PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 13 June 1891, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THURSDAY, JUNE 11. The Hon the Speaker took the chair at 2.30 p.m. \ THE GOVEBNOB'S SPEECH. j His Excellency then addressed the members of both Houses to tlie effect, after the usual polite references, that My Ministers, however, are of opinion that for some years past the amount of actual settlement effeoted has not been quite commensurate with the somewhat large area! of land disposed of. Amendments in the land laws designed rigidly to reserve the remainder of our Crown lands for genuine occupation and improvement, will therefore be laid before you. My Advisers propose that the utility of this legislation shall be augmented by regulations designed and administered with a view of planting an increasing number of small but thriving ocoupiers upon the soil. Side by side with the opening up*of ( ;Growj-.,1a-ns.s should go the acquisition of, prions, of the vast tracts still held' „by^|h , e { . Native tribes of the North' Island. Proposals for promoting thejtevelopment of the mining o;indusja-ies,' : of the Colony by legislation „^:? °^ er means will be.BVtb_nitte4.ip' you. The. estimates', of .revenue and expenditure will.be laid befqre you. The estimates of expenditure have be.n framed with 'ti due regard to economy. In, continuance of the work of retrenchrflent beguti^ih 1886 and carried on by last Parliament, my Ministers have not hesitated to reduce .the ! cost of their different departments wherever this could be fairly and prudently done. t In this way substantial '-aviti^a'-iiave been effected, the details of which you w^ll, as .§., , majtte? of course, have eveT^ilibJlJnsffy to ~di_&l{Mi|J My Mi^i&t-j^a^^^ that the tmie -laM^y'^o^J^ting a bold r-_q^t>fih»^^e»p^ of the .direct taa^SDj-aa ;f aq^^^d, and Bills h^u be<-|i ;l pr^w^gbr this purpose.-^ lit these p-Opfrsalfr however, my Advisers hive Studiously borne in mind that financial changes should, as a matter of expediency, be made gradually, so as to -neither shake the publio sense of; security nor to run the risk of any inconvenient loss of revenue. '■ -•- A measure will be submitted to you providing for the reform of the Legislative Council . in a manner which, my Advisers believe, will be found to be in accord with public expectation. . There are now ready for your cop. sideration Bill for consolidating and amending the law relating to electors and elections,' and for completing the abolition of plural voting ; for classifying and improving the Civil Service, fcmenidjmg the law affecting goldmining and*-*the working of our coalfields, altering and consolidating the law of bankruptcy, defining the law of libel, amending the: laws relating to companies and' to juries,' fixing the liability of promoters; p,nd directors of companies, and consolidating and codifying the criminal. law ; as well as other Bills dealing with mat- . ters pf public. .interest. -These bills will shortly be placed before you. My advisers propose to prosecute with vigour the cpnstruction of reproductive public works out of such : moneys as are go: may become availab'e for "the purpose. In letting contracts for jpuhlioi works a__yk_ulvisers have endeavoured to discourage the practice known as ' subcontracting,' and they proposer as .jas rfc^ possible to encourage the' association of work- ; imen on th^rcoropqr^ve .gp^jple. In the session of last year'a number of Bills dealing with matters referred, to in the report of the ' Sweating' Commission, and with other matters of special interest to employers and employed were introduced, but only Ohepassed ihto law. My advisera ItbiS-gitfnrintro-duce these Bills, withi Jjertain aariendmentsi. and w\Xk •' Mk<. you to give them your earliest and most careful -consideratioii . . . 71$. '■ Addition to these, another bill providing for the establishment, of Boards of Concilation and Courts of Arbitration to deal with industrial disputes has been prepared and will be laid before you. My advisers believe that a measure of this nature is earnestly desired by thoughtful observers of the many and undiminishing difficulties which beset the relations of labour to capital.