Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. MONDAY MAY 17, 1886. The Vice Regal Speech.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1833, 17 May 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. MONDAY MAY 17, 1886. The Vice Regal Speech.

It is difficult to perceive what good purpose was served by devoting a long paragraph of the speech delivered by Ilia Excellency at the opening of Parliament, to a lot of “ gush ” and twaddle about the present year being the fiftieth of Her Majesty's reign. Gf coarse the colonists are loyal to the Queen and Throne, but they don’t care to make much fuss about a question of feeling and sentiment. The neit paragraph of the speech dilates upon the alleged highly satisfactory state of native affairs. About this mailer the public have v\v little evidence to go upon. Mr Enhance has been visiting the Errives all over the colony, making i,:. ,s»i ■ - ■ L-b »to them, and iu most cases ■- rii,r ■ rv them a 1 they wanted. Of u ii.e ii>» Jtke this sort of thing, ft ;.i i i.. tlnii ill Oils the halcyon days of - lie Migai an" 11 policy." But win thn the bulk ift. ■ | ri« really f ' to the G<'l I " :.HU toe settlers, nt M lionblfr. I ' should like to I. official aoe..i;■■ - ti - v no dings i « Mr Halim CO ;u d ».** >.<■ ves. but no n, i n is n.ai'e io H ■ ' ' ■m s speech .a .v (m, et on Hus . u j.i. o> 'Hoi before Parlii.'iiient w believe ilv the majority of ib« N t;v< - i,. ognt •••■ f .ct that they can,,i.t ... i> i pic. ii colonists and the ,io,. .. , f ' !i y simply submit ■ to n i,. .uiibi c ' civ Natives fee! ~ , i,. .[mu i, i f . aid amt ftteodsbip touatUs e ll *.■ f o' vov. rnme 1 t or the settlers, we do no .. in lead believe. 'I ln-te ts tea > oiy i l lle in His ExcelIn, eyV spteeb w loon is worth notice and ■vomuio. it is lull of sell evident proposi- ; i s, which their was no need to have m e i here is a reference to the commercial degression prevailing, wltich we are toldbv His Excellency, may be made to turn out a blessing in disguise. This is comforting to those who take that cheerful view of affairs. Then there is a little talk about the finances of the colony which, it is stated, “ are in a sound condition,” an assurance we ate not prepared to implicitly accept until the Financial Statement has been delivered. Everything in the speech is remarkably vague. There is mention of " developing the local resources of the colony, including mines, forests and fisheries,” but no practical measures iu that direction are even indicated. It is admitted “ that the works constructed by local bodies are of essential importance towards extending the settlement of the lands,” and a Bill is to be laid before Parliament “ dealing with the finance of those local bodies and enlarging the powers of managing their own affairs.” We suppose that Sir Julius Vogel has been again trying his hand at some further tinkering experiments on the existing local Government system and that the proposed Bill is the outcome of his labors. We are not very hopeful about this Bill. There has been a terrible lot of experiments made in trying to frame a system of local Government, but no very satisfactory result has been as yet attained. It is, however, perfectly clear that the one thing needful in carrying out local Government and local works is-Money. The machinery of the County and Bead Board system has not worked badly, but there never has been money enough available to give the system fair play, We are quite certain that the new Bill of the Government will not provide the local bodies with funds, and, failing that, it won’t be of much use. It isn’t more machinery that is wanted, but more money. The speech has some general reference to a policy. On this point it runs “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 laud Uws; constructing railways with a view to opening the country, aiding tbe progress of settlement, and speedily securing satisfactory economical results t placing local bodies in a position to open and do other useful work.” His Excellency’s advisers ” may place great faith ” in such a policy as that just indicated, but we have yet to learn what practical measures they propose to adopt for carrying it out. 'ihe present Government are perfect masters of the art of talking about doing things, but iu ’he practical work of Citutesmaasbip they are miserable failures. This " speech from the throne ” does not come from tbe mind of His Excellency the Governor at all. It is simply a speech made up by Ministers and put into the mouth of His Excellently to deliver. And a wretched speech it is. Thetu is positively nothing iu it. It is a mcie farrago of words containing no iutoimation whatever. It throws no fresh light on the past and is silent as to the intentions of the Government in the future. Altogether, tits speech is the feeblest, baldest, i aud most meaningless piodiictiun winch over was uttered hy any Governor of this colony, at tbe bidding of his responsible Advmets.