HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLALATIVE COUNCIL, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,— It is with pleasure that I have convened this meeting of Parliament to enable you to arrange for the fitting representation of the colony in the celebrations about to take place in London to commemorate the completion of the sixtieth year of Her Most Gracious Majesty's prolonged and beneficent reign. New Zealand, in common with every other dependency of the Empire, has been invited to send representatives on this great occasion to England, such representatives to be the guests of the Mother-country. The despatches in reference thereto will be laid before you. Both Houses of Parliament will be asked to adopt respectful addresses conveying to our Most Gracious Sovereign congratulations befitting this great occasion. His Excellency the Earl of Glasgow left New Zealand in February last, carrying with him the respect and esteem of the inhabitants of be worthily represented at the celebration of the completion of the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's memorable reign. In order, however, to remove certain defects in the present law relating to the election of the Speaker of the Legislative Council, a Bil has been prepared, and will be submitted for your consideration. I trust that, with the blessing of God, the attendance of the leading colonial statesmen who have been invited to attend the celebration of the accomplishment of the sixtieth year of Her Majesty's reign and take part in the discussion of subjects of interest to the Mothercountry and her colonial possessions will redound to the glory of the Empire and to the credit of the colonies. His EXCELLENCY, having handed the Hon. the Speaker a copy of the Speech, withdrew. The Hon. the SPEAKER took the chair. PRAYERS. NEW MEMBERS. The Hon. Benjamin Harris, the Hon. Wil the colony. On His Excellency's departure Iliam Kelly, and the Hon. David Pinkerton assumed the office of Administrator of the Government, and for the fourth time in the history of the colony it has devolved upon the Administrator to deliver the opening speech to Parliament. Despatches have been received announcing the appointment of the Earl of Ranfurly as Governor of New Zealand. His Excellency will shortly arrive in the colony, and be loyally and cordially welcomed as the representative of Her Most Gracious Majesty. GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, In the ordinary course of events, Parliament would have been summoned to meet in June next, and, as you are aware, supplies have been voted to the end of that month. Proposals for an extension of appropriation to a suitable date will be submitted for your consideration. A statement showing approximately the financial position of the colony will be placed before you. HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,— My Advisers do not deem it expedient to bring before you any measures except such as are necessary to give effect to the wishes of the people of New Zealand that this colony should were sworn in and took their seats. APPOINTMENTS TO THE COUNCIL. The Hon. Mr. OLIVER said, Before the Council adjourned, he might be permitted to ask the Minister representing the Government whether it was the intention of the Government to lay on the table of the Council copies of correspondence between the late Governor, the Earl of Glasgow, and the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the question of appointments to the Council. The Hon. Mr. W. C. WALKER said it was not contemplated to lay papers of that nature on the table of the Council during the present session. Such papers would be laid on the table in due course in the ordinary session. He was not quite sure whether the papers were completed. The Hon. Mr. OLIVER thought the subject was one which must very greatly interest members of this Council, and he would therefore give notice that to-morrow he would move, "That a humble address be sent to His Excellency the Administrator of the Government requesting him to lay on the table of the the late Governor, the Earl of Glasgow, and the Council copies of all correspondence between Right Honourable Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, on the subject of the apppointment of members to this Council." The Council adjourned at three o'clock p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, 7th April, 1897. First Reading-Election Petitions-Mr. Speaker Adjournment - Address in Reply - Government Business-Address in Reply-The Finances of the Colony. Mr. SPEAKER took the chair at half-past two o'clock. PRAYERS. FIRST READING. Expiring Laws Continuance Bill. ELECTION PETITIONS. Mr. SPEAKER.-I have to inform the House that I have received from Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice, and from Judge Conolly, certificates and reports on three election petitions-namely, the Electoral District of Wellington Suburbs, the City of Wellington Electoral District, and the Western Maori Electoral District. I observe that in the House of Commons these certificates and reports, being final to all intents and purposes, are received without debate, and, in pursuance of the statute, entered on the Journals. I believe that is the proper practice to follow, and that these certificates and reports of the Judges, when presented to the House, should not be subject to comment. These documents were as follow:- "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Electoral District of Wellington Suburbs. In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Edwin Bezar and Ernest Edward Edmunds, petitioners, and Thomas Mason Wilford, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. "We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Edwin Bezar, of Wellington, commission agent, and Ernest Edward Edmunds, of Wellington, settler, against the return of Thomas Mason Wilford for the Electoral District of Wellington Suburbs, praying that it may be declared that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was not duly elected or returned, and that the election was void, on the grounds that the said Thomas Mason Wilford, before and during the said election, was himself and by his agents guilty of the corrupt practice of bribery; and that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was, before and during the said election, guilty of illegal practices in employing certain persons to act as canvassers, for payment and for promise of payment, for the purpose of promoting and procuring his election; and praying in the alternative that Thomas William Hislop was the only candidate duly nominated for the said election for the said district, and ought to have been returned, on the grounds that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was not legally and properly registered as an elector at the time of his nomination as a candidate for election-do hereby certify that, having heard the said petition and the evidence adduced, we determine that the said election was void. "Dated at Wellington, this 11th day of February, 1897. "JAMES PRENDERGAST. Report. "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Electoral District of Wellington Suburbs. In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Edwin Bezar and Ernest Edward Edmunds, petitioners, and Thomas Mason Wilford, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Edwin Bezar, of Wellington, commission agent, and Ernest Edward Edmunds, of Wellington, settler, against the return of Thomas Mason Wilford for the Electoral District of Wellington Suburbs, praying that it may be declared that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was not duly elected or returned, and that the election was void, on the grounds that the said Thomas Mason Wilford, before and during the said election, was himself and by his agents guilty of the corrupt practice of bribery; and that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was, before and during the said election, guilty of illegal practices in employing certain persons to act as canvassers, for payment and for promise of payment, for the purpose of promoting and procuring his election; and praying in the alternative that Thomas William Hislop was the only candidate duly nominated for the said election for the said district, and ought to have been returned, on the grounds that the said Thomas Mason Wilford was not legally and properly registered as an elector at the time of his nomination as a candidate for election-do hereby report that the said Thomas Mason Wilford personally promised to endeavour to procure an office or place of employment for an elector of the said district of Wellington Suburbs in order to induce such elector to vote at the said election, and was thereby guilty of bribery. "And we do further report that the said Thomas Mason Wilford has received a certificate of indemnity, he having answered all questions relating to any offence committed, or alleged to have been committed, by him at or connected with the said election. "We are of opinion that the said Thomas Mason Wilford ought to be subject to the following incapacity and to no other-namely, that he shall not be capable of being elected to or of sitting in the House of Representatives for the term of three years from the date of the | polling-booths on the day of the said election said election. "Dated at Wellington, this 11th day of February, 1897. "6 JAMES PRENDERGAST. Certificate. "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Electoral District of the City of Wellington. In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Arthur Richmond Atkinson, petitioner, and George Fisher, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. "We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Arthur Richmond Atkinson, of Wellington, solicitor, against the return of George Fisher for the Electoral District of the City of Wellington, praying that a scrutiny may be had and held of the votes given and tendered at the said election, and that a recount of the said votes be had and held, and that it may be determined that the said George Fisher was not duly elected or returned, and that the petitioner was duly elected and ought to have been returned, or, in the alternative, that the election of the said George Fisher may be declared void, on the grounds that certain ballot-papers were not marked in accordance with The Electoral Act, 1893," and that certain persons personated and voted as and for certain other persons whose names appear on the electoral roll for the said district, and that certain persons voted more than once at the said election, and that certain persons on the electoral roll who were disqualified from voting by reason of their having been employed for the purposes of the election for reward voted at the said election, and that certain persons voted who were guilty of illegal practices in having made payment or contract for payment for the purpose of procuring the election of the said George Fisher on account of the conveyance of electors to the poll by carriages or otherwise, and that certain persons voted who treated and unduly influenced certain others in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, and that certain persons voted who were treated or unduly influenced by certain others in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, and that certain persons entitled to vote were refused ballot-papers at the said election, and that the said election was not conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in "The Electoral Act, 1893," and in particular was not conducted in accordance with the principle of the secrecy of the ballot, in consequence whereof many electors were deterred from voting at the said election, and the result of the said election was thereby affected, and that certain persons were obstructed and deterred from exercising their votes by reason of the violent conduct near the of persons acting in opposition to the candida- "JAMES PRENDERGAST. ་ "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Electoral District of the City of Wellington. In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Arthur Richmond Atkinson, petitioner, and George Fisher, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. "We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Arthur Richmond Atkinson, of Wellington, solicitor, against the return of George Fisher for the Electoral District of the City of Wellington, praying that a scrutiny may be had and held of the votes given and tendered at the said election, and that a recount of the said votes be had and held, and that it may be determined that the said George Fisher was not duly elected or returned, and that the petitioner was duly elected and ought to have been returned, or, in the alternative, that the election of the said George Fisher may be declared void on the grounds that certain ballot-papers were not marked in accordance with "The Electoral Act, 1893," and that certain persons personated and voted as and for certain other persons whose names appear on the electoral roll for the said district, and that certain persons voted more than once at the said election, and that certain persons on the electoral roll who were disqualified from voting by reason of their having been employed for the purposes of the election for reward voted at the said election, and that certain persons voted who were guilty of illegal practices in having made payment or contract for payment for the purpose of procuring the election of the said George Fisher on account of the conveyance of electors to the poll by carriages or otherwise, and that certain persons voted who treated and unduly influenced certain others in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, and that certain persons voted who were treated or unduly influenced by certain others in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, and that certain persons entitled to vote were refused ballot-papers at the said election, and that the said election was not conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in " The Electoral Act, 1893," and in particular was not conducted in accordance with the principles | that certain persons entitled to vote were reof the secrecy of the ballot, in consequence fused ballot-papers at the said election was not whereof many electors were deterred from vot- proved. ing at the said election, and the result of the said election was thereby affected, and that certain persons were obstructed and deterred from exercising their votes by reason of the violent conduct near the polling-booths on the day of the said election of persons acting in opposition to the candidature of the petitioner, and that the petitioner had a majority of valid and lawful votes at the said election-do hereby report that upon the said recount and scrutiny the said George Fisher was found to have polled 5,829 votes, and the said Arthur Richmond Atkinson 5,789 votes, giving thereby the said George Fisher a majority of 40 votes. "And we do further report that, so far as the charges of personation were inquired into, the inquiry into these being ultimately abandoned by the petitioner, there is some reason to believe that there were a number of cases of personation of voters at the said election, principally by females. Under the present system of taking the votes there would appear "And we do further report that a very serious irregularity was allowed in taking the votes at the poll on the said election, by issuing to the several Deputy Returning Officers ballotpapers of which by far the greater number were not gummed, and only a very small proportion. had sufficient gum; and the Deputy Returning Officers did not take steps to obtain gum, or any other material, for fastening the corners. which bore the voters' numbers, but left the same unfastened. The fact that the Deputy Returning Officers were so dealing with the ballot - papers was known early on the day of the poll. We were, however, unable to arrive at the conclusion that any voter had been thereby deterred or prevented from recording his vote. On the contrary, evidence was given on the part of the petitioner that some voters, although complaining that the corners of their ballot - papers were not gummed or fastened down, did notwithstanding this record their action of the said George Fisher should be votes. We therefore did not consider that the IN second column, under the heading "Mr. Speaker," omit the first paragraph, and insert the following in lieu thereof : "Mr. SPEAKER.-I have to report to the House that to day, accompanied by my proposer and seconder of the previous day, the honourable member for Tuapeka (Mr. Larnach) and the honourable member for Ellesmere (Mr. Montgomery), I waited upon His Excellency to communicate to him my election as Speaker of this House, which I did in these words": placards referring to the local-option vote only. "The association of brewers and publicans above referred to were as a body supporters of three candidates, of whom the said George Fisher was one, and had contributed to the fund for the expenses of the election of the said three candidates. "It appears to us to be worthy of the consideration of the Legislature whether the hire of vehicles to convey voters to the local-option poll should not be prohibited; or, in the alternative, whether the local-option poll should not be held at a different time from that of members of the House of Representatives. "And we do further report that the charges that certain persons voted who treated and unduly influenced certain other persons in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, and that certain persons voted who were treated or unduly influenced by certain other persons in order to procure the return of the said George Fisher, were not proved. "And we do further report that the charge the said George Fisner, or that any voter was by his conduct actually prevented or deterred from voting. But the said individual was a member of the association of brewers and publicans, who had by a majority agreed to support certain candidates, of whom the said George Fisher was one. There was no evidence of any obstruction or annoyance to voters at any other polling-booth. "Dated at Wellington, this 20th day of February, 1897. "JAMES PRENDERGAST. "EDWARD T. CONOLLY." Certificate. "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Western Maori Electoral District. -In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Ropata te Ao, petitioner, and Henare Kaihau, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. "We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Ropata te Ao, of Otaki, in the Provincial District of Wellington, aboriginal native of New Zealand, against the return of Henare Kaihau for the Western Maori Electoral District, praying that it may be determined that the said Henare Kaihau was not duly elected or returned, and that the petitioner was duly elected and ought to have been returned; or, in the alternative, that the election of the said Henare Kaihau may be declared void, on the grounds that the nomination of the said Henare Kaihau was seconded, or purported to be seconded, by one Ngamuka, an infant under the age of twentyone years; and that the said Henare Kaihau was guilty of corrupt practice by giving to the said Ngamuka a sum of money in order to procure, or endeavour to procure, the return of the said Henare Kaihau to serve in the General Assembly, and in order to induce the said Ngamuka to vote for the said Henare Kaihau; and that on divers other days the said Henare Kaihau gave to other persons divers sums of money in order to induce such persons to vote for the said Henare Kaihau; and that the said election was not conducted in accordance with the terms of The Electoral Act, 1893,' inasmuch as many voters entered the polling-booths at one time, and many persons under the age of twenty-one years voted at the said electiondo hereby certify that, having heard the said petition and the evidence adduced, we determine that the said Henare Kaihau was duly elected. "Dated at New Plymouth, this 3rd day of April, 1897. "JAMES PRENDERGAST. "EDWARD T. CONOLLY." Report. "Court for the trial of an Election Petition for the Western Maori Electoral District. In the matter of The Election Petitions Act, 1880': Between Ropata te Ao, petitioner, and Henare Kaihau, respondent. "To the Honourable the Speaker of the House of Representatives. We, Sir James Prendergast, Knight, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and Edward Tennyson Conolly, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, being the two Judges named by the Chief Justice of the said Court to try the petition of Ropata te Ao, of Otaki, in the Provincial District of Wellington, aboriginal native of New Zealand, against the return of Henare Kaihau for the Western Maori Electoral District, praying that it may be determined that the said Henare Kaihau was not duly elected or returned, and that the petitioner was duly elected and ought to have been returned; or, in the alternative, that the election of the said Henare Kaihau may be declared void, on the grounds that the nomination of the said Henare Kaihau was seconded, or purported to be seconded, by one Ngamuka, an infant under the age of twenty-one years; and that the said Henare Kaihau was guilty of corrupt practice by giving to the said Ngamuka a sum of money in order to procure, or endeavour to procure, the return of the said Henare Kaihau to serve in the General Assembly, and in order to induce the said Ngamuka to vote for the said Henare Kaihau; and that on divers other days the said Henare Kaihau gave to other persons divers sums of money in order to induce such persons to vote for the said Henare Kaihau; and that the said election was not conducted in accordance with the terms of The Electoral Act, 1893,' inasmuch as many voters entered the polling-booths at one time, and many persons under the age of twenty-one years voted at the said electiondo hereby report that the charges that the said Ngamuka was an infant under the age of twenty-one years, and that the said Henare Kaihau was guilty of the corrupt practices alleged, and that the said election was not conducted in accordance with the terms of The Electoral Act, 1893,' were not proved. And we do further report that no corrupt practice was proved to have been committed at the said election by or with the knowledge or consent of any candidate at the said election, or by his agents. "Dated at New Plymouth, this 3rd day of April, 1897. "JAMES PRENDERGAST. "EDWARD T. CONOLLY." MR. SPEAKER. House that to-day, accompanied by my proMr. SPEAKER.-I have to report to the poser and seconder of the previous day, the honourable member for Wellington City (Mr. Hutcheson) and the honourable member for Waikouaití (Mr. E. G. Allen), I waited upon His Excellency to communicate to him my election as Speaker of this House, which I did in these words : May it please your Excellency : In obedience to your Excellency's commands, the House of Representatives, in the exercise of their undoubted right and privilege, have proceeded to the election of a Speaker, and, as the object of their choice, I now present myself to you and submit myself to your Excellency's approbation." His Excellency confirmed and approved the appointment in these words: "Mr. Speaker, it is with much pleasure I approve and confirm, on behalf of the Queen, the choice which the House of Representatives has made in your person. "I congratulate you on your election to this. distinguished position, marking, as it does, the appreciation of the House of Representatives of the impartiality and ability with which you have discharged the duties of the office." ADJOURNMENT. On the motion of Mr. SEDDON, it was agreed that the House at its rising do adjourn until ten o'clock a.m. next day. |