✨ Governor's Address Text




124

  1. As belonging to the first class, I purpose
    laying before you a Bill For the establishment of
    complete Ministerial Responsibility. This mea-
    sure is required from me in pursuance of the en-
    gagement before alluded to. It would of course
    be reserved for her Majesty's assent. I also consider
    it extremely desirable that a Bill, subject like
    wise to her Majesty's assent, should be passed
    without delay, for empowering the General As-
    sembly to transfer to the Provincial Legislatures
    its own powers with regard to the Waste Lands
    of the Crown.

Under this class, I am also of opinion that the
Colony will be gratified, and materially seryed, if
you should pass a Bill, likewise to be reserved for
her Majesty's assent, for empowering the General
Assembly to alter the composition of the Legisla-
tive Council in such manner as to bestow upon
that body the popular, yet conservative, character
of an elected Senate.

  1. Under the second class, it seems to me very
    desirable to pass measures for the following pur-
    poses:-

Ist. For equalizing the representation of the
people in the House of Representatives, so as
to give full effect to the following provision
of the Constitution Act! And in deter-
mining the number and extent of such elec-
toral districts, and the number of members to
be elected for each district, regard shall be
had to the number of electers within the
same, so that the number of members to be
assigned to any one District may bear to the
whole number of the members of the House
of Representatives, as nearly as may be, the
same proportion as the number of electors
within such District shall bear to the whole
number of electors in New Zealand"

2ndly. For empowering the Provincial Super-
intendents and Councils to legislate, under
certain restrictions, with respect to the issue
of bills, notes, or other paper currency.

3rdly. For empowering the Provincial Super-
intendents and Councils to establish and
manage Provincial Post Offices.

4thly. The same with regard to Provincial
Beacons and Lighthouses.

Sthly. For empowering Superintendents to
dissolve Provincial Councils.

These measures would necessarily be reserved
for her Majesty's assent.

6thly. For preventing holders of office
under the General Government from sitting
as members in the House of Representatives,
excepting always members of the Executive
Council.

  1. Under the third class, I propose laying
    before you a Bill providing for Secondary Punish-
    ments; a Marriage Bill; a Nelson Trust Fund
    Bill; Land Claimants' Estate Bill; a Bill for
    establishing limited liabilities in industrious
    undertakings, and especially with regard to In-
    stitutions and Societies of a Benevolent character,
    Under this class, provided both Houses should
    be willing, in their regard for the interests of the
    Colony, to devote sufficient time for the purpose,
    I should also recommend a Bill for the reform of
    the Tariff on the principle of simplification, as
    laid down in the report of a Select Committee of
    the House of Representatives; and a Bill to pre-
    vent Bribery and Treating at Elections.

  2. In the measure which I shall submit to you
    for the appropriation of the Revenues, you will
    find adopted these two principles-First, that
    the portion allotted to the General Government
    has been carefully reduced to the minimum, not
    inconsistent with efficiency, and, secondly, that
    after deducti the same in proportionate shares
    from the amount raised in each Province res-
    pectively, the remainder becomes Provincial
    Revenue, subject to disposal by the Provincial
    Authorities alone.

  3. In the Estimates of General Expenditure,
    you will find taken as guides, the principles of the
    closest economy not inconsistent with efficiency,
    of no pay without work, of pay in proportion to
    labour and capacity; and of the devotion of the
    largest possible amount of money to purposes of
    practical utility for the people.

  4. In proposing a sum to meet the expenses
    incurred by the Members of the Legislature,
    through their performance of the most important
    of all services to the people, I have been guided
    by the liberal but far from extravagant scale
    which obtains in similar cases in other Colonies;
    and with regard to this subject, I deem it right
    to express to you my opinion, that it would be
    impossible in New Zealand as it has been found
    in all other new countries, to constitute an effi-
    cient Legislature in Session, without fully pro-
    viding for the expenses of the Members. At the
    same time, I deem it inexpedient, considering the
    immaturity of this Colony, that offices of honour
    and distinction, which in a great measure supply
    their own reward, should be made objects of
    desire to persons likely to be more influenced by
    pecuniary considerations.

  5. Before proceeding to a statement of my
    views as to the exercise of the powers vested
    solely in the Crown, I consider it my duty to
    state that, in the present and immediately pros-
    pective composition of the Executive Govern-
    ment, I am in hopes that each Province will
    find the means of securing attention to its pe-
    culiar wants and wishes, and I can assure you
    that so long as I shall have the honour of repre-
    senting Her Majesty in this country, I shall be
    bent upon so exercising the authority entrusted to
    me, as to recognise and act upon the principle,
    that every Province, hotel or len, has peculiar
    needs, arising from peculiar circumstances, which
    call for special attention from the General Go-
    vernment. What such needs may be in the
    Provinces of the South, the Head of the Go-
    vernment will only be able to learn from the
    Representatives of the Provinces in the Assem-
    bly, and in particular from members of the Legis-
    lature who shall be advisers of the Governor in
    his Executive Council. But as respects Auck-
    land, the information which I have been able to
    obtain by the residence of the General Govern-
    ment on the spot, enables me to lay down the
    following propositions, as containing my views of
    a fair policy towards that portion of the Colony..

First, that any question as to the seat of govern-
ment or place of meeting of the General Assem-
bly shall be with the ministers and their suppor-
ters, an open question; that if at any time the
seat of government, or the place of meeting of the
General Assembly should be changed, the Pro-
vince of Auckland shall have a Lieut. Governor
(subject to the Governor of New Zealand) main-
tained at its own charge, and exclusive powers of
legislation, except on certain specified subjects..

In such case, with a view to preserving intact the
unity of the colony, certain questions (to be
specified) affecting New Zealand as a whole, to be
dealt with by laws to be from time to time
passed by both Northern and Southern Legis-
latures, or by an Assembly or convention of a
certain number of members of both Legislatures.

That in accordance with the recommendation of a
Select Committee of the House of Represen-
tatives, the Province of Auckland be relieved
from bearing any portion of the New Zealand
Company's Debt; whilst, on the other hand, that



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF NZ Gazette 1854, No 24





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

πŸ›οΈ Continuation of Opening Address: Proposed Legislation and Policy (continued from previous page)

πŸ›οΈ Governance & Central Administration
31 August 1854
Ministerial Responsibility, Waste Lands, Provincial Legislatures, Representation, Post Offices, Lighthouses, Tariffs, Revenue appropriation, Auckland