The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-24 00:00:00

lof the principle of self government. lam confident that the
people of Vittlria not only value this privilege, but that they
are prepared to meet the increase of responsibility which it
imposes upon all, and that the removal of that apathy with
whch pell',;cal affairs have hitherto been too generally treated
conduce to the happiness and prosperity of the whole
community. It will be your constant day to watch the
operation and to amend the defects of the fundamental
law from which you derive your existence and your powers.
It is undeniable that every constitution has defects of
more or less importance, and that reforms must be
effected to cure them. The circumstances under which
our charter was prepared and granted, render it likely that
many changes will be necessary; but I shall not invite you
during the present session to make alterations in the main
featu•es of the Constitution, other than those for which actual
experience has I,lready4emonstrated the necessity. Ido not
conceive the position to be: j. that no reform in one part of
it ought to be attempted without at the same time dealing
with its other component parts. While, therefore, I shall not
recenamend to you to recast the electoral division of the
country until the results of the census, which it will be pro-
posed to take during this summer, are escertained ; or to deal
with those abstract constitutional questions, the solution of,
which will be Round rather in the results of legislation, and the
confidence which the people place in their representatives than
in any theory of representation ; your attention, will be drawn
to the patent imperfection and inequality of the electoral fran-
chise, and you will be asked to extend the basis of the
suffrage, and to amend the law regulating the registration of
electors.,lt will be one of I our princival duties to promote the
reform and maintain the elficieney of the Oldie administra-
tion in its several branches. ,
The attention of my government Las been especially directed
to the measures for re-organising the civil service; which are
being partially adopted in the United Kingdom, and I have
had under my consideration the results of a careful. enquiry,
undertaken by a commission which I appointed to report upon
these reforms. I shall submit to you a measure to give effect
to the greater part of the suggestions emanating from them.
It will provide that admission to the junior grade of the
ordinary civil service, be dotel•nrined, by a competitive examina-
tion, open to all persons, end conducted by a permanent board ;
that the service be divided into classes ; and that proinotion to a
superior class shall depend solely upon ascertained fitness, and
go in the entire service and not in a particular department.
Measures will be submitted to Ton for regulating the receipt
and disbursement of the revenue, and audit of the public
accounts. It is my opinion that the functions of the audit
department should be enlarged, and that it should possess
powers similar to those of the Comptroller of the Exchequer
and the Commissioners of Audit, the Auditor:General being
independent of the ,executive government, but liable to be
removed from office by the legislature. Your sanction will
be also invited to the extension of facilities for the colleCtion
and disbursement of public moneys, and to the consolidation of
departments. Bills for these purposes will be submitted to
you.

The repeal of the laws regulating the sale and occupation 1
of Crown Lands renders it necessary that I should call your
early attention to this important subject. Mils will he laid
before you, the main features of which will be the continuance
of the system of sales by auctiee, saai„.l of the present upset
price; provision the more speedy issue of deeds of grant
by dislae.ising with double registration ; the concession of
feraiiiel to Owners of land for contracting with persons
desirous to mine for geld, 'Saving inviolate the rights of the
freeholder to the undisturbed possession of his land ; the
rescinding the existing orders in council, regulating occupation
for pastoral and other purposes ; the power of granting an
interest to the present occupant, renewable until the land is
required for sale or any public purpose, but subject to an
acreable rent, to be periodically determined by an independent
tribunal, according to the grazing capabilities of the land,
and tho advatttages of its situation ; and the adjustment of
claims On account of actual losses sustained by occupants.
Bnt the best regulations for the sale and occupancy
of the public lands will do little for the settlement of
the interior without the promotion of public works—especially
railways, and other means of communication—and the exten-
sion of municipal institutions. My Government has been
actively engaged in carrying out the views of the previous
Legislature with reference to the completion of the line of
railway between Melbourne and Williamstown. The neccessary
surveys of the main lines proceeding from the sea-board to the
great centres of population in the interior have been completed,
and the most eligible rou'ea ascertained. Preparations have
also been made for vigorously prosecuting without loss of time
these important works, so soon as you shall have conceded the
necessary pow. rs. For this purpose measures for securing the
construction of railways in the most economical manner con-
sistent with durability and perfect safely will be submitted to
you. Preliminary steps have been also taken for extending the
lines of Electric Telegraph to the nerthern and western
frontiers, so as to connect all the principal towns and gold
fields with Melbourne, should you sanction this important
work. I shall propose to you to vest the powers of the Central
Road Board in the Commissioner of Public Works, and to
make further provision for "the local management of District
Roads. In aid of their construction and for the improvement
of the main lines of road, a large expenditure will be required,
but I am confident that the public capital cannot be better
applied than in the permanent reduction of the cost of transport.
Your attention will be called to the subject of the agricul-
ture of this country, in order that such measures may be taken
as will ascer'ain its capabilities, and will encourage the
cultivation of those vegetable productions which are valuable
either as articles of food or as materials employed in the arts
and manufactures, and for growing which our sail and climate
may affi'rd peculiar facilities.
You will be invited to adopt measures of importance to the
commerce and trade of the country. Bills relating to the
management of the customs and to merchant shipping will be
proposed to you, the latter making provision for the examina-
tion of masters and mates in the colonial marine, and for the
better protection and management of seamen. I shall also
direct your attention to the excessive restraints which are now
put upon certain trades, especially upon the sale of fermented
and spirituous liquors, and upon distillation. The evils result.
ing from the prohibition of the latter, and from the system
under which the former is licensed, are so flagrant and pro—
ductive of so much public immorality, that in my opinion
an entire change of the law is called for. You will be
invited also to adjust the rates of fees paid upon other licenses.
I shall submit to you a measure to amend the laws relating
to banking and the issue of notes payable on demand. I have
been, since the last session of the Legislature, in communica-
tion with the governors of the neighbouring colonies, with the
object of making mutual arrangements of advantage to the
commerce of Australia. You will perceive from the papers
which will be transmitted to you that the governors of
South Australia and Tasmania have agreed with me to
propose to the respective Legislatures a scheme for con-
necting Melbourne with Adelaide and Hobart Town by
means of the Electric Telegraph. I anticipate that by
the concurrence of the governor of New South Wales the
union of the four principal towns of the Eastern Colonies will
be completed. Commissioners from the four colonies have met
in Melbourne, and have agreed upon a plan for the better
lighting of the Australian coasts, and the maintenance of the
lighthouses. This agreement will be submitted to your
approval. Lastly, I have addressed to each of the other
Colonies a proposal for an assimilation of the tariffs, and, in
conjunction with Now South Wales, I have called upon the
Governor of South Australia to alter the arrangements under
which dutiable goods are conveyed up the River Murray for
consumption beyond the limits of that province. Full
particulars of these negotiations will be communicated to you.
I shall cause various measures for, improving legal pro.
cedure to be laid before you. They will provide for the
establishment, as far as Victoria is concerned, of a Court of
Appeal for all the Australasian colonies ; for the transfer of the
Criminal Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to a Central
Criminal Court; for the consolidation of the offices of
Registrar General and Registrar of the Supreme Court ;
for an appeal from an erroneous sentence to a Superior Court
without the.fiat of the Attorney General, and for the transfer
to a Grand Jury of the powers now vested in that officer of
proceeding by information for political offences; for a more
effectual method of recovering small debts and demands, and
for amending the procedure in the County Courts; for altering
the laws relating to Juries. and increasing the number of
Special Jurors; for facilitating the transfer of real property,
and the registration of transfers ; for improving the
laws relating to bills of lading; and for the providing far the
protection of persons having dealings with agents entrusted
with the pa-session of goods. I shall propose to you the
enactment of a measure amending the Bankruptcy Laws, and
providing for a more simple and effectual method of distributing
insolvent estates. Bills wilt also be laid before you for
facilitating the acquirements of patents, and diminishing the
expense attendant thereon ; and for affording a remedy to
Persons having
claims against the crown. A Bill for the better
management of the Gold Fields, with reference especially to
facilities for the settlement of disputes arising from encroach-
ments, and those connected with mining partnerships, will be
presented to you,
MR: SPEAKER AND GENTLEMEN OF THE LEGISLATIVE
ASSEMBLY :

The Estimates of Revenue expenditure will be laid
before you without delay.
pa-min.
yenetndeavoured to effect in the
expenditure of the public. de
w'tli the maintenance of their efficiency;economy consistent
o establishments, I have
s.o everysband while I have
succeeded in making reductions hi those
forrto ,tahleiperoonp:ill'aictet
aimed at increasing the facilities to thoetfopiny2ici
of business. I shall recpoimirpmoseensd
considerable sums for the
success has attended the alteration recently immigration.
•Great
regulations for the selection of immigrants by theire in
nrientliles
in this country ; and I hope by the extension of this
system, and by arrangrments under which commercial cm:
p ise will he more directly enlisted in this service, that we-
shall obtain a steady stream of assisted emigration, at a cost
to the public treasury decreasing from year to year. I shall
propose to you the discontinuance of the services of the
Colonial Land and Emigration CommisAonets, and the