendent,