New Zealand Gazette – 1868 – No. 40

Page 339

✨ Governor's Speech Opening Parliament

Numb. 40.

339

THE
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1868.

THE third Session of the Fourth Parliament of New Zealand was this day
opened by the Governor, in State, when His Excellency was pleased to
make the following

SPEECH.

HONORABLE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS,—
GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Since your last Session I have, in obedience to Her Majesty's commands,
assumed the Government of this country; and it is with great satisfaction that I
now meet you in Parliament, and resort to your advice and assistance in the
consideration of measures which affect the welfare of the country.

During the recess preparations were made, not merely by the Government,
but by the country at large, to give that hearty reception to His Royal Highness
the Duke of Edinburgh which was due to the son of our beloved Queen, and to a
distinguished representative of the British Nation upon the occasion of a visit to
a loyal branch of the Empire. The news of the insane and wicked attempt upon
his life in a neighbouring Colony called forth throughout New Zealand, as in
every part of the Queen's dominions, declarations of indignation and horror at the
attempted crime, and of deep sympathy for Her Majesty. His Royal Highness
was forbidden by his medical advisers to prolong his tour, but has charged me to
express to the people of New Zealand the deep regret with which he yielded to
that advice, and the hope that some other opportunity may be allowed him of
making the promised visit.

Since my arrival I have been enabled to visit all the principal settlements of
the Northern Island except Taranaki and Wanganui, and have received in every
place conspicuous proofs of the attachment of the inhabitants to the Throne and
the Empire. I propose, after the completion of your labours, to continue my visits,
and to make myself acquainted, without delay, with the various settled districts
of these Islands which I have not yet seen.

Papers will be laid before you relative to the action taken by the Colonial
Treasurer, who has been appointed, under the authority of the Loan Acts of last
session, agent in England for the purposes specified in those Acts. I have the

Next Page →