APRIL 24.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1213

Letters Patent, &c., relating to the Office of Governor-General.

HIS Excellency the Governor-General has it in command from His Majesty the King to publish the following Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New Zealand, further Letters Patent amending the same, and Instructions relating to the execution of that office, and the Commission appointing the Governor-General.

LIVERPOOL, Governor-General.

Government House,
Wellington, 17th April, 1919.

NEW ZEALAND.

LETTERS PATENT PASSED UNDER THE GREAT SEAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, CONSTITUTING THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DOMINION OF NEW ZEALAND.

Letters Patent, dated 11th May, 1917.

George the Fifth, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

Recites Imperial Act 26 & 27 Vict., c. 23.

WHEREAS by an Act passed in the Session held in the Twentieth-sixth and Twenty-seventh years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled “An Act to alter the Boundaries of New Zealand,” the Colony of New Zealand was defined as comprising all Territories, Islands, and Countries lying between the one hundred and sixty-second degree of East Longitude and the one hundred and seventy-third degree of West Longitude and between the thirty-third and fifty-third parallels of South Latitude:

Recites Governor’s Proclamation of 21st July, 1887.

And whereas by a Proclamation bearing date the twenty-first day of July 1887, issued by the Governor of New Zealand under authority of Letters Patent passed under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom, bearing date the eighteenth day of January 1887, the Islands situate in the South Pacific Ocean between the parallels of 29 degrees and 32 degrees South Latitude and the meridians of 177 degrees and 180 degrees West Longitude, known as the Kermadec Group, were, from and after the first day of August, 1887, annexed to and became part of the Colony of New Zealand:

Recites Governor’s Proclamation of 10th June, 1901.

And whereas by a Proclamation bearing date the tenth day of June 1901, issued by the Governor of New Zealand by authority of an Order by His late Majesty King Edward the Seventh in His Privy Council dated the thirteenth day of May 1901, made by virtue and in exercise of the powers vested in Him by the Colonial Boundaries Act 1895, the Boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand were on and after the eleventh day of June 1901 extended so as to include the islands of the Cook Group, and all other the Islands and Territories which were then or might thereafter form part of Our Dominions situate within the following boundary line, viz.: A line commencing at a point at the intersection of the 23rd degree of South Latitude and the 156th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, and proceeding due North to the point of intersection of the 8th degree of South Latitude and the 156th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, thence due West to the point of intersection of the 8th degree of South Latitude and the 167th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, thence due South to the point of intersection of the 17th degree of South Latitude and the 167th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, thence due West to the point of intersection of the 17th degree of South Latitude and the 170th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, thence due South to the point of intersection of the 23rd degree of South Latitude and the 170th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich, and thence due East to the point of intersection of the 23rd degree of South Latitude and the 156th degree of Longitude West of Greenwich:

Recites Royal Proclamation of 9th September, 1907.

And whereas by Royal Proclamation, bearing date the ninth day of September, 1907, His said Majesty did ordain, declare, and command that on and after the Twenty-sixth day of September 1907 the Colony of New Zealand and the territory belonging thereto should be called and known by the title of the Dominion of New Zealand:

Recites Letters Patent of 18th November, 1907.

And whereas, by certain Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the Eighteenth day of November 1907, His said Majesty did constitute, order, and declare that there should be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Dominion of New Zealand (therein called the Dominion) and that appointments to the said Office when vacant should be made by Commission under the Royal Sign Manual and Signet:

And whereas it has been represented to Us that it is expedient that the designation of the Officer administering the Government of Our Dominion of New Zealand should be changed from Governor and Commander-in-Chief to Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief and it has accordingly become necessary to make provision for the office of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand:

Revokes Letters Patent of 18th November, 1907. Constitutes the Office of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Dominion. Boundaries.

I. Now therefore We do by these presents revoke and determine the above-recited Letters Patent of the Eighteenth day of November 1907 but without prejudice to anything lawfully done thereunder. And We do by these presents constitute, order, and declare that there shall be a Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Dominion of New Zealand (herein-after called the Dominion), comprising the Territories, Islands, and Countries forming the Colony of New Zealand as defined in the above-recited Act, passed in the Session held in the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Years of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled “An Act to alter the Boundaries of New Zealand,” together with the further Islands and Territories included within the Boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand by the above-recited Proclamations of the Governor thereof, dated respectively the Twenty-first day of July, 1887, and the Tenth day of June 1901; and that appointments to the said office when vacant shall be made by Commission under Our Sign Manual and Signet.

Governor-General’s powers and authorities.

II. We do hereby authorize, empower, and command Our said Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief (herein-after called the Governor-General) 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 Dominion.

Publication of Governor-General’s Commission. Oaths to be taken by Governor-General. Imperial Act 31 & 32 Vict., c. 72.

III. Every person appointed to fill the Office of Governor-General shall, with all due solemnity, before entering on any of the duties of his Office, cause the Commission appointing him to be Governor-General 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 Dominion, 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 held in the Thirty-first and Thirty-second years of the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria 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-General and for the due and impartial administration of justice; which Oaths the said Chief Justice or Judge is hereby required to administer.

Public Seal.

IV. The Governor-General shall keep and use the Public Seal of the Dominion for sealing all things whatsoever that shall pass the said Public Seal.

Executive Council: Constitution of.

V. There shall be an Executive Council for the Dominion, and the said Council shall consist of such persons as were immediately before the coming into force of these Our Letters Patent Members of the Executive Council of New Zealand, or as may at any time be Members of the Executive Council of the Dominion in accordance with any Law enacted by the Legislature of the Dominion, and of such other persons as the Governor-General 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 Dominion to be Members of the Executive Council of the Dominion.

Grant of lands.

VI. The Governor-General, 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 Dominion.