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SATURDAY, 27th Mat, 1854. Present The Speaker and seven Members. The House met pursuant to adjournment. On motion of Mr. Revans, it was resolved—that the House do further adjourn until half-past three o'clock. House adjourned accordingly. Chas. Clifford, Speaker. The House met, according to adjournment, at half-past 3 o'clock, the Members having previously attended at the Legislative Council Chamber, where his Excellency had read to them the following speech Gentlemen of the Assembly, On the departure of His Excellency Sir George Grey, and during his absence from the colony, it became my duty as the Senior Military Officer in this country, and in obedience to Her Majesty's command, to assume the powers and duties of Governor and Commander-in-Chief, and to administer the government of these Islands in conformity with the regulations prescribed for my guidance by the Royal Letters Patent and Instructions now in force in that behalf. When I entered upon the of office as the head of the Civil Government of the country, the crowning act for giving effect to the measure for granting a Representative Constitution to the Colony was still to be performed. Holding office but temporarily; feeling myself bound not to embark in any measure which may embarrass the policy or affect the duties of the permanent Governor of the country; and believing that statesman-like qualities of a high order are needful for conducting to a successful issue the experiment in Constitutional Government about to be attempted in New Zealand, I might well have shrunk from the responsibility of calling together the first and most momentous meeting of the General Assembly. But possessing the necessary legal authority, and seeing that Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand have a right to the exercise of the powers conferred upon them by the British Parliament, I felt that I ought not to allow considerations personal to myself to disappoint their expectations and to delay them indefinitely in the enjoyment of their constitutional privileges; and trusting that under the circumstances under which the government of the country has devolved upon myself, I may rely upon your friendly co-operation and cordial support, I determined to summon, and I have this day been allowed the memorable privilege of opening the First Parliament of New Zealand. Looking to the physical aspect of these Islands, —to the irregular and isolated manner in which they have been colonized, and to the existence of a numerous and intelligent Native Race, advancing in the scale of civilization, but not yet accustomed to the exercise of political power, it must be admitted to be no easy task to devise a Constitution for New Zealand which shall be adapted to the condition and circumstances of the countiy, and which shall confer upon its inhabitants, as one people, and without distinction of race, a liberal measure of Representative Self Government. A minute examination of the Constitution which has recently been granted to this country will no doubt lead to the discovery of defects, and some of its more important provisions may also be open to objection ; but looking to the spirit in which a constitution has been granted to the people of New Zealand, we have reason to believe that favourable consideration will be given to their suggestions for its amendment; and that any alteration which after experience, and on deliberate consideration, may be found to be needed for giving free scope to its development, will, so far as may be consistent witli the interests of Her Majesty's native subjects, be readily conceded by the Crown and Parliament, —seeing, however, that it confers upon the colonists, on a wide electoral basis, almost unfettered powers of self government, —that it gives to them the power of regulating the sale and disposal of the Waste Lands of the Crown, —that it empowers the General Assembly to secure to the various Provinces, now governed by an elective Legislature under an elective head the disposal of their revenues, and to mould their political institutions to the circumstances of the country, and that it opens both to the General and to the Provincial Legislatures a wide field of practical usefulness, their newly acquired charter of Representative Government may well deserve a fair trial and grateful acceptance from the colonists of New Zealand.