OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 18 July 1872, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. From the. Erenteg Mar. Tuesday, 2.30 p.m. The House of Representatives was opened this day, at 2 p.m., by His Excellency the i Governor in person. The followiugis the i speech of His Excellency : — i Honorable Gentlemen, Members of the Legir j lative Council, and Gentlemen of the . House of Representatives : The alarming illness of His Royal Highness the Prince of "Wales has produced in this colony no less than in other parts of the empire feelings of the most profound regret, aud subsequently intelligence of his recovery was hailed, I am happy to say, with universal rejoicing. My advisers will submit to you, gentlemen, addresses to her most gracious Majesty the Queen, in which you will be asked to express your humble gratitude for the preservation of the Empire from so great a calamity as the loss of the heir to the throne and your sympathy with your Sovereign and the Royal Family. I have to congratulate you, gentlemen, on the general tranquility which prevails in the several native districts throughout the Colony of New Zealand, and the continued friendly disposition manifested by the tribes hitherto disaffected, which shows the progress being made to the peaceful settlement of the native difficulty'. I have lately made a tour through various districts in the interior of this island which not long since was unfortunately disturbed by rebellion, and I was everywhere treated by the natives with the greatest respect and hospilality, and also received from them the strongest assurance's of their desire to cultivate friendly relations with the European colonists. I was much pleased to see the progress made to the roads which are now being constructed to a great extent by Maori labour, and I have also to congratulate you. on the steady developement and prosperous condition of agricultural industries in this colony. j I have to inform you that since the close of last session my Government has been engaged in giving effect to those legislative measures j passed by you for the construction of railways. j The contracts for sections of several lines of j railways have already been entered into upon i such terms as I trust you will consider ! favorable. The surveys of other lines are i rapidly approaching completion. ! Papers will be laid before you, gentlemen, j which will inform you as to what steps have j been taken towards establishing a continous ! stream of immigration. ! lam glad to be able to inform you that the i operation of the Act, which three years since j the Legislature passed for establishing on ! colonial security a system of life assurance and ! annuity continues to meet with the most marked success both in the progress and developement of the system and the principles on which it is based. It is undoubtedly not only a benefit to those who directly share in it, but also indirectly to the whole community.

Gentlemen of the House .of Representatives — The estimates that will be laid before you j have been framed with every regard for j economy consistent with efficient administra-; tion, a very satisfactory sympton of that reviving prosperity of the colony which I ventured last session to hope was not far distant is to be found, I am happy to say, in the increased and still increasing receipts of the revenue. Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives —■ The occurrence of a few cases of small-pox in. the colony should remind you of the great importance of the framing of proper sanitary laws. A Bill will be in course of the presant session submitted to you for improving the 1 law relating to compulsory vaccination, for i quarantine regulations, and for betterenabling | means to be taken for the repression of epi--1 demic disease both in town and .country. ! Measures will be submitted to you to con- ! solidate and amend the laws relating to gold mining, to reduce the stamp duty now payable on Teeeipts, and the annual stamp duty now payable by certain companies; to reduce the rates of postage within the colony on newspapers ; to enable municipalities and road j districts to enter into arrangements and grant I concessions for the construction of tramways I in their districts ; to make more liberal terms |on which drawbacks- are granted; to eni courage fisheries, to amend the laws relating- ! to the public, revenues ; to amend the laws of | bankruptcy; to 'provide for the appointment !of a public trustee; to consolidate and amend | laws relating to public elections. Gentlemen, j these and other measures which may be • brought before yon, I commend to your car&j ful consideration, and I fervently pray that ; your labours may, under the; blessing of | Divine Providence, conduce to the prosperity j and welfare of the colony, and to the happiI ness of the two races of people which inhabit lit.