PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2610, 29 November 1865, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

At the date of publication of our hut monthly sumraaiy we were only iible to announce the fact that the Weld Ministry had resigned, and Mr. K. W. Stafford, member for Nelson City, had been requested to form a Government. In this endeavour the hon. member succeeded, and the following gentlemen have been gazcttod as constituting the new Ministiy : - The Hou. Ed waul William Stnffmd, Colonial Secretary, Colonial Treasurer, and PostmasterGeneral ; the Son. Theodovo Minett IlaulUin, Minister for Colonial Defence ; the Hon. Andrew Hamilton Russell, Minister for Native A flairs; the Hon. James Prendergast, Attorney-General; ainl the Mon. James Patertion, member of tho Executive Council. Mr. Stafford made u Ministerial statement in the House of Representatives, on the 19th ultimo, in winch he delivered tho following retnipki • — " The House will uatiuully expect that I should ptoceed to allude to those larger questions with respect to "which its attention, and that of the country, have been for some timo directed. I shall iiiab alliulo to the question of the removal of the troops, lam aware that some very wild expressions of opinion have been in circulation with refereuco to tlie intention of the present Government on tlm subject. Tt may therefore be satisfactory to those who entertained tho«e opinions to know that we are entirely contented with the position of the question as we now find it ; thab \ye do not propose to tender ts his Excellency any advice adverse or m opposition to the instructions of the Imperial authorities, and that we are perfectly content to leave the arrangements already mado entirely undisturbed. I may next properly refer to the native question. 'With respect to thab question a considerable number of pohcio3 have been propounded dunug the last fow years, and a considerable number of announcements of a conflicting character have been mado directly to the natives themselves, with respect to their relations with the Government of the country. Wo do not propose to meddle with the nativei, 10 as to irritate or provoke them to outrages, but we do mean to repress outrages wherever they occur, and, with that object, to maintain, a small moveable force, which, in conjuuotion with the friendly natives who have shown throughout thehoitilitiet of tho last throe years their loyalty to the Government, will be the most fitting instruments for the immediate chastisement of those outrages which the colony desires to repress. We have no groat faith in paper announcements or in the operation of proclamations on the native mind. Nor do we think it will be judicious to issue them except where absolutely required by law. I next come to the subject of expenditure, and I have to state that we hopo on an early day to be able to submit estimates on a reduced scale from those that have already been before the House. We believe that the unity of the colony can best be maintained, if it is to be maintained, by economizing the expenditure of the General Government, and that the true polioy of self-reliance is not to enter into obligations which we cannot by ourselves meet. We propose to devote the balance of the war loan to the purpose for which it was originally voted ; but when I »peak of the balance, I have to oon»ider how it is to bo raised. After repeated warnings from the Crown agents, and from those gentlemen who have been appointei toplaoothe loan on $heinarket,it is hopeleis not io expect that we must prepare our minds for a mwrifioe, and that our loan must be placed on the

marked afc a, lower vnto than \ra« [imposed at tlia timo ifc was asionfced to by the Flo.iso." He also expressed his desire that the Wuilt ito lands should be handed over to tho province ot , Auckland, ia oidor to bo rendered productive ; that a commission should be appointed l>o inquuo into the working of the civil seivice, and t do practicability of iubroducinjr income-tax as a source of revenue With regaul to tho stamp (hi ties, as propusod to bo levied by his predecessois iv office, lie consuleied that the country ought to have a voice in the matter, and that the imposition of the taxes should be defcu-ed until after the elections. Ho was also .hnppy to in - form tho House that ho saw his way to reducing tho bslimateß to the amount of .£240,000 upon tho estimates of Mr. Weld's Ministry, and would leave tho Govornmen 1 ; as amply piovidcd for m before. On the saino day Mr. Hewell, ox-Attoiney-Geueial, moved a vote of want of confidence, to the effect "That thin House, having hoaid the statement of policy of tho hon. gentloman at tho head of the Government, has no o<>ufi<lence in his Ministry." 'J'he motion w.ia, however, withdrawn bofoie being put to tho House On the 27th ultimo, Mr. Stafford said, in rpply to a question from Mr. Gourgo Graham — nanioly, whetbor tho Government woro prepared to .icb on tho lesoltitioi of th« Home foi giving comnensation to sottlf-13 who sustiiued loss dining Heko'nwiu ? that lio could not cxpie-i!) an opinion on the mibject until a roport of the losses had been made. On tho consideration of the amendment* made by tho Legislative Council iv the Volunteer Force Bill, Colonel Haul tun staled that the amendments were — that tho tmhtta thould have precedence ; th.it tho voluuleeis should only meet once, instead of tnice, a year; the Governor would have power to cancel commissions without inquiry ; it would be necessary for a volunteer to give tlneo months' notice before he could leave his coi ps, and fourteen days' before be could leave tho district. Theie woie several other unimpoitant amendments. He moved that the amendments bo adopted The amendment 1 * were adopted. Colonel Haullain lmxde a similar state incnt with respect to the amendments in the Militia Hill. One nmendment was that officers fiom her Majesty's .irmy thould t.iko no lower lank in tho nuliria than thoy had held iv the lmpuii.il aimy. Wlnle the House was in Committee of Ways and Means Mi . Cieighton nude an impoitantmotion to the effect that lailwuy plant and machinery should be admitted into tho cidony free of duty. 'I his would bo a Hiving on the railway plant introduced into the province of Auckland of about £2o,ooo, /uul of Canterbury of £30,000. '1 liv motion foi the rem.is.siou of such duty was put and carrie i. The following resolution, introduced by Mr. Stafford, w«8 passed by the Home of Rupie-ienta-tives on the 28th ultimo :- •" That, without leleecnoo to the general policy of mb lining the Impel lal tioops in tho colony, and witliont admittiiig any pecuniary liability to the mother country on account of such retention, and especially having regard to the iu.vctioii of the Impeiial troops iv tho immediate neighbouihood of the Weteroa P<i, piovions to iis capture, this Hou-e desues to record its opinion that under the ciicumstauoes stated by his Excellency in the punted papeis l.ud bofoie the House, Ins Excellency exeicised a Bound discretion, iv the month of M\y last, in protesting against the removal of i a certain number of lurfienal ttoops from the colony, as proposed by theGeneial " On the sune dny, the Public Expondituio Control Hill \\ us road a third time, and passed ; the Debtors and Ciedttoii, Amenilment Act was also passed ; and tho Rupiißcntatiou Bdl, fiantiug an addition of 13 representatives to the Middle Island, thusiucieasmg the nuuibei of mombeis in the House -of Represeutati>ea to 70 Pailiainent was proioguod on tho 30th October by bis ICxcellency tbo Governor, who delivered the following speech :—: — IloNGUilAlir.K hI'GISIATIVI! CoUNCIU.OnS AND MeMBFIIS OP 'IUK HOUSK OP HEI'KI'SBNTATIVI'S, — I am happy to bo able to lcleaseyou from your further attendance in Pwliament. The zeal and diligence which the Le^islatiue has displayed iv the peifoiinuue of the duties which have devolved upon it dining the present session cannot fail to be attended with permanent advantage to the countiy. Tho measiues you have passed affecting her Majesty's subjects ol the native nee arc evidence of your earnest desiio to extend to them, to tho firil. all the nsjhts and puvileges enjoyed and puzed h/ J3ntiih subjects. By stub inoasnie3, wihdy administerdd, tlicie is eveiy teason to believe tint tlwy will bpcomo steadfastly ai«ured thub their interests will be 7A'al>i\i4y gtiaided by the Legi-datuie, on whom they can rely, by eveiy menns 'hi its \>ower, to secme happiness and pio-ipeiity to tho^u amongst them who \ are peaceably mcliued, while those who may unfortunately be led into crime will a^smedly discover that a cci lam punishment awaits them It aftoids me much stultification to e\pif"!<i my sn)3o of the ciieiuy and gallantly of her Majesty's colonial aud native forces, so signally displayed in tl)3 eminent successes recently achieved by them on tho East Coast. Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, — I thank you for the supplies you have voted for the nublic seivice. You may rest assured they will be administered with a regard for that stnet economy which is imperatively required in the expondituie of the public moneys, and which will mainly tend to ptesetvo the unity of tho colony. The measiues you have passed for improving the character of Now Zealand securities, and for relieving tbo ombaira«sments which luvo for same tune affeuted the piovinca of Southland, will maintain aud improve tho financial credit of tho colony. I have "ladly assented to the bill for effectually pi eventing the expendituie of the public moneys witliont the authority of law. I am happy to bn able to congratulate you on tho steady incivaseiu the levenuo, which is likely to be still further augmented by tho rapid development of the goldPiolds on the West Coast. Hon, Gentlemen and Gentlemen, — The bill for inci easing the representation of the people in Parliament will ensiue the incaui of a fuller expression of public opiuion to the distiicts to which it i elates. It in my intention to dissolve tho Pailiainent, and to call another without unnecessary delay. I eainestly trust that the exercise by tho several constituencies o£ the high functims which will devolve upon tli'Mn will result in piomofciiig the welfare and happiness, of all classes of her Majesty's subjects in the colony. I now, in her Majesty's name, and on her Majesty's behalf, declaio this Pailuimtmtr to stand prorogued to Tuesday, the 26th day of December next. And it is hereby pioiogued acconlingly.