A.—3a

18

Tour Lordship will see, from the whole of the proceedings which passed in the Legislative Council of the Province of New Munster, that there appears to be a general desire that some guarantee should be given that a representative form of Government should be introduced into New Zealand at the period which I have named, and the best mode which has yet suggested itself for securing such guarantee is, that the provisions of the proposed form of Government should be embodied in an Act of Parliament, to take effect at the date named. I think that, after having stated at such length as I have done above the reasons which induced me to recommend that the introduction of representative institutions into the whole of these Islands should be delayed till the period I have recommended, it will not be necessary for me to trouble your Lordship further on this subject, and this the more especially as in my Despatch No. 106, of the 29th November last, I detailed also at some length other reasons which made me think that the country was not in a fit state for the immediate introduction of a representative form of Government. I would, therefore, only add that, should Her Majesty's Government think proper to declare that a representative Government should be introduced into this colony at the period named, or at an earlier date, either throughout the whole colony or in any such province or provinces as may for that purpose be proclaimed by the Governor-in-Chief, I would neither shrink from the responsibility of declining to introduce such institutions into any province until I believe they can be safely conferred upon it; nor will I, on the other hand, for a single day unnecessarily delay obtaining for the inhabitants of the colony a boon which I am most anxious to see conferred upon them. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. Earl Grey, &c. G. Geet.

Enclosure 1 in No. 15. Addeess of the Legislative Council of New Munstee to the Goveenoe-in-Chief of New Zealand. Sie, — The Legislative Council of the Province of New Munster, while they acknowledge the clear and comprehensive character of the Speech with which your Excellency opened the present session, desire nevertheless to address your Excellency, requesting that you will be pleased to afford such further information to the Council on the subject of the introduction of a representative form of Government into this province as may put them fully in possession of your Excellency's views, and of the plan which it is your intention to submit to Her Majesty's Government. Had not Parliament conferred a Constitution upon this colony, and had not that Constitution been subsequently suspended at your Excellency's sole and urgent instance, the Council might perhaps have been satisfied with the general allusions to your intentions on this point contained in your Excellency's Address on the opening of the Council; but, having regard to all that has passed in Parliament and elsewhere on the subject of introducing representative institutions into the whole colony, and especially to the large probable increase of the population of this province at an early period by the foundation of important settlements, the Council would submit to your Excellency that, in their opinion, the Government would best consult the interests and feelings of the whole community, and most efficiently conduce to extensive immigration into the colony, by at once declaring as distinctly as possible in detail both the character and composition of the representative Government which your Excellency stated in general terms you should recommend for adoption by Her Majesty's Government; and also, whether your Excellency has it in contemplation to take any steps, in conjunction with the Executive Council, to secure that adoption at the earliest possible period. The Council are unwilling to trouble your Excellency here with an enumeration of all the points on which they wish for information; but they submit that the questions which they more especially hope to receive an assurance upon are: Eirst, the period within which the representative form of Government which your Excellency proposes shall certainly be introduced into this province ; secondly, the principle upon which you propose the elective franchise shall be based; and, thirdly, the power and constitution of such representative Assemblies as will be created. Relying, therefore, with confidence on your Excellency's consenting to afford the detailed information which they ask, the Council would respectfully request you to acquaint them, at the earliest opportunity, with the purport of the recommendations which your Excellency may have addressed to Her Majesty's Government on the subject. Council Chamber, Wellington, 22nd December, 1848.

Enclosure 2 in No. 15. Reply of His Excellency the Goveenoe-in-Chiep. 23rd December, 1848. The following Reply of his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief to the Address of the Legislative Council of New Munster, presented on Friday, the 22nd instant, was then delivered:— I feel much pleasure in complying with the wishes of the Legislative Council, as expressed in their Address of the 22nd instant, by informing them —(1.) That I have reported to Her Majesty's Government as my opinion that a complete system of representative Government, of the form after mentioned, may with safety be introduced into the whole of the New Zealand Islands at the date when the Act suspending the Constitution recently conferred upon these Islands expires. (2.) That I have recommended that at that date a General Assembly should be constituted for the whole Islands consisting of a Legislative Council, composed of persons summoned thereto by Her Majesty, and of an Assembly, to be composed of representatives returned by the several provinces into which New Zealand may be divided, in such proportions as the European population of each province may bear to