11 eiu %t;tl a n ix

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SESSION 11.

Thursday, August 31st, 185-4. The House met pursuant to a Proclamation issued by His Excellency tlie Officer administering the Government, dated August 17th, 1854. Present :—The Honorable the Speaker, E. J. Wakefield, Esq., W. T. L. Travers, Esq., E. Gibbon Wakefield, Esq., F. A. Weld, Esq., the Honorable J. Stuart Wortley, H. Sewell, Esq., J. Macandrew, Esq., J. O'Neill, Esq., W. M. Crompton, Esq., J. Cargill, Esq., Major Greenwood, J. Mackay, Esq., W. Lee, Esq., F. U. Gledhill, Esq., T. S. Forsaith, Esq., L. O'Brien, Esq., W. B. Rhodes, Esq., W. F. Porter, Esq., J. E. Fitzgerald, Esq., F. W. Merriman, Esq., J. W. Bacot, Esq., R. Hart, Esq., C. J. Taylor, Esq., Major Gray, W. S. Moorhouse, Esq., A. C. Picard, Esq., W. H. Cutten, Esq, T. King, Esq., W. Brown, Esq., J. Kelham, Esq, I. E. Featherston, Esq., H. Carleton, Esq., A. Ludlam, Esq. The Speaker read prayers. The Speaker took the Chair. The Speaker announced that ho had received a copy of the Speech which had just been read to both Houses of the Legislature, by His Excellency the Officer administering the Government, in the Legislative Council Chamber. The Speaker put to the House whether the copy of His Excellency's Speech should be laid on the table, or whether it should be again read. Mr. Forsaith moved that it be read. The Speaker then read the following Speech of His Excellency the Officer administering the Government of New Zealand, on opening the Second Session of the General Assembly :— Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives. My anxiety to promote beneficial Legislation for the Colony, notwithstanding the circumstances by which that most desirable object has been impeded, induces me to abstain entirely from alluding, on the present occasion, to the differences which have taken place between myself and the House of Representatives, except for the one purpose of declaring t you my sincere wish that the whole subject may be henceforth buried in oblivion. Nevertheless, I am conscious, as you must be, that the present Session of th- islature is of an unusual character, and must be considered as taking place rather for 'pose of