AN INTERESTING BLUE BOOK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 140, 5 August 1911, Page 6

AN INTERESTING BLUE BOOK.

SUCCESSIVE GOVERNORS AND

MINI ST JM MS

A very interesting Blue Book has reached us from the Government statistician under the title of “Statistics of the Dominion of New Zealand for the year 1910.” It deals with the successive Governors from 1840 (when New Zealand was proclaimed a separate colony, it having prior to that been a dependency of New South Wales') up to the present time. From Ja „ ary. 1840. to 10th September, 18W, Captain William Hobson, R.N., occupied the position of Governor; from September, 18-10, to 26th December, 1810, Lieutenant Shortland represented the Throne as Administrator; Captain Fitzroy, 11. N., was Governor from December, 184-3. to the 171 b November, 1845 ; Sir . George (then Captain) Grey followed, holding office from November, 1845, to 81st December, 1853; from 3rd January, 1854, to 6th September, 1855, Liov.tCnlonol Wynyard acted as Administrator; Colonel Gore Brown, C.TL, then arrived, and officiated from September, 1855, to ‘2nd October, 1861; Sir George Grey acted as Administrator from’’3rd October, 1861, and was .again appointed Governor on the 4th December of the same year, continuing until the stiv February, 1868; Sir George Ferguson Bowen took up the running in February, ISCB, being recalled on 19th March, 1873; Sir G. A. Avnoy, then Chief Justice, acted as Administrator from 21st March to 14th Juno, 1873, when Sir James Ferguson’s term of office commenced, lasting until 3rd December, 1.8i4> the Marquis of Normanby acted as Administrator from 3rd December until 9th January, 1879, when he was sworn in as Governor, remaining in office until 21st February, 1879; Sir James (then Mr.) Frcndergast, Chief Justice, held the reigns as Administrator until 27th March, 1579, when Sir Hercules Robinson arrived, remaining until Bth December, 1880—a very short term; Sir James Preudergast was Administrator from September to 29th November, 1830, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon then entering upon the Gubernatorial duties, which lie relinquished on 23rd June, 1882; Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois was in office from 20th January, 1883, to 22nd March, 1889; the Earl of Onslow from 2nd May, 1889, to 24th February, 1892; the Earl of Glasgow from 7tli June, 1892, to 6th Fehru-

ary, 1897 ;the Earl of Ranfr.rly from 10th August, 1897, to 20th June, 1901; Lord Plunket from 20th June, 1991, to Bth June, 1910 (the intervals having been filled by Sir James Prandergast and Sir Robert Stout as Administrators); Lord Dickson-Poyn-der was sworn in on 22nd June, 1910. Before the establishment of Responsible Government, the business of the country was transacted by an Executive Council.

The first Ministry (Bell—Sewell) held office but for a very short period 7tli May to 20th May, 1856; followed by another short-lived Fox Ministry, 20th May to 2ml June, 1856; the Stafford Ministry held office until 12th July, 1861; Fox ’Ministry, to 2nd August, 1862; Domett Ministry, to 3U.th October, I 860; Whittaker— Fox Ministry, to 21th November, 186! ; Wold Ministry, to IGth October. 1865; Stafford Ministry, to 20th June, 1809; Fox Ministry, to 10th September, 1872; Stafford Ministiy, to 11th October, 1872; Waterhouse ."Ministry, to 3rd March, 1873; Fox Ministry, to Bth April, 1873; Vogel Ministry, to 6th Julv, 1875; Pollen Ministry, to 15th February, 1876; Vogel Ministry, to Ist September, 1876; Atkinson Ministry, to 13th October 1877 : Grey Ministry, to Bth October, 1879; Hall Ministry, to 21st April, 1882; Whitaker Ministry, to 25th September. 1883; Atkinson Ministry, to I6tii August, 1881; Stout-Vogel Ministry, to 28th August, 1881; Atkinson Ministry, to 3rd September, 1884; StoutVogel Ministry, to Bth October, 1887 ; Atkinson Ministry, to 21th January, 1891; Ballance Ministry (died 27th April, 1893); Seddon Ministry (died 10th Milne, 1906); Hall-Jones Ministry, to 6th Aim nst, 1906 (then appointed :High Commissioner); Ward Ministry (still in office). From the time the Ballance Ministry took office in 1891 until the present date, the same party has been in power, a period of over eighteen years.