Aumb. 44.
725

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
EXTRAORDINARY.
Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1881.

THE Third Session of the Seventh Parliament of New Zealand was this day
opened by the Governor, when His Excellency was pleased to make the following
SPEECH.

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

It affords me much satisfaction, in meeting you for the first time, to be able to
congratulate you upon the steady progress of the colony during the past year, the
revival of its prosperity, and the increased confidence in the future which animates
all classes of the community.

The course prescribed by Parliament to bring to a termination the unsatisfactory
state of affairs existing on a part of the west coast of this Island, has been steadily
pursued, and has, up to the present time, been attended with marked success.

Effect is being given to the recommendations of the Royal Commission appointed
to inquire into the grievances which were alleged to exist among the Natives of that
locality; and the determination, on the one hand, to assert the supremacy of the
Queen and repress any lawless action, and, on the other hand, to redress all real
grievances, will apparently effect a peaceful solution of questions which a short time
ago wore a threatening aspect.

The lands which have been appropriated for European occupation on the Waimate
Plains have been for the most part sold, and are now being occupied by settlers.

The prisoners whose detention, up to the present time, has been deemed necessary,
in the interest of both Natives and Europeans, have been released and returned to
their homes, with the exception of a small number, whom it is proposed to set free in
a few days; nor do my Responsible Advisers apprehend that it will be necessary
again to have recourse to extraordinary measures for the preservation of peace and
good order in the district in question.

Papers will be laid before you containing the minutes of the proceedings of an
Intercolonial Conference held at Sydney in the month of January last, at which a
member of my Government was present. You will learn from these papers that
several measures of considerable interest to the Australasian Colonies were considered
by the Conference, and, in accordance with one of the conclusions arrived at, a Bill
will be placed before you for the Regulation and Restriction of the Influx of Chinese
into the colony. The recognition of a community of interests and mutual interde-
pendence among the Australasian Colonies evinced by this Conference may here-
after be attended by results of considerable importance.

The Railways and other Public Works authorized by you have been proceeded
with as rapidly as was expedient in the present circumstances of the colony.

In view of the necessity for maintaining the progressive work of colonization,
proposals will come under your consideration for giving assistance to companies
prepared to construct or continue main lines of railway.

The termination of existing leases of lands in the Middle Island held for pastoral
purposes affords an opportunity which has not been overlooked by my Advisers
for rendering those lands more generally useful to the State. Carefully-considered
plans for effecting that object will be laid before you.