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and over Her Majesty’s Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c, &c, &c.

WHEREAS by an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand intituled the “Supreme Court Act, 1860” it is enacted that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council from time to time to divide the Colony into Judicial Districts for the purposes of the said Act and the limits of such Districts from time to time to alter as occasion may require: And by the said Act it is further provided that the Governor in Council shall assign every such District to a Judge or Judges of the Supreme Court, who shall have within the same all the powers and jurisdiction by the said Act given to the Court: And it is further provided that there shall be held Circuit Courts for the despatch of Civil and Criminal business of the Court before one of the Judges thereof, at such times and places as the Governor in Council may from time to time appoint:

And whereas by a Proclamation dated the twenty-sixth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, issued under the hand of Thomas Gore Browne, Esquire, then the Governor of the said Colony, and under the Public Seal thereof, the said Colony for the purposes of the Act was divided into three Districts, called respectively the Northern District, the Middle District, and the Southern District, which Districts are particularly described in the said Proclamation: And in the said Proclamation the said Southern District was assigned unto Henry Barnes Gresson, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court, and certain times and places were appointed for holding Circuit Courts as aforesaid for the said Southern District: And whereas by a Proclamation made and issued as aforesaid, bearing date the sixth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, Circuit Courts were appointed to be held at Dunedin in the said Southern District, on the days therein mentioned: And whereas it is expedient that a new District under the said Act should be formed, by the division of the said Southern District into two Districts:

Now, therefore, I, Sir George Grey, the Governor of the said Colony, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council thereof, do hereby in pursuance and execution of the said Act annul the said last recited Proclamation and do revoke the said first recited Proclamation so far as concerns the said Southern District, and do hereby proclaim and declare that for the purposes of the said Act, that portion of the Colony which is situated to the south of the boundary line separating the Province of Canterbury from the Provinces of Nelson and Marlborough shall be divided into two Districts, to be called respectively the Canterbury District and the Otago and Southland District: And that the Canterbury District shall comprise the said Province of Canterbury, and that the Otago and Southland District shall comprise all that portion of the Colony which lies to the south of the boundary line separating the said Province of Canterbury from the Province of Otago: And in further pursuance and execution of the said Act, I do hereby, with the advice and consent aforesaid, proclaim and declare that I assign the said Canterbury District unto the said Henry Barnes Gresson, and the said Otago and Southland District unto Christopher William Richmond, Esquire, a Judge of the said Court: And that Circuit Courts shall be holden for the said Canterbury District at the Town of Christchurch in the said Province of Canterbury, on the first day of March, the first day of June, the first day of September, and the first day of December, in every year: And for the said Otago and Southland District, at the Town of Dunedin in the Province of Otago, on the first day of March, the first day of June, the first day of September, and the first day of December, in every year; and at the Town of Invercargill in the Province of Southland, on the tenth day of January, and the tenth day of July, in every year, or as soon after the said days respectively as conveniently may be: And in case any one of the said days so fixed as aforesaid shall happen to be a Sunday or Holiday, then the Court appointed for such day shall be holden on the day following. And with the advice and consent aforesaid I do lastly proclaim and declare that this Proclamation shall come into operation and take effect on the first day of May next.

Given under my hand at New Plymouth, and issued under the Seal of the Colony of New Zealand this twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.

G. Grey.

By His Excellency’s command,

Alfred Domett.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!