Humb. 59.

909

SUPPLEMENT
TO THE

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

OF THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1878.

Published by Authority.

WELLINGTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1878.

THE following Despatches and Memoranda are published for general informa-
tion.

No. 1.
G. GREY.

His Excellency the GOVERNOR to the SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES.
(No. 53.)
Government House, Wellington, 13th November, 1877.

MY LORD,-
I regret to say that a case has arisen which I am obliged to submit for your Lordship's
decision.

2. On the 26th October, Sir George Grey came to me and requested me, on the part of the
   Government, to appoint a Mr. Wilson to the Legislative Council. The Government had only been in
   office a few days, and there were many reasons which led me to doubt very much whether the Govern-
   ment, as then constituted, had ever possessed the confidence of the House, and a vote of want of
   confidence was then pending. The reason assigned by Sir George Grey for wishing for the appoint-
   ment was, that at present there is only one lawyer in the Legislative Council, and the Government
   were anxious to introduce another gentleman of the legal profession into that House. I replied to Sir
   George, that if he informed me that he wished for the appointment of Mr. Wilson for the purpose of
   enabling him to take office in the Government, I would make it at once, but that if it was, as he
   informed me, simply for the purpose of adding a member of the legal profession to the House, the
   matter could not possibly be pressing, and that I therefore considered it undesirable to make the
   appointment pending the vote of want of confidence, but that if the Government had a majority, I
   should be very glad to make it; and, when Sir George Grey left me, I was entirely under the
   impression that he had accepted my decision.

3. The next day, however, I received a memorandum referring to the reasons which I had given to
   Sir George Grey verbally the day before, and formally advising me, notwithstanding those reasons, to
   make the appointment at once, enclosing, at the same time, a commission made out in Mr. Wilson's
   favour for my signature.

4. I own at once that it never occurred to me that, by the privilege of Parliament, the Crown is
   not supposed to take notice of any matter "in agitation or debate" in the House; and it never
   entered into my mind that my answer could be construed into a breach of privilege, otherwise I should
   probably have answered that I required time to consider the matter.

5. The memorandum having quoted verbally the conversation which I had with Sir George Grey
   the day before, I unfortunately—though I think not very unnaturally—repeated in writing what I had
   said.

6. A day or two after, Sir George Grey advised me, in writing, to lay this memorandum before
   Parliament. It struck me at the time as being a curious request, and I was on the point of refusing
   my consent, and should certainly have done so (as I considered the communication, till it was laid
   before Parliament, as a confidential communication between myself and the Government), had it not
   been that I was afraid that if I a second time refused their advice, they might say that as I did not
   choose to take their advice, they must tender to me their resignation. It was on this ground, and on
   this ground alone, that I gave my consent.