THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8280, 21 June 1895, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

The second session of the twelfth Parliament of New Zealand wa3 ihh day opened by the Governor, when his Excellency was p'.e seed to nnke r -ue following Speech : — honobablis gfisxlemen of the legislative Council ash Gentlemen of the Hotjss op repks3bntatives — It givrß me great pleasure again to meet you ia Pdiliament assembled. I was abl?, daring the recesß, to visit the Snares, Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Bountj, and Chatham Islands. In connection with my viei; to these interesting bat little-known idas, I must express my regret an ihe almoßt complete dieappearanea from them of the far seals once bo nuuatrou3 ther.-. I invite your at tea no a to this uudoubted national loss. I am able very gladly to congratulate yea upoa more than one aspeat of the present state and future prospects of the Colony, The depression whioh w>e bo univer dally felt during the spring and summer began to pas? away b.fore tha end of autumn, and ha 3 now unquestionably given place to renewed hope. Several of our staple prodaots, no 'ably wheat, have risen in price. The improvement ia tue m irket for kauri gum has been a matter of congratulation, chiefly, of cous 3 , for the Province of Auckland. The better demand for timber has aff e'ed many districts, and with the reasnt part al recovery ia the price of frozen meat may be coupled tha important experimnta lately made in shipping iive stock and chilled beef to London. The revival of quartz mining so noteworthy f r months past in the Auckland gold fie da appears likely to have a eotmerpait on the West Coast of the Somh Island- There is solid reason for anticipating that mining will for some time to come, both empley more labor and yield more gold than for years pa3t. Useful as tha cyanida process of extracting gold has be -n it is not io he gainst) id that the royalty exacted upder the patent rights of Caasel'e Company has bee a a beavy burden oa the baok of mining enterprise, therefore as the lgnglish Courts have apses the patent, my Ministers hive taken ttep3 to have it set aside in this Jolony. The state of tbe public finances of New Zealand continues to ba fair ground for almost unmixed national satisfaction. Once more I em abls to say that ths provisions made during last cession for carrying on tha public services, have proved more than sn indent. Tha publio accounts show a Barplus over expenditure, a surplus of a thoroughly sound kiad, able to challenge any honest and reasonable criticism. Though, daring the recces, persistent efforts have been made to combine tbe Maori tribee ia league against farther Bales of land, my aivisers are glad to be able to assure th&t the attempt has failed; indsed signatures to deeds of Bale ara being affixed in numbers, and the work of the acquisition by tbe State of Native land is in no danger of being am b ted. From causes whioh will be made known to you, the work of surveying the territory of the Tuboe tribe was some months ago suddenly interrupted ; a display of armed force and negotiations conducted for the Government by tha member of the Exeoutive representing the Native race, quickly led to a. useful understanding, but my advisers, deeming it best to guard against any further disturbances or obstruction in that part of the Colony, have deoided to insure, by pushing roads throagh the length and breadth of the Uriwera conntry, that in f ature it shall be at peace, and open to all. The inability cf the Midland Eailway Company to complete ita oontraot h&a long been notorious. Three years ago the Company knew, and the New Zealand representatives frankly admitted thisi inability, though valuable concessions were more than »nc9 granted. The Company bad twice, subsequently, to ask Parliament to modify the contract, in order to prevent a collapse of the undertaking. The second application was decisively refused. Though the time for the contracts' completion expired in Jannary ladt, only about one-fifth of the required for tbe lines' construction have yet been laid out, and for months past little or no works have been done. The arbitration demanded by the Company waa postponed by the arbitrators until next year. The inexcusabledelay by the Company in completing its work, and the consequent blocking up of five millions of acres of Crown lands impelled my adviser 3 to take possession of both t:e completed and uncompleted portions o? the liae. This step waa taken in accordance with law, and under tbe best advice to be obtained. The opened portion of the Midland railway ia now bei?g worked by the Government, and authority will ba asked to extend it. The cost of Buch extension the Company will be requested to refund. The visit of tbe Colonial Treasurer to London has been followed by mush direot advantage to the Colony. At the Postal Confereooa at Hobart, new cable rates were fixed, under whioh New Zealand will sava £3,000 a year. Ia London, the Colonial Treasurer obtained for the Colony amended terms with the Bank of England, whereby the Colony will benefit to the extent of £8,000 per annim. Above all, New Zealand has led the way in sucoesefaUy floating a 5 per oent loan in the English money market, thereby strengthening her publio credit and insuring the sJoceßs of the scheme for giving financial tid under the Advances to Settlers Act. Many of our settlera have alleged that their applications for loans have not recdvtd that consideration which their merits deserve. The responsibility, ho sever, of administering the law rests with the Board, and the eircomßtancas complained of are beyond tha control of my Ministers. This matter will, X trust, receive your careful considaraden. With tbe view of opening fresh markets for oar prodnots, my Ministers have pro-* vißioDa ! ly arranged reciprocal treaties with Canada and South Australia. These experiments will be submitted to you, and yon will be asked to ratify them. There will aUo be laid before yon the report of the delegate which last year represented this Colony at the Ottawa Conference, a meeting memorable for the aciiom of ths Imperial Government in despatching to the gathering the Earl of Jersey on behalf of the Motuer Country. The report sbova mentioned deals with proposals as to the establishment of a mail earvioe by way of Vancouver, and the laying of an ocean cable Bcroas the Pacific to connect New Zealand win British North America. The worid-wi 'c problem of providing work for the workless has once more been a caase of acxiety. Daring ihe recede one of my Minis iers has visited and inspected a Qutrbsr of the British settlements and Labor eolon'ua m New South Wales. Yiotoria, aod South Australia. Bis report has led to the trial of an important experiment in combining sett'ement with the employment of labor. Farther, an experienced officer has been despatched to Australia to m&ke an elaborate survey of the village settlements there, and on his return his report will be laid before yoa. ...__.- The settlement of the waste lands of tbe Crown under ihe general Land Laws of the Coiooy has continued to go on satisfaetoriiy during the past year. The extension of dairy farming in so many parts of the Co'ony nskea it a sopice of satisfaction that the systematic grading and cool storage of dairy p.odaee are now being catried out by the Department of Agrioultore with ;he best results. I may fairly point to the paramoont necessity for stimulating trade, both in timber acd frozen meat. My Ministers have endeavored to aid the export of the former by guaranty icg half the freight of cargoes, and propose to oail toge her a Conference in Wellington, to discuss s:ej.s for improving the distributing of oar meat in Great Britaio. ihose measures recommended in ihe repott on the Colonies' defences are being eteadily carried on. The advice of last year's

Military Conference, is being acted on an before next year the whole of oar f oroes wi be armed with the Martini« Henry riflei The requisite ammunition will henceforth b manufaotared within New Zealand. Tha time has in my opinion arrived for in oreasiog the Dumber of my Ministers, Th growth of population, the advance of gettie ment, and the extension of the fanolioos c ths State, have io added to the duties of m; advisers as to make this needful in the bee interests of the Colony. Gentlsmbn of tot Houss of jßepbesenta TrVBB — The estimates of revenue and expenditan of the year will be laid before you. Thi Bdltmates of expenditure have been framei with due regard to economy. Hon. Ghntlkmen of the LsaisLixivi CorjNciii and Gentlemen of thb Hoobi OF BEPaBBENTATIVBB — For the third year in succession you wil be aaked to pass a Bill extending to looa bodies the right of levying rates upon land values. By it suoh bodies will bo allowed tc Apply the principle upon which direct taxa^ lion has for yeara been a s;>a d by the Government. A Fair Rents Bill will be introduced, and also a measure to efftot needful amendments in the Land for Settlements Act. Yon will be aeked to deal wi h the Electoral law, and to assent to a obange designed to prevent too frequent and inconvenient changes of the boundaries of eleoto-ates. Foblio opinion demands that the difficult problems of looal government and charitable aid reform should be faced, and, if possible, Solved without funh.i* del*?. A measure which it is hoped will reduce the number of our too numerous looal councils, while at the same time concentrating their function?, aod rtrenglhening their financial position, will ebortly be laid before yon. I trust that you will this session see your way to re-adjust the Customs Tariff. For the purpose of collecting information of service to Parliament and the Government in dealing with this oomp ica'ed matter, I appointed a Royal Commission, consisting of well-known gentlemen of public experience, and an exhaustive report prepared by the Commission will be submitted to you. Full and fair opportunity will be afforded you for discussing the vexed and interesting question of Lioensing reform. Bills have been prepared, designed to Dheok exoefsive rates of usury, and to proteot and preserve for the families of working settlers the homes which they have made their own. Measures are ready for your consideration dealing the relations of masters and apprentices, with public tenders and contracts, and with the restriction if the influx of aliens, and certain persons. You will be invited to pass Bills dealing with State uobool teachers, and matters oonneoted with seoondary education, and also to Amend the law concerning juries. Theae proposals I recommend to your attention. I earnestly aeeure you of my wish to aid yonr exertions for the good of the Colony, and I pray that your labors may. with God's blessing?, tend to promote the welfare and prosperity of the people of New Zealand.