OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5617, 13 May 1886, Page 3

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

♦ Speech of His Excellency the Governor. [Bt Telegraph.] We*%re indebted to the courtesy of the Government for the following telegraphic report of the Speech of His Excellency the Governor on the occasion of the •pening of the New Zealand Parliament The Third Session of the Ninth Parliament of New Zealand, was this day opened by the Governor, when His Excellency was pleased to make the following Speech : Honobjlblx Gentlemen op thk Legislative Council, and Gentlemen ov thb houßk of representatives; It affords me much pleasure to meet you thus early in Parliament assembled. The year which is now passing will be memorable throughout the British dominions, aB that on which our Gracious Sovereign enters on the fiftieth year of her reign. You will, I feel assured, desire to prove that the subjects of this, the most distant portion of Her Majesty's possessions, share equally with Her Majesty's subjects in other parts of the world, the highest appreciation of the great results of her long and beneficent reign. You will be asked to consider the most suitable way of showing, on behalf of the people of New Zealand, their affection and duty to the person of the Sovereign, their love and loyalty to the Crown, their ■ense of gratification at belonging to a realm enjoying a sway bo benignant, and their desire to see the bonds which unite every portion of Her Majesty's vast Empire confirmed and strengthened. It is particularly appropriate to such a year, that I am able to announce to you that, in the opinion of my Ministers, there has never been a time when the relations between Her Majesty's European and Maori subjects have been of so friendly a charaofcer. The Maories are evincing an intelligent interest in colonising operations, and a cordial recognition of the laws of the Colony. They show this excellent disposition by the readiness with which they are seeking Crown titles for large areas of country through which the Northern Trunk Railway will pass, and their willingness to part with land to the Government for the purpose of -settlement along that line of railway. Negotiations for such lands are, in the •pinion of my advisers, proceeding satisfactorily, and with due regard to the necessity of a sufficient quantity being retained by the Maoiis for their own use. You will be asked to amend the laws relating to the disposal of Native Lands, in the direction which appears to my Ministers best adapted to do justice to the Maoris, and to hasten the occupation and settlement of ( £he country- Public works have been proceeded with as rapidly as the means placed at the disposal of Government permitted. Proposals will be laid before you for continuing Railways and other Public Works en a scale consistent with the circumstances •f the Colony, and in the manner most calculated to secure sound economical results. New Zealand is suffering from, a depresmoH. that appears to prevail throughout the world, but which is affecting this Colony much less than other countries, because of its great resources. My advisers are of opinion that this depression, rather than tending to discourage the energies of the people, should lead them, to additional exertions, and that if concurrently with the progress of Bailways, abundant opportunity be offered to settlers to occupy and cultivate land in -farms of reasonable size, farmers from •ther countries will be attracted to the Colony, and will materially aid its progress. In calling your attention to the gracious compliment which Her Majesty paid to all the Colonies and India by opening the Exhibition devoted to their products, and to the gratititude the Colonies and India owe to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the untiring exertions which have led to the success of the Exhibition, I am glad to be able to say that my Ministers have used their utmost endeavours to secure for this Colony an adequate representation. (Jentlmen or ths Hottbb of BkbsB&fTATIVIB — The estimates of revenue and expenditure for the current year will be laid before you. My advisers fully recognise the importance of keeping down. the expenditure to the lowest limit insistent with meeting the requirements of the public service and the wants of the country. The Finances of the Colony are in a sound condition, and gratifying progress is being made with the conversion •f the loans. The San Francisco Mail Service has been re-established at a cost within the authority which, you gave by resolution. It is gratifying that the contract should have been taken by a New Zealand Company, on behalf of itself and a powerful American steamship organisation. It is equally gratifying that New South. Wales joinß in the arrangement, and that assistance is received from the GoTernm^nJ of the United States. HoNOtaUBL* Gbntlhkbn of thb LhoibLATrVI COTTNCIL, AND GBHTLBMBS OB 1 thb Housa or Reprbsbnyattvw — WbiM giving attention to the undertakings which it ia desirable the Colony should carry out, it is not to be forgotten that the works constructed by local bodies *»c of essential importance towards promoting and extending the settlement of "the landa. A measure will be placed before you, dealing with the Finance of j Local Bodies, and enlarging their power ef directly managing their own affairs. My Minißtera view with satisfaction the disposition which is being shown to develope the local resources of the Colony, including those of the mines, the forests, and the fisheries. It Uo f infinite importance to recognise and take advantage of the natural wealth of New Zealand, and to encourage the prosecution of industries of a varied character. My advisers place great faith in the operation of a policy which embraces the points of prosecuting local industries, and thus affording abundant occupation to the population; promoting settlement by liberal land laws ; constructing railways with a view to opening the country, aiding the progress of settlement, and speedily securing satisfactory and economical results; placing local bodies in a position to open roads and do other useful work; giving the mining population liberal facility, and the establishing of friendly relations with the Maories. The arrangement for the construction of the Midland Railway, under . authority conceded by Parliament, is, in

the opinion of my advisers, a matter ; of hearty rejoicing. Some points of ; a not material nature will have to be \ submitted for the ratification of Parlia- j ment. The attention of my Ministers i i has been constantly directed to questions j relating to the South Sea Islands. Whilst ! recognising the important interest New ! Zealand has in these matters, they have J carefully avoided exceeding the authority j with which Parliament has endowed them, j Papers on the subject will presented. Bills j will be submitted to you to consoli- i date the laws relating to Crimea, to j Municipalities, to Volunteers, and to ] Mines ; to establish a Parcels Post system, [ and to amend the Charitable Aid and Hospitals Act. I commend to your attention the business that will come before you, and earnestly hope that your labours will, under the blessing of God, be attended with good to the Colony.

[Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, Mat 13. Parliament was opened by His Excellency the Governor at 2 p.m. He was accompanied by Major Jervois, Captain I Medley, the Danish and Portuguese Consuls, and eight officers of the Japanese warship Tsukuba. There were ten mcmi bers of the Legislative Council and twentyfive members of the House of Representatives present. It is still raining heavily.