I gladly avail my salf of this opportunity to express to you, as representing both racea of the people of New Zealand, my grateful ac knowledgment for the welcome which has been extended to nee, and to offer congratulations upon the fair, healthy, and fertile Colony which Providence hes givea you a? an inheritance. My Responsible Advisers fully recognise the desire that exists for the enactment of measures which, will secure a more frequent return of members to their constituencies for re-el?ction, for an equitable distribution of the burdens of taxa tion, and fora mode more just and judicious of dealing with public lands and those belong ing to the Natives. As a first step towards giving effect to Chese desires, the following* measures will, amongst other?, be laid before you : — A bill, to amend the law relating to elec tors qualified to/vote at tbe election of nr-mbent of tbe House of Representatives, and a bill to make provision for the representation, of the. people in the General Assembly. These mea sures, if they receive your sanction, will secure manhood suffrage on a residential qualifi cation to European?, and will give the franchise to men of the Native race who are enrolled on a ratepayers' roll, or who hold individual cr un divided grants fiom the Crown for lands to » certain value. The effect of the measures will also be to adjust representation as far as possi ble on the basis of the population, and to limit the duration of future Parliaments to three years. A measure will be snbmitted to yott providing that in future Native r.sarve lands shall bo dealt with only by public auction or public tender, thereby abolishing tbe pre sent monopoly of dealing in such, yielding the beat price for the Native owners, and giving tc everyone an opportunity of competing forties or leases. It is aho under comideration how fat this principleof publicauction might befairly and beneficially applied to such Native lands as now remain unaurveyed, or the titles to which have noo yet beea investigated by the Court. The disposal tf such lands, with the con sent of the Native owners, under the existing land laws of the Colony, would greatly promote the increase of settle ment, while at the same time it would secure to the Native owners the full value of their, estates. 