SIR JAMES FERGUSSON IN REPLY TO SIR GEORGE GREY

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 408, 14 November 1874, Page 3

SIR JAMES FERGUSSON IN REPLY TO SIR GEORGE GREY-

Wellington, Nov. 8 th. The "Times" publishes the reply of Sir James Fergusson to the petitiou from Sir George Grey. It is as follows : — "Sir, — I am directed by the Governor to acknowledge his receipt, through the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, of a petition to his Excellency signed by you, and forwarded by the Superintendent of "the Province of Auckland, together with a copy of a letter addressed by you to his Honor. | His Excellency iIODS not Accra it necessary to ! reply through that_ channel. The prayer of | your petition is that his Excellency will at I once summon the General Assembly of New Zealand to meet with the least possible delay; and further, that a copy of your petition be at j once transmitted to Her Majesty's Government with a respectful request that it be laid ' before Parliament, aud that his Excellency will immediately send a telegraphic message to Her Majesty's Government, pointing out that at the present time there is no person constitutionally or in point of law qualified to negotiate or communicate with Her Majesty's Government on the subject of the abolition of the Provincial Institutions of the the country. It appears to his Excellency that in praying him to summon the General Assembly immediately, aud transmit your petition to Her Majesty's Government, you propose he should act independently of, if not in opposition to, his responsible advisers, a course which would be justified onry by great and exceptional emergencies. The object to be gained by pursuing such a course is in your opinion that the Imperial Parliament might not be led without due warning to pass an Act which would 'destroy the comjnete representative institutions in this colony. As his Excellency is aware that there is not on the part of (he Government of New Zealand any intention to make application to the Imperial Government to propose any such measure to Parliament, or that there is any necessity for BO doing to enable ihe General Assembly in exerciso of its legitimate functions to carry out at its next ' session by specific legislation the Constitutional changes, which by resolution in its recent session it declared to be advisable. His Excellency hopes that with further information on this point you will be satisfied that the prayer of your petition ought not to be complie I with, and that it is also needless to, make telegraphic communication to Her Majesty's Government of a fact which mu9t be known to them, as it might be supposed to have been known to every person in this colony, that there is no ■person "qualified," if by' thrtt expression ill your petition is meant accredited to negotiate or communicate with Her Majesty's Government on the abolition of Provincial Institutions. His Excellency is very sensible that your experience is far greater than his own in duties of Colonial Governors, but it is nevertheless incumbent upon liim to act according to his own view of his duty, and considering as he does that to transmit your petition in its present form to Her Majesty's Government, with a remiest that it be laid before Parliament, would* be in some measure to accept as matter of fact the premises upon which it ia based, he is constrained to decline to accept your prayer in this particular. His Excellency desires to assure you that regarding as he does, with the greatest respect and consideration, an expression of opinion on the public affairs of New Zealand by one so highly qualified as yourself, he will most willingly and promptly transmit any representation you may desire to make directly through him, as the appointed channel, to Her Majesty or Her Majesty's Government in regard to these affairs. (Signed) " Frakcis A. Hare, " Private Secretary. « Sir George Grey, X.C.8."