The Governor’s Speech.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1076, 20 May 1882, Page 2

The Governor’s Speech.

Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of llepresentatives It is with much pleasure that I have recourse to your advice and assistance on the occasion of the opening of the eighth Parliament of New Zealand. I forwarded to the Queen an expression, which I feel sure will have your hearty concurrence, of the deep-felt thankfulness with which all classes of Her Majesty’s subjects in New Zealand heard of her recent preservation from danger, and of their earnest prayer that she may Idng be spared to reign over a loyal and united Empire, The measure adopted by the last Parliament to extend the franchise, to increase the representation of the people, and to afford more frequent opportunities of ascertaining the opinions of the constituencies, may, I trust, cause all classes of the community to watch your deliberations with keener interest, and be found conducive to the permanent welfare and happiness ut the colony. I am glad to he able to congratulate you upon the renewed and well-founded confidence which exists as to the commercial prospects of the Colony, upon the disappearance of distress among the working classes, and upon the general increase of the revenue. The proposals submitted to Parliament during past session for the systematic laying out of roads to promote iha colonial association of the waste lands, hate had careful attention during the recess, and in all parts of the Colony the work of se'tlement is progressing favorably. New openings are in the course of development for the employment of labor and capital. The railways hare become more productive and fresh groups of population ere settling in districts which only require the means of access to make them prosperous. A desire for permanent settlement on the gold fields and for the profitable union of mining and agricultural purposes in the same localities is becoming more and more manifest The present time is, in the opinion of my advisers, » very f ivorable one at which to press forward the construction of roads, and to facilitate the influx of population. The success of the scheme which has been adopted at Rotorua, on a limited scale, for administering native lands on behalf of the native owners, leads me to hope that it may have a beneficial and more extended operation in the future. My advivers are of onin’on that a plan for leasing agricultural lands, with a fixity of tenure, upon reasonable terms, may with advantage be incorporated in the general system of administering the Crown lands of the colony, and a measure will be submitted to you with this object. Towards the close of last session of Parliament, the aspect of affairs on the West Coast of the North Island appeared to my Government to have become more threatening than had previously been the case, and my advisers felt themselves compelled to consider whether more active steps than had yet been taken might not yet be re- -» quired for the repression of lawlessness, trte £ protection of Her Majesty's peaceable subjects and the termination * of the increasing excitement in that dis- • trict. At their request the House of Representatives voted a sum of £IOO,OOO to meet such a contingency, and in the month of October the time arrived when conciliation having in the opinion of Ministers failed to effect its object, they considered the adoption of more vigorous measures to have become necessary. A proclamation was accordingly issued during my absence from the Colony, by the Administrator of the Government, calling on Te Whiti and his adherents to accept within a specified time, the lands offered them, a requisition with which Te Whiti failed to show any sign of compliance. The dangers and difficulties of the position Were j idg d by my Government to increase with the continued exercise of forbearance, and it was resolved that the periodical meetings of natives at Parihaka should be no longer allowed to be held ; that the numerous natives from other localities emigrated there should be compelled to return to their own districts, and that Te Whiti and Tohu should be removed from a position which was deemed by my advisers to constitutes standing menace to the peace of the colony Te Whiti and Tohu were therefore arrested, and were committed for trial on charges of sedition. In order to secure the success of the operation necessary for these objects, the Volunteers were invited to leave their districts to render assistants, and large additions were made to the Armed Constabulary. The thanks of the Colony are due to the Volunteers for the readiness with which they re- 1 sponded to the call made on them, and * for their soldierly conduct while on • active service. The discipline and good conduct of the A. C. entitles them to the highest praise. My Government desire it to be recognised that in the course pursued, they have been, and are actuated by anxiety to avert consequences disastrous to all classes of Her Majesty’ subjects, rather than by any desire to inflict punishment. A Bill will be laid before you, having for its object to render the trial of Te Whiti and Tohu unnecessary, and at the same time to prevent them from returning for the present to Parihaka, or recommencing an agitation which has long c tused alarm and apprehension of danger among the settlers on the West Coast. I am assured that the confidence in the tranquility of the district is established, and that a feeling of security exists among its its inhabitants, which has been long unknown to them. i Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, —-The estimates of revenue and expenditure for the current financial year will shortly be laid before you. Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, —Returns will be laid before you which show that the revenue has considerably exceeded the amount estimated. The railway returns especially show a gratifyiug increase. The surplus of receipts over expenditure during the past year amounts approximately to 4 per cent, on the cost of construction. A new impetus appea.s to have been given to every branch of industry. The yield of gold for the ye ir which has just closed, as compared with that of several previous years shows a marked development of < this important industry, and encourages J the belief that further expenditure iif I opening up the gold-fields will be pro- I

ductive of the beat result to the Colony I at large. These Acts appear amply to justify your making provision for the extension and ultimate completion of the main trunk lines of railway, as Well as for other important works in connection with them, to which Parliament has already given its sanction. Proposals with tnese objects will be made to you, which the increase of revenue and the revival of prosperity appear fully tojustify. The Commissioners appointed toin quire in to to the constitution, practice, and such measures of reform as would render the administration of justice more speedy and efficacious, and at the same time less costly than at present have cempletedjtheir lab «rs, and Bills will be piesented to you for giving effect to the recommendations of the Commissioners. Bills will also be introduced to amend the Counties’ and Road Boards’ Acts; to regulate the making and levying of tales; to effct Important changes in ths working of the ■Government Life Insurance Department ; to improve the law affecting lunatics; to enable affi mations and declarations to be taken in lieu of oaths ; to abolish the restraints on the alienation of land ; to intend the law relating to the property of married women ; to -consolidate and amend the law relating to legal practitioners, and for the better management of Native reserves. Each ■of these subjects wi 1 require your very careful consideration, and under the guidance of Providence 1 trust that your deliberations will result in just ■conclusions beneficial to all classes •ut Her Majesty’s subjects in this colony