A.—3a

119

7. Within the last few days, however, I have received through the newspapers the very gratifying intelligence that upon the 3rd May you had, in Parliament, moved for and obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the purpose of immediately conferring a Constitution upon New Zealand ; and under these altered circumstances I now beg to report that I shall consider it my duty, in reference to the Province of New Munster, to direct that no writs for the election of members shall be issued until your farther instructions reach me. I have, &c, G. Grey. The Eight Hon. Sir J. S. Pakington.

Enclosure 1 in No. 46. Proclamation By His Excellency Sir George Grey, Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, and Governor of the Provinces of New Ulster and New Munster, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c. Analysis. Preamble, reciting Provincial Councils Ordinance, 22. Returning Officer for same. Session XL, No. 6. 23. Polling place for Taranaki. 1. Number of members of Council. 24. Returning Officer for same. 2. Number of electoral districts. 25. Writs for election of members. 3. Number of members of each district. 26. Days for nomination and for election, how fixed. 4. Qualification of electors. 27- Returning Officer to preside at the nomination. 5. Claims to be preferred. 28. In case of a contest. 6. Form of claim. 29. In case a poll be demanded. 7. When to be preferred. 30. The polling. 8. Where to be preferred for certain districts. 31. Mode of voting. 9. Where to be preferred for certain districts. 32. What inquiries may be made. 10. Where to be preferred for certain districts. 33. State of the poll to be declared. 11. List of claims to be prepared. 34. Names of persons elected to be inserted in writ. 12. And to be published. 35. Voting papers to be preserved. 13. Justices to prepare electoral roll. 36. New writ in certain cases. 14. Objections to claims. 37. Objections to validity of return. 15. Electoral roll, how to be formed. 38. Auckland to be deemed to be a town for purposes of 16. Proof of qualification, in what case required. Ordinance. 17. Electoral roll, how long in force. 39. Interpretation. 18. Copy of electoral roll to be published. 40. Proclamation to take effect from date. 19. Polling places for certain districts. Schedule. 20. And the Returning Officers. Plans. 21. Foiling place for Bay of Islands District. Preamble reciting Provincial Councils Ordinance, Session XL, No. 6. Whereas by an Ordinance enacted by the Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, Session XL, No. 6, intituled " An Ordinance to provide for the Establishment of Provincial Legislative Councils, and for the Election, &c, of Members to serve therein," it was amongst other things enacted that, for each of the provinces into wdiich the Islands of New Zealand then were or might thereafter be divided, there should be a Legislative Council, to consist of such number of members—not less than nine—as the Governor-in-Chief should by Proclamation in that behalf from time to time direct and appoint, and that two-thirds of the members of every such Council should be elected by the inhabitants of the province as thereinafter provided, and that it should be lawful for the Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, until provision should be made by law in that behalf, by Proclamation to be published in the New Zealand Government Gazette to constitute within every such province convenient electoral districts, and to appoint and declare the number of members to be elected for each such district, and to make provision for the registration and revision of lists of all persons qualified to vote at the elections to be hoiden within such districts, and for the appointing of returning officers, and for the issuing, executing, and returning the necessary writs for such elections, and for taking the poll thereat, and for determining the validity of all disputed returns, and otherwise for insuring the orderly, effective, and impartial conduct of such elections; and by the said recited Ordinance power was given to the Governor-in-Chief by Proclamation to declare certain places to be " towns " for the purposes of the said Ordinance : Now, therefore, I, the Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, in pursuance and by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the said recited Ordinance, and under and by virtue of all other powers and authorities enabling me in that behalf, do hereby proclaim, declare, direct, and appoint that as to and concerning the Province of New Ulster, as follows, that is to say, — Number of members of Council. 1. That the Legislative Council of the said province shall consist of eighteen members. Number of electoral districts. 2. That the said province, for the purpose of the election of the Legislative Council thereof, shall be divided into eight electoral districts, to be named as follows: (1) The City of Auckland, (2) the Suburbs of Auckland, (3) the Pensioner Settlements, (4) the Northern Division, (5) the Southern Division, (6) the Bay of Islands, (7) New Plymouth, (8) Taranaki; the boundaries of the said districts being particularly set forth and described in the Schedule and delineated on the map or plan respectively hereunto annexed. Number of members for each district. 3. The number of members to be elected to serve for the said several districts shall be as follows— viz. : (1) Eor the City of Auckland, thre emembers; (2) for the Suburbs of Auckland, one member; (3) for the Pensioner Settlements, one member; (4) for the Northern Division, two members; (5) for the Southern Division, two members ; (6) for the Bay of Islands, one member ; (7) for New Plymouth, one member ; (8) for Taranaki, one member.