135

you had drawn on the Commissariat Chest for
7,620l. 9s. $d. at the date of your despatch,
by far the greater part in respect of expeli
diture for which you had no instructions, and
for which Her Majesty's Government on the
scanty information as yet before it, can ac
knowledge no liability.

My first instruction must necessarily be to
stop all demands whatever on the Commisss-
riat Chest in respect of supposed contracts
of the Company, either at Wellington, or in
any of their other Settlements specified in
Lord Grey's despatch of 19th of March 1851,
except for the maintenance of the ordinary
land Establishments, as distinctly pointed out
in those despatches.

In the next place to apply the sixth of the
land revenue which may have accrued in the
several settlements since the date of your
despatch, and which may not have been abs
orbed by their current expenses, to the re-
imbursement of the Commissariat Chest for
these advances,

And lastly to furnish me with a full state-
ment of the grounds on which these unautho
rized items of expenditure have been regard
ed by you as chargeable to contracts of the
Company, which Her Majesty's Government
were bound to fulfil, in order that I may ob-
tain if possible a clear legal understanding of
the liabilities thus created, and may discerta
whether it is competent to Her Majesty's Go
vernment to charge them, or any portion of
them, on the sum payable under the 10th and
11th Victoria, Chap. 110 to the New Zealand
Company.

I have the honour to be, &c.
**(Signed) NEWCASTLE.
Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c..

True Copy.
A. J. RICHMOND,
Assistant Private Secretary.

MESSAGE NO. 1.

The Officer Administering the Govern
ment received from the Legislative Council
on the 2nd instant, an Address in answer to
the Speech with which he opened the second
Session of the General Assembly conveying
to him the assurance that the measures that
might be brought before the Council by the
Government or by the House of Representa
tives would receive their most careful consi
deration.

In order that no time might be lost in ob-
taining for the people of New Zealand, the
establishment, by competent authority, of Min-
isterial Responsibbility in the conduct of the
Government, the Officer administering the
Government fulfilled without delay his pro-
mise given to the House of Representatives,
and urgently pressed the subject upon the
consideration of Her Majesty's Government,
and at the same time expressed his own own
earnest hope that the wishes of the Assembly
might have received Her Majesty's gracious
approval, and that he might, ere long, have

the pleasing task of conveying to the inhabi-
tants of these Islands the gratifying intelli-
gence that the boon has been conceded by the
Crown and Parliament.

In the meantime, and with a view to secure
for the people of New Zealand the practical
acknowledgment of the principle of Minis-
terial Responsibility in the conduct of the
Government, the Officer administering the
Government added to the Executive Council
some members having seats in the Assembly
with the twofold object of strengthening the
General Government and of securing a due
representation of the various Provinces in the
Executive, and he laid before the Assembly
in his opening Address the course of policy
which the Government thus constituted were
prepared to pursue.

In consequence of the decision of the House
of Representatives upon the Address moved
by Mr. Forsaith in reply to the Speech of the
Officer administering the Government Mr.
Forsaith, Mr. E. J. Wakefield, Mr. W. T. L.
Travers, and Mr. J. Macandrew in conformity
with the principle of Ministerial Responsi
bility at once tendered their resignations and
with the advice that they should be accepted:
and the Officer administering the Govern-
ment has now to inform the Council that the
resignations thus tendered have been accepted.

The Officer administering the Government
believes that the Council will be satisfied that
he has now used his best endeavours to give
practical effect to the wish expressed by them
in their Address of the 10th of August, and
that they will make such arrangements as may
be necessary for the convenient conduct of the
public business in the Council during the
brief remainder of the Session.

Looking to the inconveniences suffered by
the greater number of the Members of the
Assembly from an already protracted absence
from their homes, the Officer administering
the Government cannot expect that the House
should be willing to prolong their attendance
so far as to be able to give effect to any
general course of policy which might now be
submitted for their adoption. He has deemed
it expedient therefore to propose that the
business of the Session should be confined to
the appropriation of the Public Revenues,
and to the passing of a few Measures of im-
mediate practical importance not likely to
lead to lengthened discussion.

The Officer administering the Government
has caused to be laid before the House of Re-
presentatives a Statement of the financial
condition of the Colony, accompanied by an
explanatory Minute. The Public accounts
have been made up to the 1st of July of the
present year. It will be found from that
statement that there was on that day a clear
available Balance of £50,081.

The Constitution Act provides, as the
House is aware, for the distribution of the
surplus Land Revenue and of the surplus of
Revenue to arise, under any Act of the
General Assembly, but no provision has been
made by the Act for regulating the appropri-