A.—2.

whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God by Whom Kings and Queens do reign to bless the Boyal Prince Edward the Seventh with long and happy years to reign over us. [Proclamation ends.] You will observe that the form of this Proclamation requires you to associate yourself in issuing it with other persons, and you should select those whose position appears to you to render them most suitable. The Colonial Offices Act of 1830 provides that no patent, warrant, commission, or other authority for the exercise of any office or employment in His Majesty's colonies or possessions shall become void until eighteen months after the demise of the Crown. A Proclamation requiring all persons so holding office to proceed in the performance and execution of their duties and to hold their offices during His Majesty's pleasure was approved by His Majesty the King in Council yesterday, and will be forwarded by next mail. His Majesty has also ordered the preparation of a warrant for his signature which will authorise you to make use of the public seal now in use until another shall be prepared and transmitted to you. A Boyal salute of twenty-one guns should, if possible, be fired at noon after the Proclamation of His Majesty's accession has been made.

By the King.—A Peoclamation, requiring all Persons being in Office of Authority or Government at the decease of the late Queen to proceed in the Execution of their respective Offices. Edwaed, B. Whebeas by an Act made in the sixth year of the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, intituled " An Act for the Security of Her Majesty's Person and Government, and of the Succession to the Crown of Great Britain in the Protestant Line," it was enacted that no office, place, or employment, civil or military, within the Kingdoms of Great Britain or Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, or any of Her Majesty's plantations, should become void by reason of the demise of Her said late Majesty, her heirs or successors, Kings or Queens of this realm, but that every person and persons in any of the offices, places, and employments aforesaid should continue in their respective offices, places, and employments for the space of six months next after such death or demise, unless sooner removed and discharged by the next successor, to whom the Imperial Crown of this realm was limited and appointed to go, remain, and descend : And whereas by an Act made in the first year of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, now intituled "The Colonial Offices Act, 1830," it was enacted that no patent, commission, warrant, or other authority, for the exercise of any office or employment, civil or military, within any of His Majesty's plantations or possessions abroad, determinable at the pleasure of His Majesty, or of any of His Majesty's heirs and successors, shall by reason of any future demise of the Crown be vacated or become void until the expiration of eighteen calendar months next after any such demise of the Crown as aforesaid : We, therefore, with the advice of our Privy Council, declare our Boyal will and pleasure to be, and do hereby direct and command, that all and every person and persons, who at the time of the demise of our late Boyal Mother, of glorious memory, duly and lawfully held or were duly and lawfully possessed of or invested in any office, place, or employment, civil or military, within our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, or Man, or any of our foreign possessions, or colonies, or our Empire of India, do severally, according to their places, offices, or charges, proceed in the performance and execution of all duties belonging to their respective offices whilst they shall hold the same respectively during our pleasure : And we do hereby require and command all our loving subjects to be aiding, helping, and assisting, at the commandment of the said officers and Ministers, in the performance and execution of their respective offices and places, as they and every of them tender our utmost displeasure, and will answer the contrary at their peril. Given at our Court at St. James's, this twenty-third day of January, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and one. God save the King !

No. 16. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 29th January, 1901. I have the honour to transmit to you herewith His Majesty's warrant authorising the continued use of the public seal made use of in New Zealand during the lifetime of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria until another seal shall have been prepared and transmitted to you. I have, &c, J. CHAMBERLAIN. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

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