OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2564, 9 June 1881, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THE GOVENOR’S SPEECH.

[Ur Telegraph.]

Wellington, June 9,

The Parliament was opened by the Governor in person, at 2 o’clock. 18 members of the Council, and 24 of the House of Representatives were present. There were a very large number of ladies present. The Governor wore the collar and robes of a Knight Grand Cross of St. Michael and St. George. The business of each House was purely formal and adjourned till to-morrow.

Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,

It affords me much satisfaction in meeting you for the first time to be able to congratulate you upon the steady progress of the colony during the past year, at the revival of its prosperity, and the increased confidence in the future which animates all classes of tho community.

The course proscribed by Parliament to bring to a termination the state of affairs existing on a part of the West Coast of this island had been steadily pursued, and lias up to the present lime been attended with marked success. Effect is being given to the recommendations of the Royal Commission appointed to enquire into tho grievances which were alleged to exist among the Natives of that locality, and the determination on the one hand to assert the supremacy of tho Queen, and repress any lawless action, and on the other Imnd to redress all real grievance*, will apparently effect a peaceful solution of questions which a short time ago wore a threatening aspect. The lands which have been appropriated for European occupation on the Waimate Plains have been for the most part sold, and are now being occupied by settlers. Tne prisoners whose detention up

to the present time has been deemed necessary in the interest of both Native# and Europeans have been released and returned to their homes, with the exception of a small number, whom it is proposed to set free in afeW days. Nor do my responsible advisers apprehend that it will be necessary again to have recourse to extraordinary measures for the preservation of peace and good order in the district in question. Papers will be laid before .you con taining the minutes of the proceedings of an Intercolonial Conference held at Sydney in the month of January last, at which a member of my Government was present. You will learn from these papers that several measures of considerable interest' to the Australian Colonies were considered by the Conference, and in accordance with one of the conclusions arrived at, a bill will be placed before you for regulation and restriction.or the influx of Chinese into the colony. The recognition of a community of interests and mutual independence among the Australian colonies evinced by this Conference may hereafter he attended by results of considerable importance. * The railway and other public works authorised by you have been proceeded with as rapidly as was expedient in the present circumstances of the colony. In view of the necessity for maintaining the progressive work of colonisation, proposals will come under your consideration for giving assistance to companies prepared to construct or continue main lines of railway. The termination of existing leases of land in the Middle Island and held for pastoral purposes, affords an opportunity which has .not been overlooked by my advisers for rendering those lands more generally useful to the State Carefully considered plans for effecting that object will be laid before you. The systematic laying out of roads in anticipation of the sale of waste lands, has in a very .marked manner promoted their occupation during the past year. You will be asked to sanction more expenditure to enable the Lands Department to give effect to plans which if earned out, will practically enlarge the area available for settlement, and invite a more extended employment of labor and capital. The revenue received from the sale of waste lands during the past year has exceeded the estimate, and the .increasing demand for land for actual occupation, together with statistical information recently obtained, affords convincing proof that a fresh impulse is being given to the work of settlement, while the expansion of local industries promise to provide profitable employment for a rapidly increasing population. Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, Large reductions have already been made in the cost of the public service without impairing its efficiency, and the estimates of receipts and expenditure for the current year which will shortly be. laid before you have been prepared with strict regard to the most rigid economy. The revenue for the past year must on the whole be considered satisfactory. The excess of receipt^over expenditure upon the railways amount to a return of one half per cent upon the outlay incurred upon their construction.

Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, Bills will be submitted to you for the redistribution of Hie representatiod of the people and for the regulation of elections, which, in view of the approaching termination of the present Parliament, I recommend to your esrly and most attentive consideration. The Commissioners appointed last year for the purpose of enquiring into the constitution, practice, and procedure of the Supreme Court and other courts of the colony, and of ascertaining by what means'the administration of justice may be rendered more speedy and efficacious and at the same time less costl}’, have made an ad interim report, a copy of which will be laid before you. I am glad to be able to inform jou that the Commissioners have proceeded so far with the work entrusted to them as to enable them to anticipate the close of their labors in the course of the month of July. The measures necessary to give effect to their recommendations may therefore be submitted to you during the present sessiop. A Bill will be laid before yon which will have for its object the abolition of restriants on the alienation of land, while guarding the interests which may arise out of any trusts to which it has been made subject. Bills will also be laid before you for the regulation of the administration of charitable aid, for the consolidation and amendment of the Licensing Laws, for the amendment of the existing law in respect of administration of Native reserves, for rating Crown lands, and for providing for the grant of assistance to local public

works. , I have recently visited different districts of the colony. During these journeys I have had repeated opportunity of observing signs of increasing wealth the spread of settlement, and energy and activity engaged in industrial pursuits throughout the country. The impressions which I had thus been led to form are strengthened by the results of the recent census, and by a perusal of reports and returns, which will be placed before yon, showing the revival of trade the growth of new and important local industries, and the satisfactory condition of the ordinary and territorial revenue for the past year. In the discharge of the high functions committed to me by the Queen, it will always he my view to manifest the same scrupulous and loyal regard to constitutional practice and not only in the letter, but in the spirit which has ever distinguished the Sovereign whom I represent among you. You may rely 'with confidence on my utmost and hearty co-operation in giving effect to the deliberate decisions of the Legislature, and it is rny earnest hope and desire that your labours may be so directed as by God’s blessing, not only to promote the material welfare of the colony, but to secure the stability of the institutions, the deYelopmcnt of its great resources, and the happiness of all classes of Her Majesty s subjects within its bounds.