PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Press, Volume XII, Issue 1545, 19 October 1867, Page 2

PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[From the « New Zealand Timei,* Oc*.;Hj The second session of the 'fourth Parliament of New Zealand ■■*« brought to a close yesterday #*' noon. The House of BepresentatiYea met at half-past eleven the Legislative Council , : afcVW» o'clock. After the" transact* <« some formal business, both CbMHW" adjourned until one o'clock, the w* fixed for the prorogation, Speakers resumed their eeafcs. ■' _* D .. body of the Legislative Council 'Wwas comfortably fitted up witM ss A which were set apart for the fJ»e ° ladies. Shortly after twelve ojlo* the ladies began to arrive, and to. sometime previous to TSMtivw*®!' arrival all the available, space was oceu pied by a brilliant and faabioflawe assembly. Amongst the ladfeprf en ] we noticed Mrs Stafford, Mug**) Miss Fitzherbert, ihe Misses Jia« l tain, Mrs and Miss Borlatf, .*»*• Inglis, Miss. Johnston, Mto#s Mrs Boor, Miss Hunt, Mta W**" , Mrs Buck, the Misses Hunter, airs Bunny and the Misses Buony, Mr *r' T.; Crawford, Miss Bliott EUott, »»J Woodward, Mrs Prendergast, w Hudson, Mrs E. Hart, &c., «& * number of gentlemen holdiDg official positions also found s tan f"> room behind i the Speaker's cjauWhen the door of the public gaiwrj was opened, there was a em6nao^ e rush made for seats, and many,w» unable to find even standing. **»»»• The Eeporters' gallery wy crowded. A few minutes before time fixed for- his Excellency a arm* the guard of honour, furnished Wellington Artillery Volunteers, co» sisting of twenty-eight **&■*?£?. under command of Captain and Aoj tant Cleland and Captain and preceded by the Hut* Voiuutg Bancl, inarched up to the front of tw principal entrance of the.Hoiwe »» halted; the front rank paces to the front and facing As His Excellency Sir Oeorge -w») *

by Major Gray, 'fSftSriW'- afr Thatctaj.;Brirate -■£*££ and A: M. Smith, Esq., Stant Secretary, entered the gates, i band struck up the "National i them " and as his Excellency passed Seeen their ranks the Volunteers sented arms. His Excellency wore JJ® Te ry handsome Colonial Grover- ' % uniform and insignia of the Bath. SL-ine the Council Chamber, he was T. H. Bartley, JlI Speaker, all present standing til he had taken his seat in the Seeker's chair. A message being sent ? the House of Representatives to mmon the faithful Commone to fi rtend his Excellency, the Speaker /Sr David Monro) , in hie official "See preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms (!>• Greenwood), bearing the *£» and attended by Major Camptell Clerk of the Parliaments, entered -jfr 5 chambers, "followed by the Hon. £•$- Stafford, Colonial Secretary; the tL. John Hall, Postmaster-General; *L Hon. J. C. Bichmond, Commis.er o f Customs ; the Hon. Colonel Hattlfe" 1 , Minister of Defence; and - Ljgnty-five members of the Lower Souse The Hon. Major Richardson, Sd the Hon. John Hyde Harris, members of the Executive Council, occupied seats at the table as members of the Legislative Council. His ExgellencV : having acknowledged the prece of the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives, the Premier advanced and handed him a any of the speech. Leonard Stowe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, fefn read out the titles of the following Bills passed during the session :— President and Industrial Societies Act. Coroners Act. tfttWralization Act 186T Amendment Act. Coinage Offences Act: Beeidetit Magistrates Act. Offences Against the Person Act. Accessories Act. Forgery Act. ( Xarceny Act. Yoftiateer Act Amendment Act. British Australian Mai) Service Act. Appeals from Justices of the Peace Act. Steam Navigation Act Amendment Act. Old Metal and Marine Store Dealers Act. Malicious Injuries to Property Act. Her Majesty's Naval and Victualling Stores iet. ■ ■' ■ . Uanicipal Corporations Act. Introduction,of Criminals Prevention Act floidfieWs Act Amendment Act. . ffratland Representation Act. Mson, Cobden, and Westport Railway • Act Amendment Acfc. Bills of Sale Act. ■Wairarapa Racecourse Act. Law Practitioners Act Amendment Act. Presbyterian Church Lands Act. Timaro and Gladstone Local Board Act. flow Plymouth Town Lands Exchangee Commission Act. Crown, Lands (Nelson) Leasing Act. Canterbury Public Reserves Act. Land Claims Arbitration Act. Otago Land Claims Bill. Protection of Certain Animals Act.. New.ZeaJand Institute Act. Building Societies Act Amendment Act. ■ ; Otago Judicial Officers Salaries Act. Bankruptcy Act. Salmon and Trout Protection Act. Public Offenders Disqualification Act. Marriage Act Amendment Act. Neglected and Criminal Children's Act. Tsranaki.Military Settlers Act. Indictable Offences Aot. Iriejttdly Societies Act. Xolunteera Land Act Amendment Act. Ztfseaaed Sheep Fines Appropriation Act.. Provincial' Lawsuits Act Amendment Act. Armed Constabulary Act. Lunatics Act. Medical Practitioners Act. Native Representation Aot. Maori Schools Endowment Act. Execution, of Judgment against Real Estate Act. Marine Act Amendment Act. Surplus Revenues Adjustment Act. Land Claime Arbitration Act. MarlborOtigh Waste Lands Act. Auckland Waste Lands Act. Ganterbnry Waste Lands Act. Public Revenues Act. Loan Consolidation: Act. East Coast Land Titles Investigation Act. '-.. Auckland and Drury Railway Aot. Goldfields Act Amendment Act (No 2) -:■■ Land Registration Ordinance Amendment ■Art. Taranaki Electoral Rolls Revision Act. ' Publio Stores Act. Provincial 1 Acts Validation Act. Distillation Act Amendment Aot. Census Act Amendment Act. Publio Buildings Reserves Act. ■ Bartley Pension Act. Post-Office Savings Bank Act Amendment Act. Tsuranga District Lands Act. Stamp Act Amendment Act.. Indemnity Act. Southland Waste Lands Amendment Act. ' • Hokitika, G-reymouth, and Okarita Town " Lands Act. . - Loan Allocation Act Repeal Act. Customs Act Amendment Act. Private Estates Bills Act. Crown Grants Act Amendment Act. County of Westland Act. Maori Real Estates Act. Confiscated Lands Act. fciblio Debts Act. Governor's Powers Delegation Act. Customs Tariff Amendment Act. legislative Officers' Salary Appropriation Act. - Aaclland and Oriohunga Native HostelHesAct. Dative Lands Act. Waste Land Boards Appeal Aot. PEIVATB ACT. Otago Southern Trunk Bailway Act Amendment Act. As each Act was named Major Cempbett, Clerk of the Parliaments, tald ,° oh behalf of her Majesty, his Excellency the Governor ■, assents to flue Act." To the G-overnor's Salary Bill, and the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Bill, however, the reply was, — w His Excellency the .'. Governor reserves this Act for the signification of her Majesty's pleasure thereon. The Speaker of the House of Eepreeentatives then advanced and said :-*- i •*&* IT PIBASB YoiTR EXCBLEBHCY,

It now only remains for mc, according to ■jfcaal custom, to present to you two Bills of Supply which have been passed during this Present session. The first i 3 the usual Bill of Appropriation. "urExceHenoy will find that a liberal provifoaaae been made by it for the expenses of Joar Government. xhe second is a Bill to authorize the raia- «& of a loan of seven millions. j he B P eecll which your Excellency adto Parliament at the commencement « meeeseioo, you were pleased to recommend w ws consideration the conversion of Provin- ! into Colonial stock. ■Uw object of this Bill is to provide the *«ffls for converting the whole debts of the £«my whether Colonial proper or Provincial, it hae been deemed right by the Legislature «*« P l the attaching to the ,3™ , ts "> large sums which have been 2?5«5 P rovin ce 9, and they are S-SSS^ B chMge upon *• «» proceeding is one which may entail

considerable-sacrifices; but it exhibits at. al events a defeanninatkra to shrink from nc pecuniary liability, whether legally or onlj ■morally, upon. us. • I have now the honour, on behalf of the House of Representatives, to solicit youi Excellency's assent on behalf of her Majestj to the Acts entitled The Consolidated Loan Act, 1867, and Appropriation Act, 1867. The Clerk of the Parliament replied "In her Majesty's name, his Excellency the Governor thanks her loyal subjects, accepts their benevolence, and assents to these Acts." The Hon. T. H. Bartley, Speaker of the Legislative Council, then said— "It is his Excellency the Governor's will and pleasure that this Parliament be prorogued until the 30th day of December next," after which his Excellency retired, the mace was locked up, the Speakers divested themselves of their official robes, and one of the most, if not the most, memorable and important sessions the colony has yet seen was at an end. On leaving the building his Excellency again passed through the ranks of the guard of honour. Every one seemed glad the session was over. Ministers chatted in the most friendly manner with, those who but a few hours before had been arrayed against them in violent opposition. Laughing and joking replaced the earnest political confabulation common to the lobby of late; every one seemed determined to enjoy himself now that the work was fairly over, and the whole scene recalled that happiest of days in a schoolboy's annals—the breaking up for the holidays.