Tuesday, February 28.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 626, 4 March 1854, Page 4

Tuesday, February 28.

Present — All the members, except Mr. Ward

The Speaker read a Message from the Superintendent relative to the mode of con firming t!*e election of the Speaker; also, a Message conveying his Honor's assent to the Appropriation Bill.

Mr. Elliott brought up a memorial to the Queen and Parliament, complaining of tbe conduct of the Governor in not having summoned the General Council.

The memorial was read and adopted, and it was agreed that it should be entrusted to Lord Ly ttleton, for presentation in the House of Lords, and Mr. Adderley, in the House of Commons.

Mr. Stephens brought up a memorial to the Governor, requesting that the heads of the departments in the Province under the control of the General Government, might be instructed to furnish the Council with any information it might require respecting their deparmentß. The memorial was read, and agreed to.

Mr. Elliott brought up a memorial to the Governor, and both Houses of the General Assembly, asking for the Council the control of tbe Waste Lands of the Province. On the memorial being read and agreed to, it was moved that it be entrusted to Major Richmond, for presentation to the Legislative Council, and to Mr. Weld , for presentation to tbe House of Representatives.

The Superintendent having arrived at the Council Chamber, the Speaker conveyed his Honor to a seat adjoining his own, and his Honor then prorogued the Council a 8 follows : —

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council —

The business of the Session having now been brought to a close, I am happy to be able to release you from further attendance upon your arduous duties.

2. The earnest and unremitting attention which you have bestowed upon the several subjects which have been brought under your [notice, cannot but be productive of much benefit to the varied interests of the Province.

3. Amongst the most important measures which have engaged your attention have been those instituting the form of Government of the Province. By these Ordinances, the Executive functions of the Government have been placed in an efficient state, but I believe that an experience of the working of the legislative relations between the Government and the Provincial Council will testify that some modification will be required in the existing system to ensure to your deliberations the greatest amount of practical usefulness ; so fully am I impressed with this belief, that bad I acted upon my own conviction, I would not have assented to the Executive Government Ordinance in its present shape, but I deemed that on a subject of so much importance as that of the form of Government to be established in the Province, and one which was confessedly an experiment for which it was difficult to find a precedent, it was my duty in the first instance to defer to the wishes of the Council, and to give to the present system a fair trial, with the determination to act under it as efficiently as circumstances would permit.

4. It has afforded me much gratification to assent, on behalf of his Excellency, to the Act which you have passed for the promotion of Immigration, and, in tbe belief that no more wise policy could engage the attention of the Government, I can assure you that no exertion will be wanting on my part to give a practical operation to tbe provisions of a measure so eminently calculated to promote the general interest of the community, and upon which the future progress of the Province in so great a manner depends.

5. I will employ every means in my power to give effect to the Address of the Council on the propriety of establishing Steam commjinication between Nelson and the other portions of the colony, tbe necessity of which in furthering the most important interests of tbe Province, and of the whole colony, is so fully evident.

6. By the last mail from Auckland, I have received the intimation of his Excellency's approval of the Executive Government and Empowering Ordinances and by the same opportunity I have been informed that the department of Registrar of Deeds has been placed under the control of the Provincial Government.

7. I anticipate that much benefit will ensue from the approaching ■ession of the General Assembly, when I believe that your powers of legislating for the public interests will be much augmented, and many essential laws enacted. I trust that such arrangements will be made by that Assembly as will ensure the maintenance of some most important departments of tbe public service in this Province, which are at present unprovided for, and the efficiency of which is now only preserved from tbe determination of Mr. Poynter, with that zeal

for the public interesti which that gentleman has ever displayed, to perform the duties of those departments without any present remuneration. But whether the expenses of those departments are for the future voted by the General Assembly or tbe Provincial Council, it is evident that their coat must in either instance be defrayed from the revenue raised within the Province, which, in its present flourishing condition, has neither tbe right to demand nor to expect any extraneous assistance. 8. I am happy to be able to congratulate you upon the fact, that the Revenue in all its branches continues to be highly productive, and from the receipts since the Estimates were framed, a considerable excess of Revenue over the expenditure voted for the financial year may confidently be expected. In the amount derived from sale* of land during the last six months there has been an especial increase, and while a corresponding benefit has resulted to the Revenue from this source, a striking evidence has at the same time been afforded of the healthy progress of the Province, of the general appreciation of its many advantages as a place of settlement, and of the large addition to its future wealth and importance which may be expected from the increase in the number of those permanently interested in its success from the possession of landed property. 9. The Supplies which you have so liberally voted for the public service, will be expended with a regard to the strictest economy practicable. 10. I now declare this Council to be prorogned to Wednesday, the Eighteenth of October next, and the same is hereby prorogued accordingly. The Speaker then announced the Council to he prorogued.