PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1999, 22 December 1863, Page 3

PROROGATION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

[Fx'om tile New Zealander, Dec. 15.] The sixteenth. Session of the General Assembly of New Zealand was closed yesterday . At a quarter to two o'clock, a guard of lionor of 100 men of the Auckland v olunteer force under the couuaand of Captain Howoll, assembled on the lawn in front of the Assembly Buildings to await the arrival of His Excellency the Governor. A few minutes before two o'clock, the first gun of a salute from Fort Britomart announced the approach of Sir George Grey, who shortly afterwards arrived opposite the Assembly Koonis, attended by the Private Secretary and Aide-de-Camp, and accompanied also by General Galloway and Staff, and several of the Naval Officers on the station. His Excellency was received by the Volunteers, with, arms presented, their band playing the National Anthem. On entering the Chamber of the Legislative Council his Excellency was received by the Company standing and proceeded to the Speaker's Chair. The Members of the Lower House having been summoned to attend, the Speaker of that House read to his Excellency the following address : — ■ " May it please youe Excellency, " The House of Representatives has, during the present session, given its earnest attention to the various subjects indicated by your Excellency for its consideration in the speech, with which you were pleased to initiate its proceedings. " The large measures of concession adopted by the Legislature in the year 1862, having unfortunately proved insufficient to extinguish, that feeling of jealousy and hostile i rivalry on the part of the aborigines towards ! their fellow subjects of European descent, which appears to have been growing for yeai's, and gradually stimulating them to acts ef greater audacity, it has been the duty of the New Zealand Parliament in this session to devise means for the suppression of a formidable insurrection. " In aiming at the accomplishment of this object, the Legislature has not failed to bear in mind your Excellency's suggestion that the steps to be taken by it should be such, as while sufficient to extinguish an existing rebellion, should at the same time render similar risings for the future in the highest degree improbable. " In order to give effect to these views, the Legislature has found it necessary to authrise the raising of no less a sum of money than £3,000,000 in anticipation of future revenue ; and while it has placed large resources in the way of money and men at tke disposal of the Government, it has at the same time passed an Act by which the hands of the Executive and of tho Military Commanders are strengthened by the possession of powers of a very large and unusal character. " These Acts indicate the recognition of a serious and impending danger, which is to be averted by no milder measures, and they have been agreed to by the Legislature in the confident expectation that the large powers thus bestowed will be wielded with an amount of cautious forbearance, limited only by a due regard to the attainment of the essential objects for which they were designed. " Though chiefly occupied with the Native difficulty, the House of Representatives has not failed to give its attention to various questions of great interest to the Colony in ordinary and more peaceful times. Among these one of the most prominent has been tho question of the future Seat of Government, and the House of Representatives has recorded its deliberate opinion that a regard to the unity of the Colony and the just claims of ,its Southern portions to an equal participation in the advantages of government, require that its executive should be located in some part of Cook's Straits, at which place also me meetings of its Parliament should be held. " The experience of the working of the numerous Acts passed of late years relating to such subjects as the disposal of waste lands, the management of gold fields, Marine Boards, and others, has pointed out omissions and imperfections in various directions which, we have sought by the legislature of this session to supply and to amend. ' ' '

"The rapidly developed and increasing population and wealth of the Provinces of Otago and Southland, and the number and importance of the business transactions consequent thereon, have rendered it necessary to increase the strength of the Supreme Court in that portion of the colony by the creation of a new judgeship. " For these and other purposes connected with the public service, it has been the duty as well as the special privilege of her Majesty's faithful subjects, the House of Representatives of New Zealand, to make just and ample provision, and it is in their name that I pray your Excellency's assent in the name and on behalf of Her Majesty, to the bills which I have now the honor to present. Various Bills then received the signature of the Governor on behalf of Her Majesty, after which His Excellency proceeded to very lucidly to read the following prorogation address. Honorable Gentlemen op the Legislative Council and Gentlemen op the House of Repbesentatives. The diligent attention with which you have devoted yourselves to the business of the Country, enables me, after an xinusually short though most important Session, to release you from your Legislative duties. It is highly gratifying to me that the measures which I have adopted for the suppression of the Rebellion, the maintenance of Her Majesty's Sovereignty, and the protection of the peaceable inhabitants of these Islands from lawless aggression, have met with your hearty approval and support. The signal success which has attended the operations of Her Majesty's Military and Naval Forces, cannot be a subject ot great congratulation. The decisive defeat of the Waikato Tribes by General Cameron and the combined forces under his command at Rangiriri, and the occupation of Ngaruawahia by her Majesty's Troops under the Queen's Flag will, I think, convince those Tribes that the cause of the Maori King is hopeless, and will, I trust, induce them to become peaceful subjects of Her Majesty, and yield obedience to the Law. While fully recognising the responsibilities of the Colony towards the Maori Race, I shall not relax in following up our success with such measures as may be necessary, to reduce to obedience those who may still offer resistance to Her Majesty's authority. I regret that it has been found necessary to pass Laws, conferring temporarily on the Government powers which, under the British Rule, are only granted by the Legislature in times of great public danger. It is my earnest wish and intention to use those powers so as to interfere as little as possible with the ordinary course of the Law, and to bring about a permanent peace, beneficial alike to both Races, with the least possible amount of suffering and loss to all Her Majesty's subjects. Gentlemen of the House of Representatives — My special thanks are due to you for the prompt liberality with which you have placed at my disposal the very large sums of money for which. I have thought it necessary to ask, to meet the demands of the present crisis. You may rest assured that these sums shall be expended in such a manner as will be best calculated to effect the purposes for which they have been so readily voted. The supplies which you have granted for the Public Service, shall be administered with a careful regard to economy. The great increase in the Revenues of New Zealand, though the result in a great measure of the prosperity created by the rich and extensive Gold Fields of Otago, is also due, I am happy to say, to the general prosperity which pervades the Southern Districts of the Colony. HoNOEABLE GENTLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN-— I am glad to be able to congratulate you that, notwithstanding the demands made upon your time for the consideration of measures more particularly affecting the Northern Island, you have been able carefully to consider and deal with those questions affecting other portions of the Colony, which required your early attention. The various amendments made in the laws will, I doubt not, enable the Administration of the Government to be satisfactorily carried on, until the state of the Colony shall justify my again calling you together. I anticipate especially beneficial results from the wise alterations that have been made in the Land Laws of the Provinces of Otago and Southland. In conclusion I call upon you to join with me in an earnest prayer, that it may please the Almighty Disposer of Events, to whose favor we owe the success which has hitherto attended our arms, in his greatmercy, to grant that the unhappy struggle in which we ,are engaged, may be speedily brought to a successful termination, and that peace and prosperity may be thus restored to the inhabitants of both races in these Islands. I do, in Her Majesty's name now declare this Assembly to stand prorogued, and this Assembly is prorogued accordingly.