THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 17

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

If the state of the weather is to be considered as an omen, the last session of the ninth Parliament of New Zealand is likely to be a particularly stormy and unpleasant one. Yesterday Parliament was formally opened by his Excellency the Governor, with all the pomp and circumstance by custom attaching thereunto ; and the weather was shockingly untoward. The Volunteers on the tennis court and the spectators on the bank above (mustering in large numbers too), must have been thoroughly drenched, for just before the ceremony commenced, the rain began to fall in torrents, and continued to do so until late in the afternoon. Spite of the rain, however, a very large number of people assembled to witness the spectacle. The ceremony of opening Parliament is the same year after year, and it has been so often described that it is hardly necessary to give a tormal account of it as it took place yesterday. At 2 o’clock his Excellency (who is the per-

sonification of punctuality) leaves Government House —well armed, doubtless to resist the untoward elements —and as he does so the Artillery, stationed on the tennis ground, commence a salute, which is always carried out with preciseness, but which on this occasion is facilitated by the anxiety of the Artillerymen to get out of the rain. Presently his Excellency d-ives up; the guard present arms ; the band plays “God save the Queen and the vice-regal party enter the Legislative Council. Inside the Council, while this has been going on, preparations have been made for the reception of Her Majesty’s representative. Just to the left of the Speaker’s chair sit a number of ladies —Mrs Stout, Lady Vogel, Mrs Tole, Mrs Ballance, and others, t On the left hand side of the chamber sit the 1 Colonial Secretary, and below him other members of the Council. On the right hand side—dedicated to the comfort of the Opposition —the principal seat (that is to say, the one nearest the Speaker) is vacant — ominously vacant. Below this, however, are other members of the Legislative Council, the complete list of the honorable gentlemen present being Messrs Buckley, Baillie, Shrimski, Brandon, Hart, Martin, Wi Tako, Barnicoat, Scotland, Lahmann, Shepherd, Captain Baillie and Dr Grace. At the back of the seats reserved for the Legislative Councillors, and consequently without the sacred pale of the Chamber are numbers of ladies, whose feelings must be considerably shocked by the reflection that the unfeeling elements compel them to dress in the most subdued and unbecoming of materials. The galleries above are all well filled, especially that reserved to the representatives of the Press. At five minutes to 2 the division bell rings, and one or two honorable gentlemen start guiltily in their seats, and and rouse themselves. Then Sir William Fitzherbert, with a lady on his arm, enters the Chambers, and takes his seat. The ladies commence to talk, and everything is ready. At a few minutes past 2 his Excellency enters the Chamber at a brisk pace, attended by Captain

Medley, R.N., (aide-de-camp), Major Jervois (private secretary). Captain Fukusbima, of the Japanese warship Tsukuba, and his officers, Mr J. R. George (Portuguese Consul), Viscount Jouffroy d’Abbans (French Consul), Mr C. J. Toxward (Danish Consul), Colonel Sir George Whitmore, Lieutenant-Colonel Butts, and Captain Duncan, and Surgeon Gillon (Wellington Naval Brigade). Taking his seat on the “throne.” His Ex-

cellency awaits the coming of the Commons. Presently they enter —Sir Maurice O’Rorke (Speaker of the House of Representatives), leading the way, attended by Captain Home (Sergeant-at-Arms), and Major Campbell (the Clerk of the House). The members of the Government present are—Mr Stout, Mr Larnach, Mr Ballance, and Mr Tole. They sit on the right-hand side of the Speaker; and the only prominent member of the Opposition to be seen amongst the other gentlemen is Major Atkinson, who stands in the middle of the crowd. The Commons being marshalled, his Excellency arrives and delivers the following

SPEECH : Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— It affords me much pleasure to meet you thus early in Parliament assembled. The year which is now passing will be memorable throughout the British dominions as that on which our Gracious Sovereign enters on the fiftieth year of her reign. You will, I feel assured, desire to prove that the subjects of this, the most distant portion of Her Majesty’s possessions, share equally with Her Majesty’s subjects in other parts of the world the highest appreciation of the great results of her long and beneficent reign. You will be asked to consider the most suitable way of showing on behalf of the people of New Zealand, their affection and duty to the person of the Sovereign, their love and loyalty to the Crown, their sense of gratification at belonging to a realm enjoying a sway so benignant, and their desire to seethe bonds which unite every portion of Her Majesty’s vast Empire confirmed and strengthened. It is particularly appropriate to such a year that I am able to announce to you that, in the opinion of my Ministers, there has never been a time when the relations between Her Majesty’s European and Maori subjects have been of so friendly a character. The Maoris are evincing an intelligent interest in colonising operations, and a cordial recognition of the laws of the Colony. They shovv this excellent disposition by the readiness with which they are seeking Crown titles for large areas of country through which the Northern Trunk Railway will pass, and by their willingness to part with land to the Government for the purpose of settlement along that line of railway. Negotiations for such lands are, in the opinion of my advisers, proceeding satisfactorily, and with due regard to the necessity of a sufficient quantity being retained by the Maoris for their own use. You will be asked to amend the laws relating to the disposal of Native lands in the direction which appears to my Ministers best adapted to do justice to the Maori owners and to hasten the occupation and settlement of the country. Public works have been proceeded with as rapidly as the means placed at the disposal of the Government permitted. Proposals will be laid before you for continuing railways and other public works on a scale consistent with the circumstances of the Colony, and in the manner most calculated to secure sound economical results.

New Zealand is suffering from the depression that appears to prevail throughout the world, but which is affecting this Colony much less than other countries because of its great resources. My Advisers are of opinion that this depression, rather than tending to discourage the energies of the people, should lead them to additional exertions, and that if, concurrently with the progress of railways, abundant opportunity be offered to settlers to. occupy and cultivate land in farms of reason-

able size, farmers from other countries will be attracted to the Colony and materially aid its progress. In calling your attention to the gracious compliment which Her Majesty paid to all the colonies and India by opening the Exhibition devoted to their products, and to the gratitude of the colonies and India owe to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the untiring exertions which have led to the success of the Exhibition, I am glad to be able to say that my Ministers have used their utmost endeavors to secure for this Colony an adequate representation. Gentlemen of the House of Representatives, — The Estimates of revenue and expenditure for the current year will be laid before you. My Advisers fully recognise the importance of keeping down the expenditure to the lowest limit consistent with meeting the requirements of the public service and the wants of the country. The finances of the Colony are in a sound condition, and gratifying progress is being made with the conversion of the loans. The San Francisco Mail Service has been reestablished at a cost within the authority which you gave by resolution. It is gratifying that the contract should have been taken by a New Zealand Company on behalf of itself and a powerful American steamship organisation. It is equally gratifying that New South Wales joins in the arrangement, and that assistance is received from the Government of the United States.

Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— Whilst giving attention to the undertakings which ic is desirable the Colony should carry out, it is not to be forgotten that the works constructed by local bodies are of essential importance towards promoting and extending settlement of the lands. A measure will be placed before you dealing with the finance of local bodies, and enlarging their power of directly managing their own affairs. My Ministers view with satisfaction the disposition which is being shown to develop the local resources of the Colony, including those of the mines, the forests, and the fisheries. It is of infinite importance to recognise and take advantage of the natural wealth of New Zealand, and to encourage the prosecution of industries of a varied character. My Advisers place great faith in the operation of a policy which embraces the points of— Prosecuting local industries, and thus affording abundant occupation to the population ; promoting settlement by liberal land laws; constructing railways with a view to opening the country, aiding the progress of settlement, and speedily securing satisfactory economical results ; placing local bodies in a position to open roads and do other useful work ; giving, to the mining population liberal facilities ; and the establishing of friendly relations with the Maoris.

The arrangement for the construction of the Midland Railway, under authority conceded by Parliament, is, in the opinion of my Advisers, a matter of hearty rejoicing. Some points of a not material nature will have to be submitted for the ratification of Parliament. The attention of my Ministers has been constantly directed to questions relating to the South Sea Islands. Whilst recognising the important interest New Zealand has in these matters, they have carefully avoided exceeding the authority with which Parliament has endowed them. Papers on the subject will be presented. Bills will be submitted to you to consolidate the laws relating to crimes, to municipalities, to volunteers, and to mines, to establish a. parcels - post system, and to amend the Charitable Aid and Hospitals Act. I commend to your attention the business that will come before you, and earnestly hope that your labors will, under the ble.-sing of God, be attended with good to the Colony. His Excellency having completed his Speech retires, and is attended, as he was when he came to the House, by a guard of honor of 46 > members of the Naval Brigade, under Captain Duncan. The members of the House of Representatives then adjourn to their own Chamber, which, by the way, is dismally dull, . and has a particularly sombre atmosphere. Here the members of the Government and Opposition fall into their places with “promptness and despatch.” Sir Julius Yogel occupies his old seat immediately under the Press Gallery, which he is generally supposed to have selected with the preconceived idea of baffling the reporters “placed on high,” on the other s : de of the Chamber Major Atkinson sits, looking as cheerful -as ever, and exhibiting the same tendency to sit at perfect ease. Mr Wakefield is there also. And at the back of the Chamber the head messenger, who is an established accessory, looks ondubiously. The Speaker enters, takes his seat, and asks, in that sonorous voice we know so well, “ Are there any petitions?” A member rises with the customary formula, “ Sir, I have a petition j” and the third session of the ninth Parliament of New Zealand has commenced.