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Sub-Enclosure. To His Excellency Eael Onslow, Governor of New Zealand. Youb Excellency,— We, the undersigned electors in the Provincial District of Otago, humbly pray your Excellency that you will refrain from sanctioning or making any further appointments to the Legislative Council of New Zealand until after Parliament shall have assembled, for the following, reasons: — 1. That the present Ministry, being in a minority at the recent elections, do not represent the people, and have therefore no right to make any recommendation to your Excellency on the matter. 2. That Sir H. A. Atkinson, the Premier, in 1887 and 1888, pledged himself not to make any recommendation for appointments to the Council until the numbers thereof were reduced to a number below one-half of the reduced number of members of the Legislative Assembly, nor until legislation had been introduced and passed providing for the limitation of the tenure of office of such Legislative Councillors. 3. That as the number of Legislative Councillors at present exceed one-half of the reduced number of members of the Legislative Assembly by three or four, no reason, exists for the appointment of additional members. And your petitioners will ever pray. (Signed by D. Pinkerton, M.H.8., and 5,228 Others.)

Enclosure 2. Memorandum for His Excellency the Goveknob. The Premier acknowledges a memorandum in which His Excellency the Governor requestssome information respecting the following statement in the petition from a number of electors of the Provincial District of Otago : — That Sir H. A. Atkinson, the Premier, in 1887 and 1888 pledged himself not to make any recommendation for appointments to the Council until the numbers thereof were reduced to a number below one-half of the reduced number of members of the Legislative Assembly, nor until legislation had been introduced and passed providing for the limitation of the tenure of office of such Legislative Councillors. The Premier has never, so far as he is aware, made such a promise ; and any statements ot his which may appear to bear such interpretation were only made under the belief that an Act would be shortly passed effecting the reforms that the Government desired, but in this hope the Government have been disappointed, it having been found impossible to obtain legislation. In order, however, that there should be no mistake, the Premier caused careful search of records. to be made, and can nowhere find such a pledge. He then applied to Mr. Pish, one of the members for Dunedin and one of the leading signatories of the petition, for information upon what authority the statement made in the petition was founded. In reply, Mr. Fish courteously informed him that a sentence in the Financial Statement of 1887, and what took place in the House of Eepresentatives on the 6th of August, 1888, were relied on as justifying the statement referred to. The paragraph of 1887 was as follows: " They [the Ministry] will also during the present session invite °the Legislative Council to devise a plan by which their number may be reduced to thirty-five, one-half of the number of members proposed for this House, and thereafter limited to that number." . , . , •, r It is quite clear that such a pledge cannot be found in this paragraph under any canon ol interpretation, and the Premier distinctly denies that he ever contemplated such a promise. On the occasion referred to in the House of Eepresentatives it was moved, "That, in the opinion of this House, no further appointment should be made to the Legislative Council until the Legislature shall have had an opportunity of determining upon any alterations to be made in the direction of limiting the number of members, altering the mode of appointment, or of limiting the time for which such appointments should be valid." In the course of the debate, Sir H. A. Atkinson, amongst other things, is reported to have said, "Have the Government done anything to lead the honourable gentleman to believe that they are going to make undue appointments? Have they not practically promised that they will not make such appointments ?" . Again Mr. Kerr asked, "Am I to understand that no appointment will be made before next year?"—that is, 1889. Sir H. A. Atkinson :" I could not make a positive statement. . . . Ihe (jovernment nave no intention of making an appointment . . . unless necessary to carry on the government." Mr. Ward : " I hope the Government will not make any appointment during the recess, but, if they do'so, I trust they will have some regard to the representation of the part of the colony which I have the'honour to represent. The District of Southland at one time was entitled to, and had,, four members in the Upper Chamber, but death has removed three of them ; and, in fairness to people in that part of the country, I think that, if any appointments are to be made, some one m that district should be appointed. At the same time I hope that no further appointments will be made; but, should such be necessary, I trust the Premier will make them from the part of the country to which I have referred." Sir H. A. Atkinson : '' The only cause which, in my opinion, could justify an appointment, except on the recommendation of this House, would be the necessity of carrying on the government, and then other matters than locality would have to be taken into consideration."