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I shall assume to be adequately represented by the Provincial Council, and I know of no other way to secure such accordance than by under-taking to act only with the advice and consent of gentlemen who will have the opportunity of discussing all important matters both with me and with the Provincial Council.

Moreover, although our numbers are at present small, and our revenue very trifling, this Province is at the present time entering upon a new phase of its existence, and the rapidity of its progress may now depend, in a great measure, upon the judicious action of the Provincial Government. Under these circumstances, it will be a great support to me to have constantly the advice and assistance of gentlemen who will be bound as strongly as myself to consider carefully every step that is taken.

Besides the Executive Government Bill, there are several matters which require our immediate attention.

The increase in the number of prisoners in consequence of our increased population, renders the construction of a new Gaol, in which different classes of prisoners may be properly separated, a matter of urgent necessity; but in order to undertake this work without delay, we may probably be obliged to ask temporary assistance from the Colonial Government.

The Roads and Bridges Ordinance, 1858, which is now again in force, provides that, in the event of a rate not being imposed in any district before the 1st of July in any year, the Superintendent shall appoint Commissioners and levy upon it a fixed rate. I have deferred acting on this provision until you should be assembled, and I intend sending down for your consideration a Bill to modify some of the provisions of the Ordinance for the current year.

The present almost famine price of butcher’s meat makes the question of relaxing the prohibition on the importation of cattle one of serious importance to consumers, and I hope to bring this matter before you at an early period.

There are other matters, such as the further encouragement of Education, the apportionment and utilisation of the Public Reserves, a change in the Publicans’ Licensing Ordinance to meet the requirements of the out districts, and the general consideration of the expenditure on the different departments of the Provincial Government, which I merely mention now as subjects upon which it will be desirable that I should at once consult the Executive Council, if you should decide upon its establishment.

I should be going beyond the usual limits of an address of this kind if I were to enter at any length into a discussion of the future prospects of this Province, and of the means of promoting its prosperity.

I will only therefore say that I believe and hope that the measure taken by His Excellency’s Government of confiscating all the open land in the Province, with the intention of giving back to the friendly natives their portions under Crown grants, will with careful management permanently set at rest the land disputes amongst the native population, by which the Province has been so grievously harassed and kept back.

I trust that, what with the lands absolutely taken from the rebels, and those which we may reasonably expect that the friendly natives will give up for long, all the land in the Province not really required or likely to be required by the natives for their own use will before long be available for the support of a prosperous white population.

In connection with this subject, I would observe that, whether looked at from a Provincial or Colonial point of view, I believe that it will be a gross mistake if the fund derived from the sale of confiscated lands is all absorbed in paying off some small fraction of the war debt, instead of being mainly employed in introducing population and opening up the country. These I feel certain ought to be the primary objects of the Colonial Government, whether it keeps the management of these districts in its own lands, or places them on fair conditions under the control of the Provincial Government; for it must be remembered that by introducing a well selected population into these productive districts, not only will the revenue be increased, but at the same time the expenditure on the maintenance of a protective force will be diminished.

In dealing with the native population in this Province and elsewhere, I trust that the General Government will be as careful to be firm as I know that they are anxious to be just. Not to be firm in dealing with them—I allude of course to those who have nominally submitted to British rule—is in my opinion to do them the most grievous injustice, as by the appearance of weakness and vacillation we may tempt them again to oppose that law which we are bound sooner or later to enforce even at the point of the bayonet. I hope therefore to see ere long a constabulary force in this Province strong enough to ensure respect to the law from both races.

There is one question which we all agree in considering of very great importance to the prospects of this Province, which I have hitherto omitted to mention. I mean that of the construction of some kind of harbour or breakwater in the roadstead. With reference to this object I fully concur in the opinion of my predecessor as to the advisability of applying to have the proposed colonial convict establishment fixed at the Sugar-loaves, and I think that in order to bring the project of constructing a harbour at that place in a proper way before the General Assembly next session, we ought to be able to lay before it reliable information as to the nature and magnitude of the proposed undertaking.

I have now only to thank you for your patient hearing, and to express my hope that we may be permitted to contribute in some degree by our united efforts towards the ultimate prosperity of this sorely tried community.

H. R. Richmond,
Superintendent.

Superintendent’s Office,
New Plymouth,
October 16, 1865.

Printed and published, under the authority of the Provincial Government, by Messrs. Wook and Atkinson, of the town of New Plymouth, Government Printers for the time being.