OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2412, 15 June 1882, Page 6

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

(Fbebs AsaociATioH Tbleoham.) , . 1 .-•.!■>•■•. .:• May. IS. Parliament was opened at. 2 o'clook to-day by- the. Governor, m. person, iwith. the. usual csrempniei, „There;was a T«ry4argo : attendance of the pnblic. ''.:<:■■■ < ■ . HIS EXOELLENOY THE GOVfiEifOB'S „. SPBROH. HOIJOBADIK LIQIBLATIVB OpVITOILLOBB:'AHp - Gknthmbh of.teb Houaß o? BurßS-. „ . i-.;s»!jTATiyjss:,Tr. s, ,-. .. . „..,. „ . :7 . ! Ijt ia with muoh pleasure that I have recourip ia your, .advice and assistance on the oqeaaion of the opeijing of ihe eighth ParliameDtof New Zoalnnd. I bava forwarded to tbft, Quean an expression which I feel sure will have .you?) bjarty concurrence, of the deep fe}t : thankfulness with which all olasi«s of Wer &fojooty'« oujbjeota m New Zoaliiad heard of .-h^r recant presorvntipn from, danger,, and;, of tbevr earnest, praj.er that she may be |. long, spar eitjo riign over a loyal o,nd united Kropira. . , . „ : • ... . . ; . . > . i : The measures" adopted by the last Parliament to extend .tha franchise, to increase the representation of tho people, ond to afford nioreifroqueDt opportunities , of ascertaining the opinions of .ihe, constituencies, may, I trnst, cause alt. classes, of. the .community (fi watch your, deiiberakions with keen interest, and bo found, conduciyo to the permanent welfare and happiness of the colony. I am glad to be able to congratulate you upon tho renewed and, well-founded confidence which exists as to the commercial prospects of the.oolpny, upon the dieappearanqe of diitress amongat the working oiatscs, and upon the general increase of the^ revenue. ' The proposals onbmittod to Parliament last eenion for tha.systematiq laying but of roads to promote; tlie colonisation of waste lands, have had careful attention during the recess ; ;and ia:-aU parts . o£.. tho colony the Work p( aetjtlement, is .progreasjng favorably. New Openings aro, m. the course of development for tho . employment of labor and: capital, the railways ; have become more , pro r duotive^and freih groups of population are eijtHing m districts which only require means of. convenient access to make them prosperous. A. desire, for; permanent settlement on the' goldfields, and for tho profitable union of mining and agricultural , pursuits m the same localities is becoming more mabifest. The preient time i», m the opinion of my advisers, a very favorable one at which to press forward tbe construction of roads, and to facilitate the influx of population. Tho euocoss of the scheme whioh has been adopted at Botorua on a limited scale for administering native"lands'"on behalf of the native owners, loads me to hope that it may have a beneficial and more extended operation m tbo future, 1 My advisers are of opinion that a plan for leasing, agricultural )anda with, fixity of tenure upon reaionable terms may with advantage ; be incorporated ioto tho general system of administrating the Crown lands of the colony, and a nujoiure will be submitted to you with this object. . . -.: Towards the close of lpst session of Parliament the aspect of affairs on tha We;t Coatt of the North Island appeared to my Government to have become more threatening than had previously been the case, and my advisors felt themselves compelled to consider whether moro active ■ steps than £ad yet been taken might; not be required Tor the repression of lawlessness, the protection of Her Majetty's peaceable subjects, and the termination of the increasing excitement m that district. At their, requeit the .-House of Representatives voted a sum of £10,000 to meet such a contingency. In tbe month of October the time arrived at which conciliation having, m the opinion of my Ministers, failed to .effebt its objoot, they considered the adoption of more 1 vigorous measures to have beenme necessary. I A proclamation was accordingly issued, during my absence from the colony, by the administrator of tbe Government, calling on iTe Whiti and his adherents to accept, within a. specified time, the land offered to them, a requisition with which To Whiti failed to show any. sign of compliance. The danger and difficulties of the position, were judged' by my Government only to increase with tbo continued exercise of forbearance, and it was resolnfl . that the periodical meeting* pf natives at Parihakft should bo no longer allowed to beheld!' that the numerons natives from'other localities congregated there should- be compelled to return to their own districts;, and that To Whiti and Tobu should bo removed from a position which' was deemed by my advisera to constitnte a standing menace to' the 'pea'ce'of the 'colony^. To "Whiti and Tohu were therefore arrested, and were committed for trial on a charge of sedition. In order, to secure the success. of the operations necessary for 'these objects, the Volunteers ware invited to leave their districts to render assistance, and a large addition was made to ike Armed ■ Constabujary., The thanks of the. colony are dub to the Volunteers .for the ..readiness.^ with which they answered the call on them, and for their soldierly conduct' while on active service. Tbe discipline a,nd good conduct of. the AO. entitle them to" the highest praiße.' My Government desiro. it to be recognised, that m the qourse pursued they have beeD, and are, actuated by anxiety to avert . con sequences disastrous to all classes' Of Her Majesty's subjects, rather than by »ny deeiro to vDfli,ot. punishment. A. Bill will be laid before jou, having for its object to render the trial of Tot^hiti apd Toh'u unnecessary, and at tho' Banjo tima to prevent them from returning for the present to ' Parihaka or recommencing an ngitatiori whioh ha« long caused alarm and apprehension of danger among the eettlers on the West Coast. I&m assured that' confidence m the tranquillity of the district is established, and that a feeling of seourjly exists among' the inhabitants which has been long unknown to them. • Gbntlbmkk'op teg Hotjbk -o* Bb?bk- • SBSTATIVJSS.: . „. , , "., ' . ':. The eitiqnates' of revenue and expenditure for tho current financial year will shortly be placed before you, HOSOBADLB LEO^StATIVB CotTKOILtOBS AND V G^HTLBUEK OP XHB HOUSE O? BbPBH- . '..'•: ?BfITXTiyBB': ' :"" " ,' J .'B^ei urns will bel aid before you which show thait the revenue has considerably exceeded the amount estimated. The railway, returns, especially, show a gratifying increase ; the surplus of receipts' over pipendituro during the pa,st year amounts approximately to 4 por cent upon the cost of conotruction. „ A new impetus appears to have been' given to pvery branch 'of industry., The yield of gold, . w for tho year which^bas just closed, as compared with that of previous years, shows a marked development' of this' important industry, and encourages the belief that further expenditure m opening up the goldflelds will "be productiveof tqe beitreiultsto thecolony at large.- These facts appear' ample to . justify your making prpvision for the extension, and ultimate completion, of, tbe 'main trunk lines of railway, as well as for Other important works m connection with them, to which Parliament has; already Riven its sanction. Proposals with these objects' will be made to you which the inc'rpaio of reveriuo'and the revival of orosperity appear to /ully j ustify. ' , ' . The Commissioners^ appointed', to inquire intothQ constitution, praotice, and procedure of the Courts of Judicature within thecolony, with tUg view of preparing suoh measures, of reform as wpuld ( render the administration of justice. more speedy and efficacious, and at the eamo <|mo less postly than 1 at present; Live completed their ' labora, and Prills will b» presented to you, for effect to the recommendations' of the ''Commiisioneri, ■to amend the Counties and Boad Board Aits, to regulate the making and levying of 'rates, to effect important changes m tbo working of the 'Govern jnentf. Life rnsAiranbe Department, 'tp troprbve' tho ,'ls,w ( a r ff«pting lunatics, to enable affirmations and declarations to be taken m lieu of oaths, t.6'abilish.the raatrainCs on the' alienation bt land, to amend the law relating to the property. of married women, to consolidate and amend tbe law relating- to legal practitioners, and fortbe better manage*-' npent of ii'aliv^ reiejrves. Each of these subjebti will requlrojvour very careful consideration, and under the guidarice of l^roVidenoe I 1 trust that your deliberations Will result'io iust conclusions, beneficial to all classes of Her Majesty's subjects m this ddldny'. ■ ' -' |■■

Taß'-liiT^ "Wbbcks.— ■'Tho'.Mcltjourne JLrgwt UQaeratands.'tbat'thp directors of the Yiotpflan; jffvimano' Society 'aro taking steps ta/ewaru thosurvivors Of tliodisasterwhich occurred QtTjtnarUjNow Zealand, and tlie'nien who endeavored to care life find property; oti H»o| ppe'won pf t^wrickof the ■|Ay i ofPerffi