THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5131, 29 July 1878, Page 2

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

[by telegraph.]

Parliament was opened on the 2Gth inst., when his Excellency the Governor delivered the following speech :—

Hon. Legislative Couxcillobs and GENTLEMEN OF THE RoOHE OF REPRESENTATIVES— It affords m& much pleasure again to have recourse to your advice and assistance and I confidently anticipate that your deliberations will tend to promote the prosperity and "ood government of the Colony. Since the last session I have been uniformly received by the Colonists with the utmost loyalty as the Queen's representative wherever 1 cave been able to visit, and it has been with the greatest gratification that I have observed the marked progress in material prosperity which is everywhere taking place, and which testifies manifestly to the industry of the people of this country. * I congratulate you on the fact that peaceful relations have at last been established with the \Y aikato and Ngatimaniopoto tribes. Complying with the pressing and frequently receivec invitations of the leading chiefs of these tribes the Premier and the Native Minister visited them on several occasions in their own districts and met them also at the Waitara. Papers on tnia subject will be laid before you—they will show that the long period of serious difficulties with the .Native race may reasonably be considered to be approaching a termination lhere is now a fair prospect that before lon°European enterprise and settlement will be welcomed by those gieat tribes, and that they will gladly avail themselves of the advantages which roads, railways, and telegraphs will bring to their magnificent territory, by which the value, and consequently the wealth and happiness of that portion of the Native race so long estranged from us, must be largely in[creased. In consequence of the disposition thus recently manifested on the part of these .Natives you will be asked to consider the question of extending the North Island Trunks Kailway from Auckland to Taranaki. It is" probable that blocks of land of gresfe value will be acquired upon reasonable terms along the line. While negotiations with the=e tribes have not been neglected, many of the principal .Native settlements have during the recess been visited by the Premier or the Native Minister, bfcveral long-pending questions, out of which more or less ill-feeling has arisen, have been finally and satisfactorily settled. The question of the survey and settlement of the West Coast of this island has been firmly taken in hand. One large block has been surveyed, and will shortly be opened for sale • and the immediate survey of the Waimate Plains has been ordered. Whilst the utmost consideration for the former Native owners will be shown in dealing with these lands, a large extent of valuable country will be available for sale and settlement. My advisers have found the position of the Government Native land purchases to be very unsatisfactory, and but for the legislation of last session, which enabled the Government temporarily to protect lands under negotiation by the Crown, many blocks upon which lar«e sums of public money have been spent would have passed into the Lands of private speculators. This is a question with which you will be called upon to deal, and information sufficient, it is hoped, to enable you to conserve the interests of the Colony in this respect will be afforded you. _ Measures for simplifying the procedure in investigations of title to Native lands, as well as their alienation, will be submitted to you Ihe principles of those measures have been discussed with many sections of the Native peopie, and it h believed that the effect of them will be to place upun an equal footing all the Queens subjects who may desire to mirchase IS ative lands. The threatening aspect of European affairs caused the Imperial Government to assemble in .London a committee of scientific officers to consider the question of Colonial harbour defence. Iho3e officers made recommendations for the defence of the chief harbours o£ New Zealand and tne substance of those recommendations was telegraphed to me by the Secretary of State tor the purpose of ascertaining- whether the Colony would carry them out. On the ad\ice ot my Ministers, 1 have replied that New Zealand accepts the duty, and the necessary armament will shortly arrive in the Colony I apers oa this subject will be submitted to you.

Measures have been prepared, and will be brought before you, dealing with Electoral hefortn, which it is hoped will tend to place the rrancmse, and the method of electing members of the House of Eenreseiitative* ui^n a satisfactory basis. *

Gentlemen- of the Hou.se of EepeesentaTIVE.S— The Estimates, which will be laid before you have been prepared so as to promote economy and elective administration in the several departments. You will find that there is a large increase of revenue, which indicates the prosperity of the Gol-ny, and its progress is rendered more certain by a marked extension of the export trade. The successful issue of the loan authorised lasu session is a further proof of the opinion enteituned m other countries of the stability of our financial position, and of the general prosperity and peace which prevail in w Zealand. Authority has been sjiven to cue agents, under the Consolidated Stock Act to convert Aew Zealand securities of a miscellaneous character into long dated debentures bearing a uniform rate of interest. ' Measures will be introduced to place the t-ixation of the Colony on a more equitable basis, apportioning the public burdens according to the capacity to bear them, and the taniff will be submitted to revision tending to relieve commerce of some restrictions which retard its growth.

and that the faith of the people of New Zealand in railway extension is being shown by many important lines in different parts of the Colony being undertaken by private and local enterI?] ae- £ his spirit of self-reliance my Ministers think should be festered; and you will be asked to make some slight amendments, with the view of offering facilities which experiencenas shown to be desirable. _ During the recess various changes have been introduced into the management ot the Public Works and Railways Departments—changes which I venture to hope may prove beneficial to the public service.

Icommend to your serious consideration thevarious measures and subjects that may bebrought berora you for your advice and action, and I pray that the spirit of Divine wisdom may so order your deliberations that peace and hapboef ?hr C to dn? r°UgW **

The following new members took the oath and their seats: Messrs Seymotir Georee F. J. Moss, X T. Turnbull, R. F. Hobbs §' E. Barton, and W. H. Catten. '

llonoi;kari.e Legislative Couxciui.ors \xr> GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF KePUESEXTATIVES — The Government have found that, in orde-to carry out any r e:i l administrative reform thr>re must he an amalgamation of oflices ;vj well as - simplification in their administration. TliiJ lias been specially felt necessary in the Department of .Justice, to offset asavinyof departmental expenditure, and at the same time to increase the ttiL-i-noy of the administration of justice. A Hid exten.liii- the jurisriiction of the mk-rioi- Court* has been prepared and will be hud before you. My Minister., nave endeavoured, by thi.< Bill, to simplify the m\>-ceedm-s in the local Courts. .Steps 'have also been taken t:> obtain a simplification of the bupreme Court procedure, and the Gover-i----ment hope that the benefits obtained in other cmmttie.s from amending the procedure of the iiifiher Courts of Judicature will be secured for this Colony. A report will be hud before 3-ou showing the efteet, so far, of the Education Act parsed last session. The time that lias elapsed since its passing has been t;>o short, to allow a fail" estimate of its working to be arrived at; but the Government do not believe that any material amendments :,re at ja-eseut expedient The question of higher education deserves mo«t cnreful consideration; but, as a preliniiimrv thereto, it is necessary that the mode of woikiiiy and the eifeet of existi:i- institutions should be ascertained. It is intended, therefore- to 1 appoint a Koyal Commission to inquire into and report up.oi the operations of the New Zealand Lmvtr.-ity and its relation to the I secondary schools of the Colony. The report I ot this Commission will, if legislation be neces- 1 f liable I'-.u liament to deal eifectively with I the subject next s^s-ion. I Ai-ranyemi'iits have been entered into with '■ the Government of Xew South Wales form.>,!i- ! hc.'ition in the Wan Francisc ) mail .'■ervice con- I tract, and as to coming within the t-rms of the i 10.-tal L-nion. In conjunction with South j \vides. the Government have also negotiated J with Colonel Glover, the representative of the ! Eastern Extension, Australasia, a;;d China ; Tele-raph Companj-, for a dup!ic:ition of the i cable fr.»in I'u-S Darwin to London, and f< r a ! reduction of the tariff on the Xow Ze.-iJan.l j A man named H<.if was chu-ed at CKfnr* ilifiiiliipiii mmmmmmmm c£? ffS&ras Mas:! X t zsszr ¥l "s Act 01 lwt M3.M a being f,km advantage it, I brought before tlw SuS Uouv mM