Supplement to the Herald.

ASHBURTON, FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1880.

OPENING of PARLIAMENT.

[Bv Telegraph.]

Wellingtox, May 28. Parliament was opened at two o clock to-day by the Governor in person. 1 here was only a very small attendance of mem bers in both Houses of the Legislature. . Sir William Fox took the oath and his seat for Rangitikei. His Excellency’s Speech. His Excellency delivered the customary. Speech, giving an outline of the work to be done during the session. ihe tull text is given below : Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representa tives —

In accordance with what was under stood to be the wish of both branches of the Legislature, I have called you to gether at an earlier period of the year than usual, and after an interval of little more than five months since the last ses sion of Parliament. When I last met you, the country was suffering from severe monetary pressure, and a general depression in various branches of Indus try and trade. It is satisfactory for me to be able, on the present occasion, to con gratulate you on the partial relief which has been experienced, and on the degree of confidence which has been inspired by an abundant harvest, and by the increased value of most of the staple products of the country. At the same time, the condition of the colony demands your careful con sideration. I regret that there should be a considerable amount of distress among the working classes, but I trust and believe this may be only of a tem porary character. It is engaging the serious attention of my Government, who have taken steps for enquiring into the means best calculated to encourage such local industries as will afford steady and remunerative employment to the people. In accordance with the decision of the Legislature, I appointed a Royal Com mission to enquire into the alleged grievances of a portion of the native race ? n respect to their lands on the west coast of the Noith Island. The reports and recommendations of that Commission will be laid before you. I trust that the measures, at once firm and concilia tory, which have been adopted by my Government will issue in a permanent and satisfactory settlement of the difh

culties which have arisen in that part of the colony. The determination which has been shown to redress grievances where they may be proved to exist, and at the same time to assert the supremacy of the Crown, cannot but favorably affect our relations with the whole Maori race. The steps'which should be taken for the defence of the harbors of the colony have been carefully considered and duly re ported upon by Colonel Scratchley, an ex perienced officer of the Royal Engineers. You will be asked to consider the extent to which it will be advisable to give effect to his suggestions.

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives. Carefully prepared estimates of the revenue and expenditure for the ensuing 12 montlie will be laid before you. The facts eiicited by Commissioners whom I have appointed to enquire into the present position of the Civil Service, will, I have no doubt, assist my Responsible Advisers in effecting substatial seductions in the cost of that service. I regret to have to announce to you that a falling off has taken place during the past financial period, in almost all the principal items of revenue. While these may in some measure be attributed to temporary causes, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that prior to the existence, of the de pression these had been a time of ex traordinary inflation, consequent upon the expenditure of large sums of borrowed money. With the lessening of the abnormal influx of foreign catital the country must look for a diminution in the rate of progress it has recently been ac customed to, both. in respect to its ordinary and territorial revenue. In these circumstances my advisers entertain no doubt as to the course to be pursued. Expenditure must be decreased, luxuries must be curtailed; the public works which have already been constructed must be made more reproductive. It is to in dustry and economy that the colony has to look for a development of its resources, and the maintenance of healthy progress. You will be asked to consider a plan, which it is believed, will place the finances of the local bodies in a satisfac tory basis and will enable those bodies to carry on their works in a self-reliant and independent manner. Honorable Legislative Councillors and Gentlemen of the House of Representa-

tives — At a time when it is indispensable that the closest attention should be bestowed upon the state of our finances, upon the

solution of questions of grave importance, upon the settlement of waste lands, and upon the general economy of administra tion, it is not the intention of my Govern ment to ask you to devote a longer time to the duty of legislation than will be re quired to complete the constitutional measures already initiated, and to deal with pressing questions of social and ad ministrative reform. Rills will be pre sented to you for the consolidation and amendment of the licensing laws of the colony ; for placing the administration of hospital and charitable aid on a sound and intelligent basis; for completing the changes in the electoral law which were commenced in the last session of Parlia ment ; for re-adjusting the representetion of the people ; and fur amending the laws affecting the dealing with native lands and the constitution of the Native Lands Court. The work of consolidating the statutes, as authorised by you, has made considerable progress, and a number of Bills, the result of the labors of the Commission, will also be placed before you. The necessity for re vising the whole sj stem of legal procedure nowin force, in the Supreme Court, and .in other Courts of the colony, has forced it self upon the attention of my government. The subject is too large to enter upon dur ing the present session, but it is proposed institute an enquiry with the view of pre paring such measures of reform as will render the administration of justice more speedy and efficacious, as well |as less costly, than at present. The work of open ing up the waste lands of the Crown for settlement has been vigorously prosecuted, and blocks of land for occupation upon the deferred payment and village settle ment systems have been set aside over a large portion of the colony. The desire which exists for the oc cupation of land in small holdings evinces a determination on the part of the people of the colony to devote them selves steadily to the development of its resources. It is to be regretted that in some parts of the country land of this class has been bought on terms, with which the purchasers have found it im possible to comply. The subject is under the consideration of my Government. I now leave you to the labors of the session. I have to assure you of my , earnest desire to co-operate with your j efforts to promote the welfare of the It country, and to express my hope that God’s blessing may rest upon your de liberations.