OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2014, 12 June 1885, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. In opening Parliament his Excellency said : llonovabh Gentlement of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of tho House of llqnwntatim,— i have much pleasure in again having recourse to your assistance in Parliament assembled. Tiie Depression that was prevalent throughout the colony when you met last year, shows sjgns of passing away. In many parts, notwithstanding the low price of wool ijnd yrheat, satisfactory' evidence, is apparent of Renewed Enterprises, fqid of confidence in the future progress of tho colony. The Loyal Disposition op the Maoris, and the readiness they have displayed in aiding the construction of the Northern Trunk Railway, jnust be i exceedingly gratifyjng tq yoq. My Ministers' (jesir'e in ' ' ""' Dealinq with TU*TNaTIYE3

is to treat'them with justice and rotation, while at the same time the law is maintained, There m, through, out the native territory, many signs that the attitude of the Maoris is not only peaceful, but friendly. Tribes ana hapus, hitherto standing aloof from Europeans, have shown an earnest desire to co-operate heartily with the Government. My advisers are of opinion that in order to avoid misunderstanding in the future, it is most important that a better mode of dealing with native lands should be devised, To accomplish this in a manner just to the Maori owners, and beneficial to the colony, they propose to submit to you a Bill to regulate the sale and-other disposition of lands belonging to the natives. The cpnstriictiorof tjie North Island Main JJajlway, wliich' was jiapp'jly near Ifrhikih) in April "M cannof fail to Jiaye a iripst beneficial effect pi) the relations between' the European and native races, and as ■ LAND IS PROVIDED FOR SPTLEMEP along the line, the North Island will doubtless make gveat strides m permanent agricultural settlement, My Ministers have proceeded cautiously, but effectively, with the prosecution of other Public Works, They hope that at 'no distant date the railway line between Wellington and Napier will 'soon be finished. Rapid progress is being -made in the costruction of the Otago central railway, which, when completed, will open up the interior plains of the provincial district. No time was lost in making an agreement under-the East and West Coast and Nelson Railway Act- My Ministers are in hopes, that in accordance with its provisions, Nelson and the-Wart Coast will beforo long be connected with the East Coast of the middle Island, and that a vast area of land, which, from its nature requires a railway to develop it, will become available for useful purposes. The gain to the colony, from opening these lines of communication with the West

roast, ;tny Ministers consider, will be of jiimneriap importance, whilst tho utilisation of, the land of which the :Colony .will retain "'alternate, blocks,, must: prove of great service. You will be asked to consider whether the effective workings of the Mwaysopened for traffic could not be improved by the coatitution of boards of Commissioners, td whom would be entrusted the general management of the railways, In order to enable you to deal with the subject, my Ministers will submit a Bill for your consideration.

In accordance with'the authority given by Parliament in 1882, and by you last session, the Loant OP £1,000,000 AND £1,500,000 . have been raised, and exceedingly satisfactory prices obtained. Papers on the subject will be laid before you.

The Industrial Exhibition in Wellington will shortly be opened, and my advisers believe , that through it an impetus will be given to manufacturing enterprise throughout the colony, You' will be asked to authorise the representation of the colony at the Colonial and Indian Exhibitions to be held in London next year. A great opportunity will thus be afforded of making known throughout the world the vast resources and natural advantages of this colony. Considerable attention has been given to the promotion of Agricultural Settlememlt. The Special Settlements, formed under the regulations lately gazetted, promise to prove a great success, Applications far exceeding the area at present available by law, have been received by the Lands Department.

The Constitution op the Legislative

Council lias often been discussed. A Bill dealing with the subject by limiting the appointments to aterm of years, will be submitted for your consideration. _ Gentlemen of the Hoi is of Represents tives,— ■ «

The estimates of revenue and expenditure for the current year will be laid before you without delay. They liavo been framed r with the desire to promote the utmost economy consistent with the efficiency of the departments. My ministers believe that the time has come when there should be some re-adjustment of taxation, and proposals with this object will shortly be submitted to you. Homrahk Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,—

For some time during the recess considerable apprehension existed of an outbreak of war with Russia.. My Ministers therefore felt it necessary- to make immediate and strenuous efforts to place the colony in_a state of defence. With this object considerable expense has been incurred, towhichyouwill, nodoubt, readily assent. The main ports are being put in a state to resist attack, and it will be proposed to you to sanction further expenditure, to render the defence of the colony still more complete. You will be invited to express your views on the question, both of naval and land defences. Local Government.Tlieie has beeu throughout the colony a desire to improve the system of local government, Mj consider that any refqrm should interfere as little as poßßiblewith existing institutions, so long as the object sought can be attained. They have prepared for your consideration various Bills, making provision for granting local bodies larger powers, with a more assured local finance, thus enabling them to perform their important functions without continually referring to the central Government Parliament for aid and assistance, The attention of my Ministers has bee\i much directed to the development of the great ~ Minemi Wealth of the colony, The interest and enthusiasm awakened in the miners by lectures recently delivered on chemistry and mineralogy, and their desire for the permanent establishment of schools of mines, demonstrate the confidence these enterprising settlers have in theirpursuits, You will be asked to give further facjli? ties to the mining industry, are' Other Industries which require your careful attention. The .forests of the colony, if properly utilised, would not only give useful employment to many colonists, but their value would bo greatly enhanced, Much valuable timber is now being recklessly destroyed, and it will be for you to consider whether for economic as well as climatic reasons greater efforts should not be made to conserve and utilise the forest lands of the Crown. A Bill on the subject has been prepared, and will be submitted to you. The fisheries, though known to be valuable, have hitherto received very little notice Proposals to found fishing settlements and to aid in the develop, ment of fishing industries will b.e laid before you, and I have no dpubtthoy will receive your careful consideration. The Federal Council, The relations of New Zealand to % Australian colonies and the South Sea Islands have occupied t]ie attention of Ministers durjng % recess, Ministers considered it their duty to oppose the Federal Council Bill in the shape it was brought bofore the Imperial Parliament, until you could have an opportunity of expressing your yim fill subject,

The Ifw Mail Service to the South Sea Islands which you authored, will, it is hoped, strengthen the commercial relations, and increase the trade between them and New Zealand, Correspondence with the Right Honor, able the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with the Premiers of the Australian Colonies, and with the King of Samoa, will be laid before you. '

DISPENSING AID 10 THE POOK AND SIOK has proved, especially since the abolition of the provinces, a difficult task. My Ministers think that such aid cannot be effectively administered by a central Government, but should be locally controled, A Bill with this object will be submitted to you. . N^y.BijjjS, I cpit)ilien(l tp your careful consideration Pills which will be brought before ypu % various purposes, amongst others fpr Consolidating the Land lira,'for Limiting the Habjijties qf Insurance Companies' fpr codifying the Criminal Laws, fpr consolidating the Yarjou!) Municipal Corporation Acts, the Native JLand Laws, and the land Transfer Acts, for establishing a system of Parcel Post, and for the Issue ofPqstal Kotos, I earnestly hope that with the blessing of God you may be enabled to discharge your arduous duties with good effect. God save the Queen,