136

to his Excellency the Governor, through the
proper channel, at your earliest convenience.
I have, &c.,
HENRY MATSON, M.P.C.

To His Honor
the Superintendent, Auckland.

To His Excellency Colonel THOMAS GORE
.BROWNE, C.B., Governor, &c.
The Memorial of the undersigned Members
of the Auckland Provincial Council.

RESPECTFULLY SHEWETH,-

That there are several questions of vital
consequence to the interests of this Province
which require immediate consideration by the
Representatives of the People in the Provincial
Council.

That there is no reasonable probability,
owing to the occurrences which led to the pro-
rogation of the Council, and to circumstances
which have lately been brought under the con-
sideration of your Excellency in Council, that
the Auckland Provincial Council which has
been summoned to meet on the 17th August
instant, will be enabled to proceed with the
public business.

That in the opinion of your Memorialists the
great majority of their respective Constituents
and the people of this Province desire a disso-
lution of the present Council.

Your Memorialists, therefore, respectfully
pray that your Excellency may be pleased to
dissolve the Auckland Provincial Council
without delay.

WM. POWDITсн, М.Р.С.
JOHN KELLY, M.P.C.
ALLAN O'NEILL, M.P.C.
C. A. HARRIS, M.P.C.
HUGH COOLAHAN, M.P.C.
HENRY MATSON, M.P.C.
ROBERT SCHULTZ, M.P.C.
FRED. W. MERRIMAN, M.P.C.
J. DILWORTH, М.Р.С.
JOSEPH BRENNAN, M.P.C.
FRAS. CHAS. LEWIS, M.P.C.
W. BUCKLAND, M.P.C.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, August 14th, 1857.

STR,-With reference to your letter of yes-
terday's date, enclosing the copy of a letter
addressed to you by Major Matson, covering a
Memoria referred to therein, I have the honor
to transmit a communication in reply to that
Memorial.

I have, &c.,
E. W. STAFFORD.

His Honor
the Superintendent, Auckland.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, August 14th, 1857.

SIR,-I am directed by the Colonial Secre-
tary to acknowledge the receipt of a Memorial
to His Excellency, signed by gentlemen repre-
senting eleven seats in the Auckland Provin-
cial Council, praying that the Council be dis-
solved, and to inform you that the same has
been laid before the Governor, and that as the
Provincial Council has been summoned to

meet in three days from the present, his Excel-
lency has not been advised to forestall its action.
I have, &c.,
W. GISBORNE,
Under Secretary.

Major Matson.

Auckland, August 14th, 1857.

SIR,-I have the honor to forward, for the
consideration of His Excellency the Governor,
a Petition praying for the Dissolution of the
Auckland Provincial Council.

This Petition was adopted at a Public Meet-
ing held on the 6th instant, at which I had the
honor to preside, and has since received the
signatures of 1350 persons. Had there been
time, I may add, a much greater number of
persons would have adopted this method of
expressing their opinion of the necessity for an
immediate dissolution of the Council.

Commending the prayer of the Petition to
the earnest attention of His Excellency the
Governor and his Executive Council,

I have, &c.,
HENRY MATSON,
Chairman..

To the Honorable
The Colonial Secretary.

To His Excellency Colonel THOMAS GORE:
BROWNE, C.B., Governor of the Colony
of New Zealand.

The humble Petition of the undersigned
Electors and Inhabitants of the Province of
Auckland

RESPECTFULLY SHEWETH-

That the interests of this Province
have already suffered from the delay in legis-
lating on several subjects of vital consequence
to those interests arising from the occurrence
which rendered necessary a prorogation of the
Provincial Council in the month of February
last.

That there is no ground to believe that the
Provincial Council, at the meeting which is
about to take place, will be enabled to proceed
to the consideration of those subjects requiring
immediate attention and deeply affecting the
prosperity of the Province; that, on the con-
trary, it seems certain that there can be nothing
more than a repetition of the scenes of per-
sonal strife and party conflict which disgraced
the close of the last session of the Provincial
Council.

That the members of the Provincial Coun-
cil having been chosen long previously to the
election of the present Superintendent, and
with a view to the carrying out a system of
policy differing essentially from that an-
nounced by him, and now approved by a
majority of the tors, harmonious action
between the two branches of the Provincial
legislature, which is indispensable to the pro-
motion of the public interests, seems im-
probable.

Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly and
most earnestly pray that for the sake of the
peace, order, and good government of the Pro-
vince, your Excellency will be pleased to dis-
solve the Provincial Council without delay.
[Here follow 1350 signatures.]

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, August 17th, 1857.

SIR,-I have the honor, by direction of the