101

and that another Session of the General As-
sembly should be held as soon as the Constitu-
encies shall have had an opportunity of elect-
ing those in whom they place confidence, and
the Ministry, which shall be formed, shall have
been enabled to make due preparation for meeting
the Legislature.

Entertaining these views, it is my intention to
lay before you only two measures for your con-
sideration; the one, of the nature indicated by
the Secretary of State's Despatch, with a view
to the complete establishment of Responsible Go-
vernment; and the other, for the appropriation
of the Revenue for so long as may be deemed
necessary to afford Responsible Ministry time
to lay their financial policy before the Assembly.

I am not aware that there is any other business
so urgent as to demand immediate attention, or
indeed, that would not be better left to be dis-
posed of after the contemplated changes in the
Government shall have taken place.

I trust, Gentlemen of the Assembly, I need
hardly assure you that, during the short time it
yet remains for me to administer the Government
of this Colony, I shall feel it a pleasure, as well
as my duty, to afford my humble, but earnest
co-operation in all measures calculated to pro-
mote the welfare and happiness of both races
of Her Majesty's subjects.

R. H. WYNYARD,
Officer Administering the Government.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland,
16th August, 1855

THE Officer administering the Government has directed that the following
replies to his Address, which His Excel-
lency has received from the Houses of the
Legislature, should be published for gene-
ral information.

By His Excellency's command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

To His Excellency Colonel R. H. Wynyard,
C. B., the Officer administering the Government
of New Zealand, &c.

We, the Legislative Council of New Zealand,
in reply to the speech with which your Excellency
has opened the third session of the General As-
sembly, beg respectfully to assure you of our
continued desire to afford your Excellency every
co-operation and support, so long as your Excel-
lency may be called upon to administer the Go-
vernment of New Zealand.

As regards the principle of Responsible Govern-
ment, which your Excellency informs us will
shortly come into operation, we feel grateful
that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to
accede to the prayer of the Legislature, and has
sanctioned the introduction of that element, in all
its integrity, into the government of the Colony.

We beg to assure your Excellency that we
shall be prepared to afford our aid towards its
complete and satisfactory establishment.

With reference to the Native difference which
unhappily exists at New Plymouth, and which is
a source of great anxiety to the Colony in general,
we are gratified to be informed (pending the pro-
duction of the papers and correspondence upon
that subject) that measures of a precautionary
nature have been adopted by the Government,
and we fervently trust that the protection of the
settlers, the maintenance of our friendly re-
lations with the aborigines, and the prevention of
collision between the natives themselves, may be
thereby secured.

In conclusion, your Excellency may be assured
that we shall be prepared, as heretofore, to afford
our careful attention to any measures that may be
submitted for our consideration in the course of
session.

Legislative Council Chambers,
9th August, 1855.

To His Excellency the Officer administering the
Government of the Islands of New Zealand,

The Commons of New Zealand, assembled in
their House of Representatives, have received with
sentiments of high respect the speech addressed to us
by your Excellency at the opening of the present ses-
sion.

We desire to convey to your Excellency our acknow-
ledgements for the efforts made by you towards obtain-
ing from the Imperial Authority the establishment of
Responsible Government for this Colony.

We deeply regret to hear that native disturbances
have occurred at New Plymouth which threaten the
peace, and may endanger the safety, of that settlement.

We trust that the measures about to be taken by
your Excellency may produce the desired result of re-
storing and establishing its tranquillity on a perma-
nent basis.

Until we shall have had an opportunity of examin-
ing the correspondence and information alluded to in
your Excellency's address, we cannot express any
opinion as to the policy there intimated of the opera-
tions of the troops being confined to the assuming of
such a position as to insist upon the neutrality of the
European population being respected.

The House entirely concurs with your Excellency
in the importance of inter-Colonial Steam Communi-
cation, and will not fail to prosecute that object by all
means in its power.

Considering the small amount of business likely to
be brought before us, we trust that your Excellency
will be pleased so to expedite it, that the session may
be brought to a close in time to allow members to join
the steamer, which will leave Auckland in the ensuing
month of September.

House of Representatives,
11th August, 1855.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland,
11th August, 1855.

HIS Excellency the Officer Adminis-
tering the Government has been
pleased to appoint
Mr. JOHN SHARP,
to be Returning Officer for the Town of
Nelson, at the election of Members of the
Council of that Province under "The
Council Enlargement Bill."

By His Excellency's command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland,
14th August, 1855

IN pursuance of the 29th and 31st
sections of the "Merchant Shipping
Act 17 and 18 Vict. cap. 104, His Ex-
cellency the Officer Administering the
Government, has been pleased to appoint
Mr. H. S. McKULLAR,
to be Surveyor of Shipping under that Act
for the Port of New Plymouth.

By His Excellency's command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.