OPENING of PARLIAMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3285, 20 June 1889, Page 2

OPENING of PARLIAMENT.

The Governor's Speech Wellington, Thursda ' The third session of the' tk Parliament of New Zealand was Ik day opened by tho Governor, bis Excellency _waa pleased to rißf/. . ■, the following speechi\ Hon. Gentlemen of theLegislativo\ Council, and. Gentlemen ,:.oi v the\ • House of Eepresentntiveg, — s \ It affords me great pleasuw to meet you in Parliament assembled so sooni after my assumption of tho: Govern-..;.: i mont of: the: Colony. vJL'he;: peiiod v :. ! which has elapsed smcfi my- arrival-;;,; i has ■ been too' short, to permit efffley*' visiting the various paijs f of the i Colony, so as to enable-mo to_tq,ke,a, 5 comprehensive .view.of its and resouices, but what I have" seon has-- favorably; impressed; During my .stay-in Auoliland and overland < journey ■ to t his• oity, while I have resided here, I have'-' - noted, with gratification the vauety and extent of the natural wealth - of ■, this jsland, and the eneigy and industry wlnoh have been displajed in promoting the work bf colonisation. I have also been muoh gratified by the■:■■■ ■ cordial, and loyal reception whioh lias been given to me as Her Mnjesty'a representative; at; this .tuid. othor places wlnoh I have It is aliko my privilego. and 'mv pleasure on this occasion of my .first, meeting you to be able to-, congratulate the Colony.'upon a much Improved condition of affairs. The efforts which have been-made- to rc-duce the cost of administering the Government, and to increase tho : public revenue,, hayo,;; foftunately, been successful, - I. am glad to bo able to state that the. reauctions have, in the opinion of my Ministers, been> effected without . 111. any- way - impairing the efficiency of the . publio: ■ service, while my, advisers claim for - you and for themselves a part -.m bunging about this result. They recognise that it is greatly due to the ; change which has been going on the ciroumsloncea of the' country. 1 The inorease in the value and volume •. of-many of its .rabduotioria hafmade the task of relrenchnient ". easier, while it has had its effects in; adding , to the revenues. There' are encour--1 agiug Bigns that' the -improvement 1 which has taken place will continue, The higher prices which have bnjjfc ;; obtained for its chief exports, .wbar ' adding to the capital ana increasing [ the income of the country, are restoring tho confidence in; its, resources, winch for a time seemed to have • been capital expended in industries ' whioh have been found rehumerative, •. but in the extent of land which has been purchased from the Crown and ' in parts of the colony from large r owners who have subdivided . their ' holdings into convenient areas and . offered them for sale.' A large addi- ' tion has thus been made to the land - j brought; into useful occupation, 1 while confidence is being restored among colonists, and a'renewed vigor 1 shown in promoting our industries, v New Zealand is coming to be ' regarded n )vith greater favor by per- • soils ontside the colony v?ho are in search of a home, or of a place of J resort • for recreation and health, , Judged too by the value of its* 1 securities in the London market the colony's credit has from month to • month during the past year ' advanced in England, ' • '!»•■ s My Government, while restricting unremunerativo expenditure, have J recognised the advantage of a judioious outlay of money in developing, the resources of the country as 1 ocoasion required. They MveJ > therefore, in pursuance of authority 1 given by you, let for construction such works- as : they believed were • likely, either directly or indireotly, to . ■ be remunerative. • One of the most pleasing manifestations of the increased confidence of 1 the people in tho colony's future is luniished by tho determination of the ■ inhabitants of Otago to hold in Dune- - > din an; exhibition of industries and 3 fine arts, and by the- favorablo response which they have "received 1 from other parts of the colony to their invitation to join in the undertaking,- my advisers regard the enter--3 prise as one likely to have a benefioial effect generally, and you will there--9 fore be asked to sanotion an arrange- : ment which has been entered into by " 3 them to assist in bringing the exhibi--1 tion to a successful issue. ; « ■ 3 During the recess my Governmejdfi 3 have brought into operation " TKm 1 Government Eailways Act, 1887," | J and have placed the railways under the management of three locally--1 appointed officers. . After careful 3 inquiry my advisors came to the 1 conclusion that it was impossible to ! get from abroad for the salary, whioh 1 -was authorised, or indeed for any 3 salary which they were prepared to ' ask you to vote, a Commissioner to • whom they considered they would be • justified in entrusting the great > powers vested in that , officer, while, ' on the othor band, the experience of 1 Mr McKerrow pointed to his being a 1 person well qualified to fill the office. ' My advisors believe that their choice 1 of Commissioners will be justified by ; results. . . 1 The sales of publio land within the Colony have been very satisfactory, I both as to the quantity disposed * of, 1 and the class of persons who have 1 acquired it. Much of the land-has : ! been taken up in small areas, and by 1 persons who are making their homes ■ upon it. The sale of runs which 1 have lately taken place, show th^. c > there is increased confidence in (lie 1 ]! ' great industry of wool growing, MyVf Ministers are confident that by care- ' ful administration, and by taking advantage at seasonable-times, of opportunities for opening up ; the ; country, New Zealand will soon be : made to occupy that prominence'as ft home for a thriving population which her position, climate,-find .resources fit her to attain, : Gentlemen of the House of Be, pressntatiyes— The estimates of tho revenue and ■ expenditure for the ourrent year will be brought bSfore you, at-an early date, when they will, I have no doubt, have your careful considera- ' tion. The estimates of expenditure have been prepared with a due regard to economy, ' : v -' Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Go'ntlemen of House of Bepresentatives,— Therp will be laid'bofore you for your consideration a number ofßilla dealing with matters of great publio'^interests. ' JR Jj (Idviser? are of opinion that M time has arrived when alterations should be made'in the Legislative ' Council. They regard the present . mode of .appointing members a nd. their appointment for life as unsatisfactory, and not 111 keeping with the lest of our constitution, A Bill will therefore be submitted- for vo\irconsideration- making alterations -in ' ■■ these and other respects.-My i aro also of opinion: that tli? time has f come, when. the:lawß--'regulating;ther • election of members of the Howe

: f Reresbntatives should bo reviowod • and a new departure taiou. A Bil \yill be submitted for your considerationwhich will provide 1 for a mode of : - election founded upon what is com- •; - -monly known as the Hare system. ! The Bill wili also amend thequalifc,. fioation required for electors, make r new provisions as to the mode oi registration, and prouido a more effective means of purilying the rolls. My advisers believe that these and the other provisions which the Bill , contains will render ilpossiblo for the public will to be oxpressed by elections. My advisers bslievo that until a measure clasrifyingthe Oivil Service servants and prouiding for their promotion and remuneration upon defined principles shall have been passed into Law of the Civil Service can never be placed upon - a proper footing; they also __ - believe that this question is intihiately connected with the economical carrying on of all public departments, and have, therefore, prepared a Bill dealing with the wholo question. .A subject which has been found . difficult to deal with in (ill countries, . that of the management of Hospitals, and the distribution of Charitable Aid, has ongaged much public attention throughout the Colony., A Bill «'""• .has been propared in accordance t with what my advisers bolievo to be the principles which havo been found by. experience to ensure relief of deserving persons, and at the .same . time to avoid the danger of - -increas- I ing the evil which is incident to ! indiscriminate relief, and your ; careful and patient consideration j will be asked for this. J My advisers have had the property ] tax under their earnest consideration, i while the state of the Colonies ! finances renders it impossible to ' forego any considerable part oftho revenue available from this tax, They - recognise that some of the provisions , of the Property Assessment Acts c ought to be amended with a view to removing objections, whioh exper- i ienco has shown can reasonably be made to them, Thero will therefore be submitted to you a Bill dealing with this important matter. Among other measures there will be presented to you for consideration Bills dealing witli the Law of Copyright in New Zealand; for consoli- ] dating and • amending the law *V relating to patents and trade marks; ' for regulating the Registration of Medical Practitioners, and constituting a Medical Council for improving the mode of registering transfers of ■ personal property and for considering j and amending the law of Bankruptcy. I commend all these matters, to your careful conrideration, and I 1 assure you of my earnest desire to 1 co-operate with you in jour l efforts to promote the .welfare f and prosperity of the Colony, and I ■pray that your labors may, by the blessing of Grd, conduce to the well 8 being and the happiness of its]inhabi. tants. • ■ - "