CHARTER OF THE CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND. COPY OF A DESPATCH FROM EARL GREY TO GOVERNOR GREY.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 452, 14 August 1850, Page 3

CHARTER OF THE CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND. COPY OF A DESPATCH FROM EARL GREY TO GOVERNOR GREY.

Sin— l transmit you lietewith a copy of a Charter which has been is ned under the Girnt Stal of the United Kingdom foi incorporating the Cnnterbuiy Association of New Zealand.— l have, &c, (Signed) Grey. Governor Grey, &c. &c.

Copy (if Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom for incorporating the Canterbury Association of New Zea'und. Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Givat Britain and Ireland Qa en, Defender of the Fiiith, to all <o whom these t>h<ul come, gtceting : Whereas our light tiusiy and entirely beloved cousin and councillor Richard Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland, and oiheio of our loving subjects, numbers of the Church of England as by l.nv cstablibhed, have formed themselTes into an Association for founding and organizing in our coleny cf New Zealand or its dependencies, a settlement of colonists being wholly f members of the Kaid Established Church, and for the promoting and assisting the immigration uf su< h o' our loving subjects, being tuch members as aforesaid, as may be desirous of becoming settlers in the said colony ; and for providing effectually for their CBtab» lisbment and welfare in the same colony ; and to this Mid and purpose the said Association huve entered into arrangements for procuring to be set ■ apait and placed at the deposit of the said As. jsrcj^tion, a laiye tract >>f land iv our said colony of New Zealand oi its dependencies, which it is the pun pose ot the taid AsKjri.uion to sell and convey, or cause to b^ sold and conveyed, vi loti or parcels to such of our loving subjfets aforesaid ah m<>y be willing u> purchase portions iheriof: And wh reas il is the )Uipose ot the said Association to expend the whole ot the fundi which may come to their hands (whether anting from the tale of land or otherwise) in founding the intended settlement and promoting the prosperity more especially by the execuion of divers works and operations of a public nature adapted to prepare the site of the said intended settlement for the reception of immigrant!,, and afford peculiar facilities for the immediate beneficial occupation thereof, and by the establishment and muinteneuce ot ecclesiastical •nil educational institutions in connexion with the

Church of England as by law e&tablisned, and winch expenditure is intended to be regulated, bo far as cir cumstances will permit, accot<!u,» to the lollowinsy distribution and appropriation (that is to snv), the said funds shull be considered as divided into six equal piirts, whereof one bivih part sh ill hi- ipjiropua <>l to the acquisition of the tract o( I iml ipquwte for the s.te ot the sjkl intended settlement two other sixth p'irts sliall be appropriated to the emigiaton of scltlers, two other sixth parts thpieof (.hall bo appropriated to ecclesiastical and pdiictional put poses, and thn remaining Mxth piv't thei if shull be appropriated to the K erit>l f*l put poses of tlie A'Stoia'ion, including the execution of such prepaiatoy and other woiks und opetations as nioie-aid : And wheiiMt the mid Association hiiveieason to believe, that tin' proposed nuclei - taking would be ofgioat benefit and s»,i vice to our loving- subjects in general, and would tend to the lurilienincc of immigration into our said colony of New Z aland and its dependencies, and to the extension of the iniluuence and privileges of tiie Chuioh of England as by law established ; and we hive been acroid« iugly besought by the Association to grant to ihem and to those who shall hereafter become members of the said Assocation, our Royal Charter of Incorporation foi the purposes and objects aloresaid : Sow know ye, that we, being dtstrous of encouu.ging a design so laudable and salutary, of our especial grace, cettain knowleduc, and mere motion, have willed, gi anted, constituted, and declared, and do by these presents, for üb, our hen sand successors, will grant, constitute, and dtc are, that the sad liichtir > Archbishop of Dublin, and the several ethers of out loving subjt-cts, beinic members of the Chuich of En. land as by law established, who have foimed themselves into and are now mem* ers of the said Asiocia ion, or who shall at any time hereafter become members thereof according to such regulations or bye-laws as shall be hereafter frame t or funded, shall, by vntue of thfse promts, for ever hereafter he and be called one body politic and corporate, for the purposes and objects aforesaid, indeed and in law, by the name and atyle of "The Canteibuiy Association ior Founding a Settlement in New Z> aland," by which name thry shall have perpetual succession, and a common seal, with full poweis and authority to niter, vaiy, break, and renew iho same at iheir disci etion, und by the same name and stjle to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, imswer and be annwt-red unto, defend and be defended in every Court of us, our h"irs and successor, as fully and amply as any other of our subjects may 01 can do, and be ior ever able and capable in 1 lie liw to pm chase, receive, possess, and enjoy to them and their Biio<es-.ors, any goods and chatties whatsoiver and wheresoever, and also bt able and capable in the law, notwithstanding the statutes ot mortmain, to take, purchuse, possess, hold, and enjoy to them and tlii-ir successor*, an> messuuges, or tenements of any tenure, with the appuwenances, situate in any part or p.iits in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire* land, lequisile to he occupied or i'Bed for transacting or cuiyingoii the business of the haul Ass >ciation (not e\(t,rd.ug tne net annual value of £2000, such net uuimal value to be ral ulated and asmtained at the > enod taking, purth thing, or acquiring the same), and i.ny rueiouafjes, lands, tenements, 01 hereditaments in our said colony of New Zealand or its dependencies, and a'tjo to sell, alienate, mortgage, charge, or otherwise dispose of the property, as -well r-al as personal, of thu said body politic and corporate as they shall think pioper ; and also to act in all the concerns of the said uody politic and corporate for the purposes and ooject aforesaid, as fully and effectually, to all intents and purj'ObrS whatsoever, at any other of our kuhjeuts may 01 tan do m their respective concerns ; and we do hjriMy gi-uit'otr enpeciul licence and aulhoiky unto a 1 and every persons and person, bodies polite and corporate (otherwise competent), to grant, sell, alien, assign, couvt), or devise in moitmain, unto and to the use of the said Association and their successor, any such messuages, lauds, tenements, or hereditaments as afoiesud : And our will and pleasure is. and we further giant and declare, that there shall be a guieial meeting of the membeis of the said body politic and corporate, to be held from time to time as huvwiatter mentioned; and that there shall always be a committee of management, formed of and chosen from the menibeiB of the iaid body po ide and corpoiate as hereinalter also mentioned: And we do hereby further will, giant, and declare, Unit it skill be lawful for the members of the said body politic and corporate hereby established, and they are heieby required to ho d a genet al meeting i nee in eveiy year, or oftener, for the puiposeof making such bye-laws, rules, orders, regulation*, and resolutions, as may be necessary or expedient concerning the government oi the said body politic and corpoiate, mid the admission of members thereof, and the inducement oi the estates, goods, monies and husinebs thereof, und the election or appointment of members of the committee of uianngemrnt, and the timeo and place of melting of the said committee, and the nomination and appointment of ngents (with or without power of delegation), and of officers, clerks, and bervarus of the suid body politic and corporate, and concerning all or any other matters or things re lating to the said body politic or coiporate, or the pro* peity or uffaiis thi reof ; and that such geneial meetings may trorn time to time alter, vary, nr revoke such bye-law», rules, orders regulations, and resolutions, and make such new or other bye-laws, mlex, orders, regulations, aud resolutions c/iicerning the premises, as m«y be necessary or expedient, sr> that no such byolaws, rule, order, legulation, or resolution as aforesaid be repugnant to this our charter, or to the lawn and statutes of our tealm : Aud we do further will and declare» that the first gencial mietiug shall take pl.ee within hx calender months from the dale of this our Charter; and that the pi enent regulations of the said Association, bo far as i hey are consistant with these presents, shall continue in foice untul the same shall be altered by a genpral mcctiug : And our will and pleasure is, that at all i/eneral meetings of the said body politic and corpoia'e the moj >nty of the member* present, all of whom shall have a right to vote thereat, klmll decide upon (be xnaiterb brought foiward at such meeting, the person presiding thereat having, in case of an equ tlity of vo'es, a second or casting vote : And w. further will, grant, anu declare, that the commit tee of management shall have the management uud adminU~ tration of the propery, as well re*l as personal, of the vuid body politic and corporate, and the execution ot the powers and authorities thereof, and geneially the direction aud conduct of all the affairs and concerns thereof, and ahull ot may, but not inconsistently with our contrary to the | iovimoiis of this our Charter, oi any bye-law foi liie uini? being in foioe, or the laws aud Mututus ol our leal.o, do all such acis, deeds, mat leis, and things as shall appear to them necessaiy or expedient to be done fjr »he purpose ofcanying into eflect ihe pui-posss and objects of ths said body politic and corporate: Provided always, and we do lurther will and declare, that the committee of management shall, once in every year at least, render to a grncral meeting of the membeis of the said body politic and corporate, to be held as heieinbcforc provided, a full and particular account of all their proceedings ; and that it shall be lawful for every member of the siid body politic and corporate to inspect and examine the same account at all reasonable times witb.ui one calender mouth next after a general meeting : And we do

further will and declare that the expenditure of the funds of the said body politic nnel coipoiate shall be regulated according 1 to the distnbutinn and npptOjiriution herembefoic particularly mentioned, subject only to mcli variations or modifications us muy at any time, or from time to lime, be dinned or approved by (he resolution ol t "eneriil meeting sanctioned as hrreiu.if er is pr (Tided, and that the s»tid hoily politir and coi'corute shall cause dKtmct and tiuc accounts in writing under each head of expenditure to be kept in piuper hooki, and to be sul)miticd oncp in every year to such persons ns the Lords of tho committee of our Pi ivy Council appointed for the cousideiHtioi) of all mitt-, is relalirjf' to trade and foreign planfutioiis shall appoint to be the inspector of the accounts of the said b.idy prtliitc and corporate, together wiih such vouchers mid other documents, and Mich evidence and information relating thereto, and at such time nnd place as such inspector ahall require, in ouler that such inspector ma} examine such accounts and leport lucn on to the Lirds of the said committee : And we do fuithcr will and declare that every such report (with any nummary or Eta en enfc of the said accounts or oUikc docn-nentt, to be annexed thereto) shall with all convenient speed aftet the nuking thereof be punted and published by und at the expense of, the said body politic and cot no rate: And we do further will and declare th\t no direction or approval by a general meeting of any any variation or modification of such distribution and appropriation at aforesaid shall be of any force or effect miles* the same shall receive the sanction of the Lords of th« said committee of the Privy Council : And we do further will and declare, that the said body politic and corporate shall not make or enter into any contiacf or agreement involving an expenditure by the s.itd body politic of a sum exceeding £ J 2UOO or upwai ds, unless at the time of the making thereof, or within ten days thereafter, two members of the committee of management, nominated for that purpose by the Lords of the said comuoi tee of Puvy Council, shall by writing under their hands at the foot of a copy of such contract or agteemen f , certified by the secretary «r otiier pioper officer of the said body politic and corponi'e, declare thai it appeared fjom the a< counts of he naid body, submitted to them,— that the b>nd body public and corporate wai at the date of such contract of ngreement possessed of funds avuilable and adequate to answer the same: And we lastly dec are it to be our Royal will and pleasure thai no bye-law, rule, oider, ordinance, lesolution, or regulation shall on uny >trcount or pretence whatsoever be made by the said body politic and corpoaate in opposition to the general tscope, tenor, intern, and meaning of this our Charter, or the laws or statutes of our realm ; and that if any such bye-law, rule, order, ordinance, resolution, or regulation shall he made, the same hhall be absolutely null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever, and th.it it shall be lawful for us to revoke, cancel, and render void these presents, in case tho haul body politic and corporate shall at any time hereattr act iv any manner contrary to the provisions, stipulation*, true intent and meaning of this our Charter of Incorporation. In witness whereof, we have caused those our Le tors to be made Patent: Witness Outsell, at Westminster the thirteenth day of November, in the thirteenth year ot our reign. By Writ of Pi ivy Seal, Pep vs.