The Bush Advocate. Published Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1888.

Bush Advocate, Volume I, Issue 3, 12 May 1888, Page 2

The Bush Advocate. Published Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1888.

There is not much in tho Governor's .speech;- there. -never is. in these utterances.. That delivered on Thursday afternoon begins by referring to the trade of -the country, of which "it is satisfactory to know that signs of improvement are not wanting." It is also satisfactory to learn that tho long neglected mining industry is looking up, that capital is coming into the country for investment in this class of enterprise, and that lands now lying waste will be opened up. 'The deiails of the reductions in the Civil Service will be awaited with interest, and we are quite prepared to hear that in this direction the Government haiv© fuelled all they promised, and a bit more. The Naval Defence is alluded to, and colonists will welcome the fact that " the harbor defence works, which form a necessary part of th© scheme for the protection of. the colony against external danger, have been so far completed as to render it unnecessary to maintain the past heavy expenditure," and that large reductions have been made in the Defence department. We believe that the half-mil 1 ion or so of money that, haa been spent in defences has had less approval from the colonists than almost any expenditure that has taken place for years. As to the efficiency of the scheme, it is to be hoped it will never be tried. Referring to the Land Act of last session the speech says the anticipations, as. to the beneficial effects •f the Act have been verified by events, and relief has been afforded to many hard-working holders through the operation of its clauses. ' After alluding to the happy relations between the Maories and the Government, the speech goes on to say, "My Ministers believe that the time has arrived when the whole question of dealing with native land should be treated upon a basis in accord with the advancing knowledge of the native race. Bills will be submitted for your approval which have been prepared with due regard to this consideration." This part of the speech posseses more than ordinary interest to this district surrounded as it is by native land, the opening up of which. will be. the commencement of a new era of prosperity and progress. The other chief items in the speech are an allusion to the Chinese question, in which is stated the intention of the Government to join with the other Australian colonies in enacting restrictive measures, and a reference to the tariff, from which we gather there is to be a "rise" in duties. A measure for adjusting from time to time, the rents payable by defeired payment settlers and by tenants of the Crown, and of municipal and other bodies is promised, and several other Bills of a more or less important nature are mentioned as being ready to be laid. before tho House. The above form the salient features of . the speech, which is neither better nor worse than its predecessors,