Page image

2

COMMISSION OF COLONEL THOMAS GORE BROWNE, C. 8., AS GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND. Victoria BY THE Grace op God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, To our trusty and well-beloved Thomas Gore Brownf, Ksq., Companion of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Colonel in our Army, Greeting : Whereas we did by certain l etters Patent under the Great Seal of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the Thirteenth day of September One thousand Kight Hundred and Fifty-Two, in the J 6th Year of our Reign, constitute and appoint our trusty and wellbeloved Sib George Grey, Knight Commander of our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, to be Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over our Islands of New Zealand as upon relation being had to the said recited Letters Patent will more fully and at large appear. Now know you that We have revoked and determined and by these presents do revoke and determine the said recited Letters Patent, and every clause, article and thing therein contained. And further know you that We reposing especial trust and confidence in the prudence, courage and loyalty of you the said Thomas Gore Browne of our especial Grace certain knowledge and mere motion have thought fit to constitute and appoint and by these presents do constitute and appoint you the said Thomas Gore Browne to be our Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over our said Colony of New Zealand, with all its members and appurtenances whatsoever for and during our will and pleasure. And we do herebv require and command you to do and execute all things in due manner that shall belong to your said command, and the trust we have reposed in you according to and in pursuance of an Act of the Session holden in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of our Reign, intituled " An Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand," and according to the several powers and directions granted or appointed you by this our present Commission and the instructions and authorities herewith given you, or by such further powers, instructions and authorities as shall at any time hereafter be granted or appointed you under our Sign Manual and Signet, or by our order in our Privy Council, or by us through one of our principal Secretaries of Mate, and according to such reasonable laws as are now in force in our said Colony, or hereafter shall be made by the General Assembly of our said Colony. And we do hereby give and grant unto you the said Thomas Gore Browne full power and authority with the advice and consent ot the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of our said Colony, to make, enact, ordain, and establish Laws for the peace, order, and good government of our said Colony ot New Zealand and its members and appurtenances, provided that no such Laws be repugnant to the Laws of England, but subject, nevertheless, to all such rules and regulations as by our said instructio is we have thought fit to prescribe in that behalf, or as by any further instructions under our t-ignet and Sign Manual, or by our order in our Privy Council, or by us through one of our principal secretaries ot State we shall or may think fit hereafter to prescribe. Provided nevertheless, and we do hereby reserve to ourselves, our heirs or successors, our and their undoubted right and authority to disallow any such Laws in whole or in part. And whereas it is expedient that an Executive Council should be appointed for assisting you, the said Thomas Gore Browne in conducting the Government of our said Colony, now we do hereby declare our pleasure to be that there shall be an Executive Council to be called the Executive Council for our said Colony. And we do direct that the said Council shall be constituted in such manner as in that behalf directed in the instructions herewith given to you, or according to such further powers, instructions or authorities as shall at any future time be granted to or appointed for you in that behalf under our Signet and Sign Manual. And we do authorise and require you the the said Thomas Gore Browne in the execution of this our Commission to be acting, with the advice of the said Executive Council in such manner as in our said instructions is enjoined. And tie do hereby give and grant unto you the said Thomas Gore Browne the custody ot the Public Seal appointed for sealing of all things whatsoever that shall pass the seal of our said Colony. And We do hereby give and grant unto you the said Thomas Gore Browne full power and authority in our name and on our behalf to make and execute in our name and under the Public Seal ot our said Colony, Grants of waste land to us belonging within the said Colony, to private persons for their own use and benefit, or to any persons, bodies, politic and corporate, in trust for the public uses of our subjects there resident, or any of them, and otherwise to regulate the sale, letting, disposal and occupation of such lands. Provided nevertheless and we do hereby require that in granting, selling, letting, disposing of, and allowing the occupation of all such lands, you do conform to and observe the provisions in that behalf contained in the instructions under our sign Manual and Signet which accompany this our Commission or in any other instructions which we may think fit to prescribe to you in that behalf under our Sign Manual and Signet, or through one of our principal Secretaries of State until the General Assembly of our said Colony shall have enacted a Law or Laws for regulating the sale, letting, disposal and occupation of such waste lands. And We do further authorise and empower you, the said Thomas Gore Browne, to constitute and appoint Judges, and in cases requisite Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer, Justices of the Peace and