GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Otago Witness, Issue 714, 5 August 1865, Page 8

GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

(From the Wellington Advertiser, July 27.) His Excellency the Oo\ ernor. Sir George Grey, formally opened the General Assembly \cbterday at two o'clock. The Volunteers of the City, undtr charge 0/ Major Gorton, fotimd a guard of honor, and received his Excellency at tl c entrance of the building. The inclemency oi the weather rendered the display much less brilliant than it would have been under more favorable circumstances. The Hall of the Legislative Council was crowded with a uio;>t influential assemblage ; and, although, the unpro^itiousness of the day pi evented the ladies from appearing in very large numbers, there was a large attendance. After the usual preliminary ceremonies, his Excellency opened the General Assembly with the lollowing speech :—: — Honorable Gentlemen or the Legisla.tive Council, asd Gentlhmen of the House of Representatives, — In opening this fifth session of the Parliament of New Zealand, lam able to congratulate you upon the partial establishment of peace, and the suppression of insurrection in several of the distuibed districts in this island. I trust that, whilst devising means for the suppression of outrages which still occur, you will at the same time consider how to ensure the i future peace of the country, and promote the union of the two races, by facilitating the admission of her Majesty's subjects of the Native r-ice to a full and equal participation of self government. It is my intention to invite certain Native «hieft to meet at Wellington, and a Bill will be laid before you, enabling me to appoint fiom among them a commission, to report and advise upon the best means of obtaining a parliameutarj' representation of the Native race. The resolutions passed by your respective Ct ambers in the la^t session of the General Assembly, relative to the withdrawal from the colony of her Majesty's land forces, were duly transmitted by me to her M jesty's Secretary of State. Froui ( the tenor of my mot-t recent despatches, I am led to infer that the policy a»reed to by you has been approved of, and will be fully adopted by the Home Government. The Taranaki and Waneanui country has j long been a fo-us of dissatisfaction and fanaticism. Peace cannot be real or lasting which is not preceded by the establishment of her Maj sty's authority in these districts, to be permanently secured by the opening oi' roads and the formation of sc-lf-defending seitieiiieuts. Pending the decision of the Il.^me Government, I determined therefore to avail myself of the services of a portion of the Imperial troops, so long as they remained in the colony, for the establishment of order in the district between Taranaki and Wan»anui, and I issued instructions accordingly to Lieutenant -General Cameron, which will be laid before you. Contrary to my anticipations, however, considerable delay took place, which involved consequences fraught with disaster, and whicn led to fresh outbreaks in other parts of the colony. I therefore ordered the colonial forces to advance against the Wereroa pah — a movement which has resulted in its capture. The thanks of the colony are due to Major Rookes commanding, and to the officers and men of her Majesty's European and Native Colonial Forces engaged in this important operation. J also recognise the readiness with which Brigadier- General Waddy, G. 8., Colonel , Trevor, and the officers and men under their command, afforded me all the as- ■ sistance that was in their power, though precluded by their orders from taking any . active part in the operations against the enemy's stronghold. I am able, in the meantime, to congratulate you on the improved state of the , settlement of Taran.iki, and on the im- j mediate prospect of its ceasing to be a ( source of weakness to New Zealand. For this result the colony is mainly indebted to < the zeal, energy, and ability of Colonel Warre, C.8., commanding the district, and to the conduct of her Majesty's forces, Imperial and Colonial, of both races, under his command. Additional proof has been, afforded throughout the operations at Taranaki and Wanganui, that the colony may rely with confidence ou the skill and gallantry of its own officers and men, whi.st the devoted courage evinced by the loyal natives, has placed beyond doubt the attachment of a large portion of the native race to the Crown, to their European fellow subjects, and to the cause of order against turbulence and fanaticism. I shall now at, once issue orders for the return to England of five regiments, which I trust and believe may be quickly followed by the iemaiuder of the Imperial troops. The conditions imposed on the colony for the full attainment of constitutional Government in native as -well as in ordinary affairs will thus be fulfilled.

Gentlemen op the House op RepesenTATIVES, — The measures adopted by you in your last session have enabled me, by the disposal of Colonial Securities, in a great measure to relieve th" financial embarrassment in which the colony was then placed. The credit of the colony, however, in England, lias been and continues to be injuriously affected by the extent nnd manner in which Provincial loans have been contracted and placed for negotiation on the English money marker. You will, I trust, take into your consideration the means by which these evils may be remedied, and the conditions under which Provincial loans may in future be regulated, and their payment guaranteed out of the General Revenue with safety to the colony and increased security to the public creditor. In order to provide for the burdens pressing on the colony, it is my intention to submit to you proposals ibr raising additional revenue by stamp duties. I trust that by reducing to the utmost limit all extraordinary expenditure connected with the suppression of the present native insurrection, or incidental thereto, nnd by careful economy in the ordinary services of Government, you will be enabled to sustain the credit of the colony, and provide for its financial exigencies, without encroaching materially' on the provisions heretofore made out of the General Ordinary Revenue for the services ol the Provinces. It will, however, be necessary for you to consider the expediency of modifying to some extent the present distribution of tne Ordinary Revenue between the General Government and the Provinces. It has been a source of great satisfaction to me that my Government has been enabled, by an improved system of Treasury accounts, to lay before the public full information as to the state of the Revenue and Expenditure of the colony to the latest possible period. I trust you will take measures for securing the permanence of this system, and that you will further provide effectual checks against the expenditure of public money without authority of law. Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen or the House of Representatives — The changes which have taken place in the relative distribution of population and wealth in different districts will render it necessary for you to xe-adjutt the Representation of the colony. In pursuance of the power vested in me by an act of last se=sion, I have agreed with the Panama, New Zealand and Australian Royal Mail Steam Company to confirm, subject to certain modifications, | the Contract entered into with that body for the establishment of a Postal Service by way of Panama. I have also entered into an agreement with the Government of New South Wales for admitting that coloiiy to au equal participation in the benefits of the Contract upon terms equitable in themselves, and which will, I doubt not, prove equally advantageous to both colonies. The completion of these arrangements, with the liberty of extending them to other Australasian colonies, will require your sanction. The recent discoveries of gold on the West Coast of the Middle Island have opened new fields for colonisation, and | given, a fresh impetus to the development of the material resources of the colony. Amongst many causes of anxiety which have clouded our prospects it has been to me a source of great satisfaction to observe the steady advance of the colony in population and wealth. I see no cause for anticipating any check to this upward progress, which, with God's blessing, cannot fail to carry it through difficulties — temporary in themselves and already beginning to disappear. The Governor then retired, and the Speaker took the chair. The after- mentioned new members were introduced to the Speaker, and having taken the usual oaths, were admitted to the Council :—: — Hon. John Barton Arnold Ackland, Canterbury. Hon. Joseph Cote, Wellington. Hon. James Prendergast, Otago. Hon. James Crow Richmond, Nelson. Hon. Arthur Penrose Seymour, Marl- | borough. The Colonial Secretary then laid a number of papers upon the table, and after the \ reply to the address, the Council adjourned until the next day at two o'clock. After Mr Mantell had presented a peti- ' tion from certain parties on the Waitotara ; block, and the hon. the Premier had laid ' upon the table certain papers and despatches, and had given notices of [ motion, and the Speaker had also laid upon ' the table the Standing Rales and Orders, ■ the House adjourned till the next day at ' five o'clock. I