THE

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE

OF THE

PROVINCE OF MARLBOROUGH.

Published by Authority.

All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette with any Official Signature thereto annexed, are to be considered as Official Communications made to those persons to whom they relate, and are to be obeyed accordingly.

WILLIAM HENRY EYES,
Superintendent.

Vol. III.] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1862. [No. 45.

ADDRESS OF HIS HONOUR THE SUPERINTENDENT UPON PROROGUING THE COUNCIL.

GENTLEMEN OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL,

From my unenviable and anomalous position, I have been unable to bring before you any matters for your deliberation.

I am sure that all of you, in common with myself, regret this, and the more particularly do I consider it unfortunate that a dead lock should have occurred at this season of the year, a time best adapted for the prosecution of the public works, and especially that most important one at the Opawa Breach, which we had every reason to hope would have been completed this summer, and so have prevented a repetition of those disastrous overflowings of the waters of the Wairau, which, during the last twelve or eighteen months, have proved so prejudicial to the best interests of the province.

In bringing your labours thus early to a close without initiating any subjects for your consideration, I am sure you will fully recognise how next to impossible it was for me to do so: unacknowledged by the servants of the Government as Superintendent of this Province, and denied possession of the public documents and offices.

I have considered it best to abstain from taking any action until my position is established by the Supreme Court of the Colony, for which purpose I lately visited Wellington, and initiated the necessary legal proceedings; and I may here remark that it was with more than surprise that I noticed this morning a Proclamation, signed by Captain Baillie, announcing that a large quantity of the lands of this province would be put up to auction, on Thursday, the 27th of November next. To use the indelicacy about this which, as I said before, surprises me.

It will be my duty to take such steps as, with the advice of my Executive, may be considered best to prevent “The People’s Inheritance,” as the Waste Lands of the Crown have been most justly called, being thus, as I consider, illegally attempted to be disposed of.

Having in view the welfare of the province, I sincerely hope that the matter may be brought to a speedy issue; should the result of those proceedings confirm the choice you have made in me as Superintendent (and of this I have no doubt) I shall lose no time in calling you together, and placing before you such acts as I consider advisable to introduce, one of which will be an act to provide for the efficient draining of portions of the Lower districts of the Wairau—in my opinion a most necessary and important work, and well deserving your most earnest consideration.

I thank you, gentlemen, on behalf of the province, for your attendance, and although your duties have not been onerous, I am aware that many of you have attended at great personal inconvenience.

I now declare this Council prorogued, and it is prorogued accordingly.

W. H. EYES,
Superintendent.