PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVII, Issue 69, 28 August 1858, Page 3

PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[From the Second Edition of the Neva Zealander,

August 21.]

To-day, at twelve o'clock, his Excellency Colonel Gore Browne, C.8., prorogued the Assembly. From the heavy rain which fell during a great part of the night, and until nearly ten o'clock this day, there was reason to fear that the close of the session of 1858, would take place as inauspiciously as did that of the session of 1856. About ten, however, the rain began to cease, and the day cleared up sufficiently to allow of the prorogation being accompanied by the customary formalities. The Guard of Honour was commanded by Captain Ward, and the band of the regiment was ranged in front of the Assembly buildings, to receive his Excellency on his arrival. There was a full attendance of members of both houses, and there were also a number of spectators and auditors. His Excellency having arrived and taken his seat in the chair of the Honourable Speaker of the Legislative Council, the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives were introduced, and the Honourable Speaker proceeded to read the following address, accompanying the presentation of the Appropriation Acts for assent : —

Mat it please tour Excellency —

We, her Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, the representatives of New Zealand, acknowledge with gratitude the opportunities we have had, throughout a protracted session, of maturely considering those measures to which our attention was invited in your Excellency's opening speech. We trust that tbe result of our deliberations on these subjects, as also on many other questions of domestic policy, will tend to promote the welfare of the colony, and the well-being of the people of both races in these islands.

For these objects, connected with the public service of the colony, it has been the duty as well as the especial privilege of her Majesty's faithful subjects, the representatives of New Zealand, to make just and ample provision ; and it is in their name that I invite your Excellency's assent, in the name and on behalf of her Maje9ty, to the bills •which I now have the honour to present. [These bills were the Appropriation Acts for 1858 and 1859.]

His Excellency haviog assented to the two Acts, then read the following prorogation speech : — Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Eepbesentatives—

The state of the public business enables me to release you from further attendance on your legislative duties.

It affords me great pleasure to express my sense of the attention you have given to the numerous measures brought under your consideration during a laborious session of more than four months ; a session which, I feel assured, will be regarded as one of unusual importance, and especially remarkable for the exclusive devotion of your time and energies to the practical work of legislation. The enactment of permanent laws to carry into effect the financial arrangements of the last session, finally closes various irritating questions ; whilst the provisions under which the provinces are henceforth to be charged with the local establishments of the General Government, will prevent the recurrence of disagreement on financial grounds between the several divisions of the colony. The Act for regulating the management of the waste lands of the crown will, I trust, be found to accomplish the objects sought to be obtained ; an effective administration by the local authorities, under the supervision of the Government of the colony, and a stability which Provincial legislation could not give. I have willingly assented to the several Acts for the improvement of the administration of justice, which, I confidently anticipate, will be productive of much public convenience. The revision of the electoral laws will be found to have secured an improved system of registration, together with more complete provision for the impartial conduct of elections ; thus preventing the occurrence of evils which would seriously interfere with the beneficial working of the representative system. The Act for constituting electoral districts will, to a certain extent, afford to districts rapidly increasing in wealth and population an opportunity of taking that part in the legislation of the colony to which they are entitled. The attention of the Government will be. directed, during the recess, to the consideration of the means requisite to ensure that every growing interest may be fairly represented. The measures which you have passed for extending to the aboriginal population the benefit of free local institutions, promise to promote the civilization of that portion of her Majesty's subjects. Much, however, depends upon the administration of those laws, and still more upon the capacity, as yet unproved, of the people for whom they have been framed. Whatever may be the success of the system of native policy thus initiated, you will have the satisfaction of reflecting that you have not left uncared for the peculiar wants of a race, whose advancement the Government and settlers of these islands are, from every consideration, bound to promote. Gentlemen op the House or Kepbesenta-

tives —

I thank you for the liberality with which you have granted the supplies for the service of the present year. These supplies will be administered with economy for the attainment of the objects for which they were voted.

By the Act for altering the duties of Customs, the collection of duties on imports will be much simplified ; while great advantage will, I trust, be found tO result frORl the admiSmPU of xaauj necessary articles of consumption, free of duty. At the same time, I am confident, from the state of the trade and commerce of the colony, that the revenue of Customs will justify the estimate which has been submitted to you.

HONOTJBABLE GENTLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN—

The Act which provides for the establishment of new provinces I regard as of great importance. To afford to the rising settlements of the country the same advantages of local government as are enjoyed by the existing provincial centres, is in harmony with the spirit of our constitution, and cannot fail beneficially to affect both the general and local interests of the colony. The want of some more definite line of demarcation between the functions of the General and Provincial Legislatures than is furnished by the Constitution Act, has long been felt. It has, however, been considered that any attempt to meet the difficulty by a rigid legal definition, would give rise to doubts, and be attended with other serious inconveniences. Of late, the practice, on the one hand, of the Provincial Legislatures, which have confined themselves to local subjects, has been tending towards a satisfactory solution of this question ; and, on the other hand, the exercise of its powers by the General Assembly during the present session, by taking exclusive possession of many important subjects on which it is essential that legislation should be uniform, will go far to render the division of powers practically complete. I most heartily congratulate you on the progre9B of active industry throughout the country, and on the generally prosperous condition of all classes of the community. It only remains that I should express my humble hope that God's blessing may render effectual your labours for the public good, and may secure the continued advance of the people of this country in whatevetfis conducive to their true welfare.

I now declare this Assembly to be prorogued.