✨ Governor's Speech
Num. 45. 969
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
EXTRAORDINARY.
Published by Authority.
WELLINGTON, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1895.
THE Second Session of the Twelfth Parliament of New Zealand was this
day opened by the Governor, when His Excellency was pleased to make
the following
SPEECH.
HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,—
It gives me great pleasure again to meet you in Parliament assembled.
I was able during the recess to visit the Snares, Auckland, Campbell,
Antipodes, Bounty, and Chatham Islands. In connection with my visit to
these interesting but little-known isles, I must express my regret at the almost
complete disappearance from them of the fur-seals, once so numerous there.
I invite your attention to this undoubted national loss.
I am able very gladly to congratulate you upon more than one aspect of the
present state and future prospects of the colony. The depression, which was so
universally felt during the spring and summer, began to pass away before the
end of autumn, and has now unquestionably given place to renewed hope.
Several of our staple products, notably wheat, have risen in price. The
improvement in the market for kauri gum has been a matter of congratulation,
chiefly, of course, for the Province of Auckland :the better demand for timber
has affected many districts. With the recent partial recovery in the price of
frozen mutton may be coupled the success of the important experiments
lately made in shipping live-stock and chilled beef to London. The revival
of quartz-mining, so noteworthy for months past in the Auckland goldfields,
appears likely to have a counterpart on the west coast of the South
Island. There is solid reason for anticipating that mining will, for some
time to come, both employ more labour and yield more gold than for
years past. Useful as the cyanide process of extracting gold has been, it is not
to be gainsaid that the royalty exacted under the patent rights of Cassell's
Company has been a heavy burden on the back of mining enterprise. Therefore,
as the English Courts have upset the patent, my Ministers have taken steps to
have it set aside in this colony.
The state of the public finances of New Zealand continues to be fair ground
for almost unmixed national satisfaction. Once more I am able to say that theNext Page →
NZ Gazette 1895, No 45
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏛️ Governor's Opening Speech to Parliament
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration20 June 1895
Parliament, Governor, Speech, Economic Conditions, Fur Seals, Mining, Public Finances
- His Excellency the Governor