17

A.—l

House of Representatives in its last session, in so far as it expressed the purpose of maintaining the existing law, was, perhaps, superfluous; but Sir George Grey fears that " this resolution may be submitted to the Home Government with a' view to Parliamentary action being taken thereon " —in what direction he does not say. There is no conceivable need for taking such a course. It is not easy to arrive at tho true meaning of the petition; or, if it have any definite purpose, to catch the view of the case which the petitioner really desires to present. The localization of the land revenue, for which Sir George Grey appears to contend, was effected completely by the " compact" which he condemns; and the Province of Auckland, of which he makes himself the champion, sought for, and accepted as a boon, in 1856, that which he now stigmatizes as an injustice. If, as Sir George Grey asserts, Auckland was, by the compact of 1856, " deprived in great part of its interest in the revenue arising from the waste lands of the Crown in New Zealand " generally, it is certain that since that period the administration of the waste lands within that province, and the revenue derived therefrom, have been in the hands of the Provincial Government; and I have shown that at the time Auckland was relieved of what was held to be a most unequal and unjust burden. The then Superintendent of Auckland, Dr. Campbell, and the leader of the Provincial " Opposition," Mr. Whitaker, were colleagues with Mr. Stafford in the Ministry by whom the Einancial Resolutions of 1856 were proposed; and it is a remarkable fact, that the gentleman, Mr. John Williamson, to whom Sir George Grey addresses his petition, and whose aid he invokes, was himself a member of the House of Representatives in 1856, was elected Superintendent of the Province of Auckland in November of that year, and was a strenuous supporter of the " compact," and of the subsequent legislation in 1858 and 1862. It is equally remarkable that during the whole term of Sir George Grey's second Governorship, from 1861 to 1868, ho himself had not discovered that the power of dealing with the land revenue without the consent of Parliament, which was conferred by the Constitution Act on the Governor, and which he thinks was so valuable, had been taken away by the General Assembly, and that it should have been reserved for the Lyttelton Times of the 11th of September last to make that disclosure to him. Daniel Pollen.

No. 22. Copt of a DESPATCH from Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanbt, to the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. (No. 8.) Government House, Wellington, Mt Lord, — New Zealand, 16th January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's despatch enclosing Her Majesty's Commission under the Great Seal appointing me Governor and Commander-in-Chief of this Colony and its Dependencies, together with the instructions under the Royal Sign-Manual and Signet; and I have to inform your Lordship that, on the day subsequent to the receipt of the Commission, I took the prescribed oaths of office in the presence of Mr. Justice Johnston and the Members of the Executive then resident in Wellington, and have caused the same to be notified in the Government Gazette. 2. I have further to acknowledge the receipt of a Commission, under the Royal Sign-Manual and Signet, appointing the Chief Justice, or the Senior Judge for the time being, to be Administrator of the Government in the event of my death, incapacity, or absence. 3. In compliance with your Lordship's instructions, I beg to enclose the Commission, dated sth of September, appointing me Administrator of the Government of New Zealand. 4. As regards the Commission dated the 14th May, 1873, appointing the Chief Justice or Senior Judge to be Administrator of the Government in the event of the death, incapacity, or absence of Sir James Fergusson, I regret that I am unable to find any trace of it in the office. 5. On my arrival in Auckland, I was informed by the Chief Justice Sir George Arney that he had never seen any Commission appointing him Administrator during the absence of " Sir James Fergusson." 6. I have found in my office a despatch from Lord Kimberley, dated the 16th May, 1873, in which the Commission was enclosed, but I can find no trace of the Commission itself. I presume therefore that it must have been accidentally taken away by Sir James Fergusson. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. NORMANBY. 3—A. 1.