Entyling lands for merely pastoral occupation.

The great inducement to the useful settler is the present return for the money invested. The land survey maps of the province disclose the fact that a great proportion of the best land within a convenient distance of markets is already sold. The remainder of the adjacent country will probably find purchasers within the next two years. It will then become absolutely necessary either to stop public works and make other remarkable and inconvenient retrenchments of Government expenditure, or to supplement a deficient revenue by taxation. Both these evils may be averted for many years by a timely adoption of some means of equalising the value of agricultural lands throughout the province, and this can only be effected by means of a thoroughly efficient road system. Ordinary cart roads between the places of production and export of agricultural produce, although adapted to the convenient working of farms at short distances from the market, would not (for perfectly obvious reasons) be any great advantage to the agriculturist whose lands lay a day’s journey or more from the consumers’ depot. So soon, therefore, as the lands within a comparatively limited area have been sold, it does not appear probable that the demand for agricultural land will continue in quantity sufficient to supply the proportion which the present proceeds of land sales bear to the gross Provincial Revenue. It must also be borne in mind that a sufficient quantity of land for agricultural purposes will be required by the rapidly increasing population of the province, and that this land must be brought within a reasonable proximity to a paying market. Contemplating the great damage that would result to the province either by a diminution of revenue or the adoption of a paralyzing system of taxation to supply deficiencies consequent on a falling off in the land sales, I have projected a scheme by which I conceive it practicable to furnish a thoroughly efficient system of railways throughout the most valuable portions of the province, bringing the remotest agricultural lands into practically inexpensive communication with our sea port town, and so giving that immediate guarantee of highly profitable occupation which is the strongest incentive to purchase waste land, and without which incentive we cannot look for any appreciable proceeds from the sale of widely outlying districts, however excellent the soil.

I have not yet received from our English agent the report of the commission appointed, pursuant to your resolutions of last session, to enquire into the question of communication between the port and the plains. I shall however cause to be laid before you copies of all correspondence that has transpired on the subject, from which you will gather that the commissioners are in communication with one of the first engineers of the day whose opinions, together with the report of the commissioners, I expect to receive by the next mail. You will also learn that a semi-official communication of mine to our political agent (Mr. Selfe) has been under the consideration of the commission, and having thus become a public document, will be placed at your disposal.

Before the prorogation of the present session I hope to receive such information as will enable me to place in your hands a distinct proposition on the subject of railway communication. Should unexpected delays in the receipt of necessary information from England occur, I propose to call a special session to be exclusively devoted to railway matters. In the meantime I shall ask you to confirm the several reserves which I have deemed it necessary to make for railway lines and sundry other public uses.

In framing the estimates of revenue for the current year, great care has been taken to avoid extravagant and fanciful conjecture; and in each of the items wherein an increase upon last year’s estimates of revenue may appear, such estimated increase may be safely expected as being the natural effect of patent and positive causes.

I shall during this session ask you to grant me large sums of money, in order to carry out various necessary public works, detailed particulars of which have been carefully prepared for your information. Among the bills to be submitted to you are a number rendered necessary by circumstances already within your knowledge. The nature of these bills are pretty clearly disclosed by their titles, viz.—A Diversion of Roads Bill, Cathedral Square Ordinance Amendment Bill, Hagley Park Mill Site Bill, Lunatic Asylum and Gravel Pit Reserves Land Sale Bill, A Public Hospital Bill, Race Course Reserve Bill, and a Loan Ordinance Amendment Bill; by which last the principal of the debentures will be made payable in London, pursuant to an undertaking by the Provincial Government to that effect.

The very liberal supplies voted last year have been expended conformably to your expressed wishes and with all possible economy. The greatest diligence has been used to accomplish the various important and extensive public works in every quarter of the province, and I am much gratified in being able to announce that the public improvements which you have enabled me to effect during the past financial year more than equal in extent the aggregated labours of the province during all the preceding years of its history. The great additional demand for labour caused by this extraordinary advance rendered it necessary to import operatives in sufficient numbers to secure individual employers against that deprivation of labour which would, in the absence of copious immigration from the mother country, have mischievously interfered with the productive power of the province. The recent war in Europe (now happily terminated) during its continuance exerted a depressing influence on colonial trade, and induced a corresponding contraction of money circulation, which combined causes appeared for a very brief season to chill the industry of the community, and to threaten a curtailment of public as well as private resources. The announcement of European peace has, however, effected a change in our immediate mercantile prospects that cannot fail to confirm general confidence in the future expansive capability of Canterbury, and fully justify its Government in the maintenance of a vigorous and enterprising policy.

I may here state that since we last met I have caused to be remitted to London £3500, in further payment of the principal monies due to the late Canterbury Association’s Estate, and that debentures to the amount of £500 presented in the province have been also paid off. You are already aware that the property conveyed to the province by the Association has been so disposed of as to relieve the provincial revenue of any burden in respect of these Canterbury Association’s debentures; so that practically the £30,000 loan raised for emigration purposes is the sole extent of our provincial encumbrances.

The several matters to which I have briefly alluded will constitute the bulk of the business for this session. I have taken measures to furnish you with all the information available upon every subject you will have to consider, Gentlemen. I have the utmost confidence that the liberality, wisdom, and candour that have always been apparent in your proceedings will be still cultivated by you as the most cherished characteristics of the representatives of a spirited and polite community. Past legislation has inspired me with confidence in your judgment and capability. It only remains then for us to labour for the advancement of our country, and endeavour to secure the great advantages which united will, under God’s blessing, is certain to accomplish.

I now declare this Council duly open for the dispatch of business.

LYTTELTON: PRINTED AT THE ‘TIMES’ OFFICE.