486

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

Letters Patent and Commission appointing Sir
Hercules Robinson Governor of New Zealand.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 17th April, 1879.

THE following Letters Patent and Commission are
published by command of His Excellency.
G. S. WHITMORE.

DRAFT OF LETTERS PATENT passed under the Great
Seal of the United Kingdom, constituting the Office
of Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony
of New Zealand and its Dependencies.

VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender
of the Faith, Empress of India: To all to whom
these Presents shall come: Greeting.

WHEREAS We did, by certain Letters Patent, under
the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster,
the Sixth day of November, 1874, in the Thirty-
eighth year of Our Reign, constitute and appoint
Our Right Trusty and Entirely-beloved Cousin and
Councillor George Augustus Constantine, Marquis
of Normanby, Knight Commander of Our Most
Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint
George (now Knight Grand Cross of Our said
Most Distinguished Order), to be, for and during
Our will and pleasure, Our Governor and Com-
mander-in-Chief in and over Our Colony of New
Zealand and its Dependencies: And whereas We
are desirous of making permanent provision for the
Office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief in
and over Our said Colony of New Zealand and its
Dependencies, without making new Letters Patent
on each demise of the said Office. Now know ye
that We do by these presents revoke and determine
the said recited Letters Patent, and everything
therein contained: And further know ye that We,
of Our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere
motion, do by these presents constitute, order, and
declare that there shall be a Governor and Com-
mander-in-Chief in and over Our Colony of New
Zealand and its Dependencies (which said Colony
of New Zealand and its Dependencies are hereinafter
called The Colony), and that appointments to the
said Office, when vacant, shall be made by Commis-
sion under Our Sign Manual and Signet.

II. We do hereby authorize, empower, and com-
mand Our said Governor and Commander-in-Chief
(hereinafter called the Governor) to do and execute
all things that belong to his said Office, according to
the tenor of these Our Letters Patent and of such
Commission as may be issued to him under Our
Sign Manual and Signet, and according to such
Instructions as may from time to time be given to
him under Our Sign Manual and Signet, or by Our
Order in Our Privy Council, or by Us, through one
of Our Principal Secretaries of State, and to such
Laws as are now or shall hereafter be in force in the
Colony.

III. We do also by these Our Letters Patent
declare Our will and pleasure, as follows:—

IV. Every person appointed to fill the Office of
Governor shall, with all due solemnity, before
entering on any of the duties of his Office, cause
the Commission appointing him to be Governor to
be read and published at the seat of Government,
in the presence of the Chief Justice, or some other
Judge of the Supreme Court of the Colony, and of
the Members of the Executive Council thereof,
which being done, he shall then and there take
before them the Oath of Allegiance, in the form
provided by an Act passed in the Session holden
in the Thirty-first and Thirty-second years of Our

Reign, intituled an Act to amend the Law relating to
Promissory Oaths; and likewise the usual Oath for
the due execution of the Office of Governor, and for
the due and impartial administration of justice;
which Oaths the said Chief Justice or Judge is
hereby required to administer.

V. The Governor shall keep and use the Public
Seal of the Colony for sealing all things whatsoever
that shall pass the said Public Seal.

VI. There shall be an Executive Council for the
Colony, and the said Council shall consist of such
persons as are now or may at any time be Members
thereof in accordance with any Law enacted by the
Legislature of the Colony, and of such other persons
as the Governor shall, from time to time, in Our
name and on Our behalf, but subject to any Law
as aforesaid, appoint under the Public Seal of the
Colony to be Members of Our said Executive
Council.

VII. The Governor, in Our name and on Our
behalf, may make and execute, under the said Public
Seal, grants and dispositions of any lands which may
be lawfully granted and disposed of by Us within the
Colony.

VIII. The Governor may constitute and appoint,
in Our name and on Our behalf, all such Judges,
Commissioners, Justices of the Peace, and other
necessary Officers and Ministers of the Colony as
may be lawfully constituted or appointed by Us.

IX. When any crime has been committed within
the Colony, or for which the offender may be tried
therein, the Governor may as he shall see occasion,
in Our name and on Our behalf, grant a pardon to
any accomplice in such crime who shall give such
information as shall lead to the conviction of the
principal offender, or of any one of such offenders if
more than one; and further, may grant to any
offender convicted in any Court, or before any
Judge, or other Magistrate, within the Colony, a
pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions,
or any remission of the sentence passed on such
offender, or any respite of the execution of such
sentence for such period as the Governor thinks fit;
and further may remit any fines, penalties, or for-
feitures due or accrued to Us: Provided always that
the Governor shall in no case, except where the
offence has been of a political nature unaccompanied
by any other grave crime, make it a condition of any
pardon or remission of sentence that the offender
shall absent himself or be removed from the Colony.

X. The Governor may, so far as We Ourselves
lawfully may, upon sufficient cause to him appearing,
remove from his office, or suspend from the exercise
of the same, any person exercising any office or place
within the Colony, under or by virtue of any Com-
mission or Warrant granted, or which may be granted,
by Us, in Our name, or under Our authority.

XI. The Governor may exercise all powers law-
fully belonging to Us in respect of the summoning,
proroguing, or dissolving any Legislative Body, which
now is or hereafter may be established within Our
said Colony, and in respect of the appointment of
Members thereto.

XII. In the event of the death, incapacity, or
removal of the Governor, or of his departure from
the Colony, Our Lieutenant Governor, or, if there
be no such Officer in the Colony, then such person
or persons as We may appoint, under Our Sign
Manual and Signet, shall, during Our pleasure,
administer the Government of the Colony, first
taking the Oaths hereinbefore directed to be taken
by the Governor, and in the manner herein pre-
scribed; which being done, We do hereby authorize,
empower, and command Our Lieutenant Governor,
and every other such Administrator as aforesaid, to
do and execute during Our pleasure all things that