The Ashburton Guardian. TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1888. DEMISE OF THE CROWN BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1853, 29 May 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian.

TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1888. DEMISE OF THE CROWN BILL.

Magna est Vkritas kt Pr^valiibit

In order to make provision for certain matters m case of any demise of the Crown, a Bill intituled " Demise of the Crown Act, 1888/' has been introduced into the Hou3o this session by the Hon Sir F. Whitaker providing as follows : — The General Assembly of New Zealand m being at any future demise of the Crown shall not be determined or dissolved by such demise, but shall continue so long as it would have continued but for such demise, unless it shall be sooner prorogued or dissolved by the Governor. Any future demise of the Crown shall not affect anything done m New Zealand before the day whereon the Governor, by his Proclamation m the " New Zealand Gazette," has notified such demise, and all things done within tho said colony at any timo after such demißO but before tho day of the publication ofthe " Gazetto " containing the aforesaid Proclamation, and which but for tbis Act might be affected by any such demise, shall have the same effect and be of the samo force as if no such demise had happened. Every commission, warrant, or other authority for the exercise of any office or employment, of any kind or nature, within the colony, issued or exercised by the Governor m Council or tho Governor,, or by any other person m tho namo and on behalf of Her Majesty, m virtue of his office, or under the authority of any Act of the Imperial Parliament or of the General Assombly of New Zealand, or of any rules or regulations made thereunder respectively shall continue m full force notwithstanding any future demise of tho Crown until duly revoked or cancelled, and shall be of the same effect as if no such demise had happened, anything contained m an Act of the Imperial Parliament passed m the first year of his lato Majesty King William the fourth, chapter four, to tho contrary notwithstanding. — No action, suit, or other process or proceeding, civil or criminal, m or to which her Majesty shall be a party, or which shall have been commenced or carried on m her name or by her authority, shall, by reason of her demise, abate, discontinue, or be m any manner affected ; but every each action, suit, process, or proceeding shall and may be carried on, enforced, or otherwise completed or acted on m the name of her successor, and as if such demise had not happened. — All contracts of every kind lawfully entered into by or on behalf of Her Majesty with any person, body, or authority, and all benefit and advantage thereof, and all liability m respect thereof, shall respectively j attach and belong to tho heirs and successors of Her Majesty, although they bo not expressly named m any such contract. It has been the rule hitherto for the Ministers of the Crown to resign their offices upon the death of their Sovereign, and the foregoing Act is to provide that m New Zealand the Ministry shall not so go out of office, should Her Majesty's demise occur during their occupation of the Ministerial benches, Ihe Act will also apply to any Ministry m future who may be m power when the demise of the Crown iB announced. Tho Bill has been already read without debate, and it is certain to pass both Houses.