WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 22, 7 June 1851, Page 6

WELLINGTON.

We reprint this week the account given in the Wellington papers, of the proceedings at the opening of the Legislative Council of New Zealand, by his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, on the 19th May. The room formerly used as a ball-room at Barrett's Hotel, was fitted up as a council chamber. The Governor took the chair at 3 o'clock, and the proceedings were commenced by the Rev. R. Cole reading a selection of prayers which had been printed for the occasion. On the right of Sir George was seated Lieut-Governor Eyre, on the left, Colonel M'Cleverty, there were also present 3 D. Wakefield, Esq., the Attorney-General; the Hon. H. W. Petre, Colonial Treasurer; W. Hickson, Esq., Capt. Smith, S. Carkeek, Collector of Customs ; A. Domett, Colonial Secretary. The oath was administered to the two new members, "that they would be faithful, and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria." The Governor then read the fallowing speech:— Gentlemen of the Legislative Council of the New Zealand Islands, — In conformity with the guarantee I formerly gave to the Provincial Legislature of New Munster regarding the places at which the-meetings of the General Legislative Council of these Islands should be held, I have, upon the present occasion, caused the members of the General Legislative Council to be summoned to meet me at Wellington for the despatch of business. There seems also to have been a peculiar propriety in my now assembling you in the Southern Province, as the questions to be committed to your consideration chiefly involve matters connected with the interests of New Munster; indeed, upon the proper solution of some of these, it may be said that the whole future prosperity of this colony depends. This Province also, at the present moment, appears to have peculiar claims upon your consideration, from the fact of two large and distinct settlements having been recently formed respectively at Canterbury and Otago, by the establishment of which the importance, population, and wealth of New Munster have been greatly increased. 1 entertain no doubt that the enterprise which led our countrymen to abandon their country, to form new homes, and to found those settlements in these Islands, will receive a rich reward, as the localities they have respectively occupied abound with natural advantages, and with resources which, when developed by the industry of civilized man, will soon afford ample means for the creation of private wealth, and of a considerable commerce, which will enrich, not only this colony, but also the parent.state. You will, however, I am sure, feel that you should omit no means within your reach, or which your experience may suggest to you, to foster the interests of these young communities, and to enable their inhabitants profitably to develop the resources of the country. In approaching the consideration of the various questions which will demand your attention, it must be gratifying to all to reflect that these Islands have now, under the blessing of Divine Providence, enjoyed so long a repose from the calamities of war, and have attained such a prosperous condition : so that the task you are now about to enter upon is not, as heretofore, that of devising the means of overcoming urgent and immediate danger, or of remedying passing evils, but the far more grateful one of developing the resources of the country, and of adopting measures which may hold out a fair prospect of rendering permanent the present prosperous state of New Zealand.

Amongst the most important of the measures to be brought under your notice is that which relates to the settlement of the titles to land within the territory which was formerly vested in the New Zealand Company. You are aware that, after the lapse of so many years, not a single settler within that territory is in possession of a legal and valid title or conveyance to his property, and that the whole question of titles to land is in a most involved and confused state. Until so great a difficulty is removed, it is impossible that any great advances in wealth or prosperity can be looked for in this part of New Zealand. Immediately, therefore, that the Local Government were enabled, by the dissolution of the New Zealand Company, to take any steps in reference to this subject, I directed my attention to it; and I have had a measure prepared for your consideration which, in its general features, I think well adapted to adjust and finally settle the various questions connected with titles to land in this part of New Zealand.

I must, however, necessarily depend upon your wisdom and knowledge of local affairs for the settlement of the details of such a measure ; and I confidently rely upon your affording me such advice and assistance upon this subject, as may enable me to give my assent to such an ordinance as may secure to Her Majesty's subjects a clear and satisfactory title to the lands to which they are entitled ; and as may, by putting the tenure of property upon a certain and beneficial footing, afford that security for the investment of capital in landed property which is absolutely requisite to ensure the rapid advancement of the country.

Although the bill for this purpose provides, in the form in which it will be laid before you, for the complete settlement of the question of titles to land, I think, in reference to its effect upon the general prosperity of the country, it may be found possible to make some valuable additions to it.

Should the bill pass the council nearly in its present form, its effect will be to leave in the hands of absentees and others, large quantities of land which they cannot use for many years ; this land is moreover divided into such minute subdivisions, and is scattered (even in the case of one owner of several allotments) over so great a space ol country, as to be of comparatively little use to the proprietor; in many cases the position of these portions of land has hardly been ascertained, and the owner often residing in England, there is frequently no person in this country empowered to dispose of such portions of land. Even in those cases in which the proprietor may have an agent in New Zealand, it is often very difficult to find who the person possessing such power over any particular portion of land may be. Nearly all the immediately available lands in the vicinity of the older settlements are thus circumstanced ; when therefore, under the provisions of the proposed law, titles to their lands have been issued to all the proprietors, I fear that whilst they will be put into posssession of that which will be of little use to them, the colony will have to relinquish for many years, all expectation of any fund being realized from the sale of land ; and that the difficulty of acquiring land by purchase, will deter intending emigrants from resorting to settlements where land can not be immediately purchased in the vicinity of towns, at a public office where every information regarding all the lands which are open for purchase could be afforded to the immigrant.! An attempt has been made, in the bill submitted for your consideration, in some degree to remedy these evils by the introduction into it of a provision, under which persons would be permitted to exchange their claims to land for scrip, which would be available in the purchase of any land which the Government may at any time offer for sale in this Province. But although such a measure will perhaps remedy one evil, by inducing many persons to throw up their previous selections, and thus leave a greater quantity of land open to arriving immigrants, who would probably pay for it in the scrip issued by the Government, which they would purchase from the holders of it ; still the evil, in so far as relates to the total annihilation of the land fund, would for many years remain untouched. I think, therefore, that the proposed measure might perhaps be amended by a further provision being made, which would enable the holders of scrip, if they desired to do so, to fund it by the purchase of Government debentures, payable at any time at the option of the Government after twelve months' notice, and bearing a lo.v rate of interest. Many persons would probably avail themselves of such a regulation, and its effect, in conjunction with the other proposed measures, would be to reproduce the land fund, and to afford ample lands for the selection, either of the present colonists, or of those who may arrive. It would, indeed, nlace the colony somewhat in the same position in which it would have stood, if its founders had, in the first instance, borrowed a sum of money for its establishment, the principle and interest of which were to have been a charge upon the future revenues of the country. If the council should, aftermature consideration, think that an arrangement of this nature would tend to promote the prosperity and welfare of this

colony, I shall gladly avail myself of their experience and advice in considering the subject. Although the precise form in which you may wish the questions connected with titles to land to he adjusted is uncertain, I still felt so satisfied that you would agree in the general principle of attempting to secure to every honafide proprietor an unimpeachable title to his property, burthened with no conditions or reservations, that I have already directed that the surveys necessary to accomplish this object should be carried on as rapidly as possible : and the result of this, and of the measures now submitted to you, will, notwithstanding the presentf.:) embarrassed state of the question, be to place, in a few months, titles to land in New Munster upon as clear and satisfactory a footing as in any part of the world. Another law of great importance which I have* directed to be prepared for your consideration, is an ordinance for regulating the occupation of the waste lands of the Crown in these Islands. I shall gladly co-operate with you in endeavouring to legislate upon this subject in such a manner as to promote and foster the pastoral interests of this colon}', which interests are of the highest value to this portion of New Zealand, as being the source from which you may immediately anticipate a large and valuable export, and a considerable commerce, and consequently that reaction in favour of the other interests of the country which will necessarily spring from increased wealth and augmented trade. Actuated by the same desire of promoting the pastoral interests of this country as will, I am aware, influence you in legislating upon them, I have, in conformity with the requiranents of the Royal Instructions, prepared the orders which I propose to issue for regulating the depasturing of sheep and cattle upon the Crown lands, a draftof which orders shall be laid before you. I will also lay before you a bill to empower the Governor to place at the disposal of any corporation which may be created in New Zealand, one third of the gross proceeds of the revenue realized from lands which .may he disposed of by the Crown within the limits of such corporation. Her Majesty's Government were pleased, upon my recommendation, to advise the Queen to issue instructions, empowering the Governor of the colony to authorize the application of any proportion, not exceeding one third, of the gross proceeds of the sales of Crown lands effected within the limits of any hundred, towards such purposes as shall be signified to him by the wardens of such hundred, or by such other authorities thereof as shall be designated for that purpose, by any ordinance to be passed by the legislature of the said colon}', subject nevertheless to such restrictions and regulations as shall he imposed by such ordinance. In fulfilment of these instructions it has become my duty to propose, for your consideration, a bill for enabling the Governor, in those parts of New Zealand where a corporation may exist, to place one third of the revenue realized from the sale of land at the disposal of the corporation, for the purposes indicated by the lloyal Instructions, instead of leaving such portion of the revenue at the disposal of the wardens of the hundred, as is at present the case. You will find that in all these measures relating to the sale and management of waste lands of the Crown, I have attempted to shew in the plainest manner that the Government only administers these lands as trustee for the public, and that its only desire is to protect the public interests in relation to them ; and I confidently hope that the large share which will now be given to the inhabitants of the colony, and especially to the middling and humbler classes, in the management of the waste lands of the Crown, and in the employment of the funds derived from the sale of them, will teach them to how great an extent the interests of themselves and their families depend upon a judicious management of these lands by the Government.

lii relation to the subject of the waste lands of the Crown, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to inform you, that I have every reason to hope that the Government will be able shortly to complete the purchase of two extensive tracts of land in the Hawke's Bay district, comprising nearly six hundred thousand acres of land, admirably adapted to agricultural and pastoral purposes ; the acquisition of this tract of territory cannot fail to exercise a most beneficial influence upon the town of "Wellington. In order that the fine tracts of country in the Waivarapa and Hawke's Bay district should, as soon as possible, be connected with this town, the Government are making every exertion to have the Wairarapa road completed. Negotiations have also been commenced for the^ purchase of the Pelorus district, the acquisition of which is regarded by the inhabitants of Nelson as essential to the prosperity of their settlement; and a sum of £2,000 has been appointed, for the pur*- t , pose of opening a line of communication between Nelson and the Wairau, which road will pass through the fertile valley of the Pelorus. 1 have directed that a bill to provide for the establishment of Provincial Legislative Councils should be prepared for your "consideration. This

measure has been drawn up in conformity with the powers confened upon this Council by a recent act of the Imperial Parliament. The subject to which this bill relates is one which has engaged my thoughts and attention for a considerable period of time. Previously to preparing any measure regarding it for your consideration, I visited almost every portion of these Islands, and acquainted myself, in as far as practicable, with their wants and requirements. I also carefully considered the relations and respective feelings of the different populations inhabiting these Islands, and weighed, in as far as I could, the diverse interests and prejudices which were to be consulted ; finally, with a full sense of the deep responsibility '%hich rested on me in attempting to introduce Representative Institutions throughout the whole of a colony so peculiarly circumstanced as New Zealand is, with so large a native population, I caused a measure to be prepared, which was the best that my experience suggested to me ; and although I have no doubt that many of its details maybe beneficially amended, I have not yet been able myself to devise, nor have I had presented to me, any plan which I can regard as so applicable to the circumstances of the colony as that which I shall submit for your consideration. lam glad to have it in my power to state,in reference to the General Council for the whole of these Islands, that I understand that her Majesty's Government will, in the present session of Parliament, bring forward a measure for the creation of such a council ; and there can, I think, be no doubt, that if any subordinate measure for the constitution of Provincial Councils which you may pass should be found faulty, either in its general principles, or in its details, full power will be given to the General Council to amend and modify such a measure in any manner that it may think fit. I recommend to your earnest consideration the draft of a measure I have had prepared, to amend the existing law which regulates marriages in the colony of New Zealand. The present law is not satisfactory to the members of a considerable number of congregations, and after frequent conferences with the leading members of such congregations, so that I might thoroughly acquaint myself with their feelings and wishes, I directed that the bill which I shall lay upon the table should be drawn for your consideration. I have every reason to believe that the measure now proposed would be received as, in all respects, a most wise and satisfactory one, by all classes of her Majesty's subjects. Representations having been made to me from various parts of New Zealand, and especially from the Provincial Legislative Council of New Munster, to the effect that the substitution of a fixed system of levying Customs duties, in lieu of the ad valorem duties at present levied, would prove a great advantage at once to trade and to the revenue, I have caused a bill in relation to this subject to be prepared for your consideration. This measure is altogether based upon the Report upon Customs duties which was drawn up by a Committee of the Legislative Council of this Province, and which was found to have been so ably and carefully prepared, that it was thought better to lay it before this Council exactly in the form in which it came from the Committee who drew it up. By an Ordinance which was passed in the year 1848, the Legislature vested in me, as Governor-in-Chief, the sole control of the Post Office establishment in these colonies, as also the power of fixing, altering, and abolishing the rates of colonial postage. It was at that time, I believe, the intention of the Legislature, that so soon as I had established a postal system which was found, in practice advantageous to the country, and satisfactory to the public, a new law should be enacted, providing for the continuance and maintenance of the system which I might so establish. I will cause to be laid on the table copies of the proclamations which I have issued for the regulation of Post Offices, and for fixing the rates of colonial postage ; and it will then rest with you to determine ■whether you will leave for some time longer in operation the existing Postage Ordinance, for the purpose of enabling me, in conjunction with the I Right Honourable the Postmaster-General, fully to carry out a postal system by which letters may be pre-paid in New Zealand to any part of Great Britain, or in that country to any part of New Zealand ; or whether yovi will enact a new law upon this subject, confirming the present system of postal arrangements, or establishing some other system which may appear to you more likely to promote the interests of the colony. In order that, in coming to a decision upon this subject, you may be put in possession of the latest information regarding it, copies will be laid upon . the table of a correspondence between the PostmasterGeneral and the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, from which you will find, that the question of the amelioration of the postal arrangements between Great Britain and her colonial pos.sessious is at the present time receiving the anxious consideration of the Home Government. I have been directed by Her Majesty's Government to propose for your consideration a bill for

taking a census of the inhabitants of the New Zealand Islands in the course of the present year. It was intended in the year 1851 to take a census of the population of the whole British Empire, and I feel satisfied that you will, in so far as depends upon you, afford every assistance towards the accomplishment of an object of such great national interest. Some difficulties will probably be experienced, in obtaining even an approximately correct census of the native population of these Islands ; but I rely upon your knowledge and experience for suggesting the best mode of accomplishing this object, in so far as it may be found practicable to do so. I have directed that the papers connected with this subject, which have been addressed to me by Her Majesty's Government, should be laid before you. The Imperial Parliament having recently agreed to certain resolutions, with a view to putting an end to the troublesome and expensive practice of engrossing the Acts of the Legislature, I have directed that copies of these resolutions should be laid before you, because the precedent thus afforded by the Imperial Legislature is one which I think you may find it expedient and desirable to adopt in reference to your own proceedings. The Imperial Parliament having also afforded the precedent of passing an Act for shortening the language used in Acts of Parliament, which may I think be most beneficially followed in New Zealand, 1 have directed that a measure for that purpose should be prepared for your consideration. The usual financial papers shall be laid before you, previously to my introducing a bill to provide for the appropriation of the revenues of these Colonies. Several measures in addition to those which I have alluded to in this address, will be presented for your consideration, the requisite explanations regarding which shall be afforded to you, when the respective bills are introduced.

In conclusion, it only remains for me to inform you, that I have not upon the present occasion presented for your consideration any specific measures in relation to the large native population of these islands, not because I am indifferent to, or unaware of the importance of this subject, but because the laws relating to it, which have already been enacted, have appeared to me to suffice for the immediate wants of the natives, and they are apparently working so beneficially for the native population, that I have felt unwilling in any way to interfere with their operation. ' Should, however, your knowledge and experience enable you to suggest any amendments in existing laws relating to the native race, or any new laws which may promote their greater welfare, you will find me, as on all other subjects relating to the interests of these islands, prepared cheerfully and cordially to second your exertions for the public good. It was moved by the Attorney-General, and seconded by the Colonial Treasurer, that His Excellency's Address to the Council be printed. The time of meeting was fixed at two o'clock, and the Council was then adjourned to Thursday the 29th of May, to afford time for the arririval of the other members from different parts of the Colony.

A meeting of the members of the Church of England was held on the 21st ult, at St. Paul's Church, Thorndon, to consider the best means for establishing- schools in connexion with their communion. It was decided to found a school for the present in the neighbourhood of St. Paul's Church, with the intention of subsequently establishing another in the opposite extremity of the town. Donations were received for this object to the amount of 841. 175., and subscriptions, 36/. Bs. NELSON. (From the Nelson Examiner, May 1 0.) Interference op the natives with the New Koad to the Wairatj.—The natives living- in the neighbourhood of the Pelorus have carried their threats into execution, and have stopped the men in cutting the preliminary line for the new Wairau road. No disturbance was created, for ou being ordered to desist, the men quietly gave over work. As Sir George Grey promised when in Nelson, to take instant measures to purchase the whole tract of country lying between Nelson and the Wairau, it is to be hoped that this will be effected during the winter, so that the road may be commenced early in the spring. Death op Patch.—This excellent Nelson horse died on the 3rd May, of inflammation of the bowels. He was in training for a match with Mr. Clifford's Glendon, for \ool, intended to have been run on the 29th, and for a Trial Stakes, to come off on the same day, Hospital.—When the Governor-in-chief was at Nelson, he was pleased to offer to the Super-

intendent, as an official residence, the house in the Waimea-road occupied by Mr. Bell, which, as part of the Company's estate, had fallen to the Crown. Major Richmond, with very commendable liberality, suggested to the Governor that the building might easily be converted into an hospital for the use of Europeans as well as natives, aud that if this could be done he would rather see it so appropriated than accept of it as a residence. The house is commodious, and built of brick, and has since been reported favourably on, for the purpose suggested, by the Government Medical officer, so that we hope nothing- will be suffered to interfere with carrying Major Richmond's excellent desire into effect with the least possible delay. From the scattered nature of our population, and the character of most of the dwelling-houses belongingto the labouring classes, it is impossible, in many cases of sickness or accident, that patients can obtain necessary medical attendance and treatment ; and a hospital which could receive such as by distance would be unable to procure proper attendance, or from circumstances were unable to command it, would be a most valued institution. As a means also for promoting the civilization of the natives, an hospital has been found one of the best agents. Markets.—The price of wheat is now 6s. per bushel, and the article in demand, both for home consumption and for exportation to Sydney. Barley has undergone no change,and may be quoted at 3s. 6d. to 45.; oats 3s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. Potatoes, of which there is a large crop, are offered at 3/. to 3/. 10s. a ton. Sawn timber may be stated at 7s. 6d. to 10s. per 100 feet, depending on quality. Fresh butter Is. per Ib.