PARLIAMENT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 166, 25 June 1894, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

The Governor's Speech.

Following i« a resume of the Governor’s speech delivered on Friday : Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— It givas tua great pleasure to meet you in Parliament assembled. During the present year I have been enabled to visit Raratonga, and other parts of the Harvey Group indirectly connected with this Colony. My observations led me to conclude that a fair opening exists there for developing a useful trade with New Zealand.

The protracted confusion still disturbing Samoa has induced my Advisers to urge upon the Imperial Government that England should utilise this Colony to control and manage the Navigator Islands. My Advisers confidently expect jour concurrence in the suggestion made by them. Papers relating to the Postal Conference held here will be laid before you. The Imperial importance of the Conference now assembling at Ottawa has been recognised by my Ministers, who have therefore despatched thither a gentleman of approved standing and commercial experience to represent New Zealand. Though I cannot congratulate you either upon an abundant harvest or upon high price# to be obtained for the Colony 's staple products, I nevertheless think that the position of New Zealand affords matter for real satisfaction. Natural causes, the state of the Home markets, and the caution instilled into financial institutions, presumably by the late Australian panic, have undoubtedly thrown temporary difficulties in the path of rapid progress. N evertheless, the energy and the,courage of our colonists, and the resources of the country, have never been more clearly displayed. Tnanks to these, and to the prudence and suecess of the tinanc nl policy sanctioned by the late Parliament, the volume of our product# continues to increase, our Colony s credit stands pre-eminent in London, public and private indebtedness diminishes relatively to our numbers, and the unemployed are proportionally fewer than in almost any other civilised country. Figures collected at the ports of entry and departure for the last five months show that the influx from Australia of men in search of employment has for the present virtually ceased. Once more I am enabled to state that the provision made last year for carrying on the public service has proved much more than sufficient. The amounts will show you both a gross and a net surplus of revenue over expenditure of a most solid and gratifying kind. It appears to my Advisers that the ! time has arrived for the State to be no j longer satisfied with carrying on. as well I oe its finances permit, a certain share of Ins work of colonisation. Some efforts should now be made by which the Government, without incurring dangerous obligations, may aid private enterprise to avail itself, on reasonable terms, of the j vast supplies of English capital, the | holde/s of which are only awaiting openings for secure investment. The scandalous mismanagement which I led to the suspension of an important | company bearing the name of this colony , has impressed upon my Advisers the j necessity for safeguarding shareholders and the publio against loose methods of : company management. A measure will be introduced for this purpose. You will be asked to take up an impor- , taut work begun, but left unfinished, bv the late Parliament. I refer to the business of making the Native land laws I s.mpler. and the methods of acquiring I Native land easier and speedier. In the I opinion of my Ministers, the time has i come when private dealings in Native land should entirely cease, and when j every title granted for such lands should be given directly from the Government i under the Land Transfer Act.

Hand m-hand with the steady acquisition of Native land must go the repur chase of private lands for closer settlement. Three year* ego my predecessor drew the attention of the late Parliament to this. Since then the results of acquiring ths valuable Cheviot Estate and certain other smaller areas have been so entirely successful as to lead my advisers to ask you for further powers to enable them to carry on the work with ail needful vigor. To this end the Land for Settlements Bill rejected last year wdl again bo brought forward, with certain extensions and improvements. You will be pleaded to learn that the process of settling the waste lands of the Crown has gone on during the past year with unabated speed, and with genuinely good results. You will be asked also to pass into law measures to enable the Agricultural Department t > effectually help and regulate the rapidly-growing dairy industry by a system of grading and cool storage. Other Bills intended to he of practical use to farmers and stockowners will be laid be fore you. A Bill will be laid before you which it ie hoped will aid in attaching to the soil the miners now spread over our gold-bearing country.

You will bt afforded full opportunity to consider ’.he liquor queetion. A Bill will be brought in to consolidate and amend the licensing law. and simplify the proce dure at the local option polls. My Ad viscrs desire to make it plain that they have no wish that th.s important matter should be approached by members in any other spirit than that of adherence to public pledges and individual convictions. l)uring the recess the term of office of the late Kailway C nmnissoners expired, lu accordance with what was believed to he the intention of the Legislature which I passed the Government Hallways Aot. IHH7, and with the wish of the country as expressed at the late elections, a change was made in the pernonntl of the Commission. At the same time care was taken to leave you power to ar lange for the future management of the national railways in such a way as you I in ay deem proper. (iNNTLKMH.N OF THK Hoi'U OF ItKPßßuprrATira 1 th ok it fitting to take notice of a fea ture of peculiar interest belonging to this Parliament. Yon are the first body of New Zealand legislators elected under the law granting the suffrage ie women. 1 have to congratulate the colony upon the quiet and peaceful course of the elections held under these novel conditions. 1 trust that by your aptitudo for business and /eal for the country's welfare, vou will show yourselves no way inferior to the members of former Parliaments, and thus justify the hopes of the farmers and passers of the Electoral Act. In order to aid you in the conduct of your Houses business, new Standing Orders, containing highly important changes, will be submitted to you. You will be asked t> give them precedence over all other matters. Eat mates of the revenue and the ex ipandituro of the year will be laid before you. The estimates of expenditure nave oeen framed with due regard to economy. fioNOt HAHLB GatfTLIMBN OF TMB LlUlSlativk Council, and Oknti.rman of TUB iloli’Mß OK Kr.I'Khu.MATIVKH, — Measures will he submitted to you dosigned to further simplify the administration of iust.ee, tad to consolidate the law

on various subjects. The moment appears fitting for reprinting the statutes at present in force, and my Advisers recommend that a Commission for the purpose should be set up. The important principle of levying rates upon land values only will again be urged upon jour acceptance ; and a Bill intended to prevent loans at usurious rates of interest will be presented for your consideration. During last Parliament a number of measures designed especially to improve the condition under which the manual labourers of the country work were read in the House of Representatives, but only one finally became law. My Advisers therefore propose to press forward both the Labour Bills of last year, and certain new measures relating to factories, apprentices, and indiscriminate immigration. The measure last referred to, involving as it does an important question of policy, will be introduced at an early period of the session. I desire you to give these matters your attention. I earnestly assure you of my wish to aid your exertions for the good of the Colony. I pray that your efforts may, with God's blessing, promote the happiness and well-being of the people of New Zealand.