16

THURSDAY, IST June, 1854. Present —The Speaker and 27 Members. The House met pursuant to adjournment. The Speaker took the Chair. The minutes of last meeting were read. * Mr. Sewell gave notice that on Saturday next he would move that a Select Committne be appointed to prepare lists and forms of Statistical and other Returns and of documents which it may be desirable for the House to obtain from the Lx ecutive Government for purposes of general information. „ Mr. Carleton gave notice that on Friday, the 9th June, he would move Ifor Returns showing the amount of duty which each article of the Tariff has yielded the last 12 months ending June 9th, or any corresponding period comprising 12 months, to which the Revenue accounts may have been respective y made up, distinguishing the quantity imported of each article where specific duties are chargeable, and the valuation of those items subject to ad valorem duties. This Return to be oblained from the Auckland Province, and from as ma } other Provinces as possible without involving long delay. ~ Mr. Mackay brought up the Report of the " Improvement Committee, which was receiven, read, and ordered to lie on the table. Mr. E. G. Wakefield, with permission of the .House, moved that his mot ton of which notice stands for to-morrow, be considered in Committee ol the who e Agreed to. Mr. FitzGerald, according to notice, moved the following address in answer to the speech of the Officer Administering the Government, which was seconded by Dr. Monro, and agreed to. To His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government of the Islands of New Zealand. We'^th^eUou^ot 0 Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled desire to express to your Excellency our grateful thanks for theAddresswith Excellency has been pleased to inaugurate the opening of the fir»t General As»enmy oi NeW wfc a ordlally unite in the language of congratulation with which your i „ pn to refer to the prosperity which pervades all parts ot .his ly , and we desire to add our own testimony, derived from personal acquaintance with the various Provinces, to the justice of your Excellency's expressions : we entertain tne strongest conviction that under the liberal institutions which have besto this Colony by the English Parliament, that prosperity will be fosteied tSnd Entirely appreciating the difficulty of your Excellency's position,and the, responsibility of initiating a course ot policy, during your temporary administration of the Oo vernment, we desire to record our deep and lasting sense of our Excellency has conferred on the Colony by convening the GeneralAssembljatthe earliest possible period after it became your duty to assume the Gov eminent ot JNe Zeal We feel that it would be premature, at so early a period of thei session, upon all the various subjects to which your Excellency has been p eased to d attention ; but we desire to express our earnest wish to co-operate, in the n , manner with your Excellency, in carry inginto effect whatever may ? be determined on as most beneficial to the Colony at l ar g e > anid to tl e be nf which it is composed : and to assure your Excellency that whatever measuie y submitted to the House by your Excellency's Government shall receive their m -• pectful and patient consideration.

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.