A,—3

13

Enclosure in No. 6. New Zealand Chaetee. Downing Street, 28th December, 1846. In pursuance of an Act made and passed in the ninth and tenth years of Her Majesty's reign, intituled "An Act to make further Provision for the Government of the New Zealand Islands," the Queen has been pleased to issue the following Letters Patent (being the New Zealand Charter), under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, and the Instructions under Her Majesty's Sign-Manual and Signet, accompanying the same. Victoeia, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, .Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting. Wheeeas by an Act made and passed in the Parliament holden in the ninth and tenth years of our reign, intituled "An Act to make further Provision for the Government of the New Zealand Islands," it is among other things enacted that it shall be lawful for us, in and by any Letters Patent to be issued, after the passing of the said Act, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, from time to time to constitute and establish within any district or districts of the Islands of New Zealand, one or more Municipal Corporation or Corporations, and to grant to any such Corporations all or any of the powers which (in pursuance of ihe statutes in that behalf made and provided) it is competent to us to grant to the inhabitants of any town or borough in England and Wales incorporated in virtue of such statutes or any of them, and to qualify and restrict the exercise of any such powers in such and the same manner as by the statutes last aforesaid, or any of them, we may qualify or restrict the exercise of any such powers in England ; and it is by the said Act further enacted that it shall be lawful for us, by anv such Letters Patent as aforesaid, to make and prescribe all such rules as to us shall seem fit for determining the extent and boundaries of the districts to be comprised within any such Municipal Corporations as aforesaid, and for regulating the choice and election of the various officers of any such Corporations, and of the members of the governing bodies thereof, and for ascertaining the qualifications of the members of, any such Municipal Corporations; and it is by the said Act further enacted that it shall be lawful for us to execute any of the powers thereby vested in us, by Instructions under our Signet and Sign-Manual, approved in our Privy Council, and accompanying or referred to in Letters Patent to be issued as aforesaid; and that it shall be lawful for us, by any such Letters Patent or Instructions, to delegate to the Governor-in-Chief for the time being of the Islands of New Zealand, or to the respective Governors for the time being of the respective provinces into which the said Islands may be divided, the exercise of such of the powers by the said Act vested in us as it may seem meet to us so to delegate, and to prescribe the manner and form in which, and the conditions subject to which, such delegated authority shall so be exercised : Now know ye that, in pursuance of the said recited Act, and in exercise of the powers thereby in us vested, and also in exercise of all and every other the powers to us in that behalf in anywise belonging, we, of our special grace, mere motion, and certain knowledge, have constituted and established, and do hereby constitute and establish within the said Islands of New Zealand such Municipal Corporations, with such powers, qualifications, and restrictions as are mentioned and directed in certain Instructions by us given under our Signet and Sign-Manual, approved in our Privy Council, and bearing even date with and accompanying these presents. 11. And in further pursuance and exercise of the powers aforesaid, we do hereby grant, appoint, and ordain that the districts to be comprised within such Municipal Corporations respectively, shall be of such extent, and shall have such boundaries as are prescribed and provided for in and by the said Instructions, and that the choice and election of the various officers of the said Corporations respectively and of the members of the governing bodies thereof, shall take place and be regulated according to the rules and in the manner and form prescribed and provided for in and by the said Instructions, and that the qualifications of the members of the said Municipal Corporations shall in like manner be ascertained according to the rules and in the manner and form prescribed and provided for in and by the said Instructions. 111. And whereas it is by the said recited Act further enacted that it shall be lawful for us, in and by any Letters Patent to be issued as aforesaid, from time to time to divide the said Islands of New Zealand into two or more separate provinces, and to constitute and establish within the same two or more separate Assemblies, that is to say, one such Assembly in and for each of such separate provinces, and that each of the said Assemblies shall consist of and be holden by a Governor, a Legislative Council, and a House of Eepresentatives: Now, therefore, in further pursuance of the said recited Act, and in exercise of the powers thereby in us vested, we do hereby grant, ordain, and appoint, that the said Islands of New Zealand shall be divided into two separate provinces, to be called respectively the " Province of New Ulster," and the " Province of .New Munster ;" and we do hereby divide the said Islands according^ ; and we do hereby constitute and establish a separate Assembly within each of the said two provinces, to consist of and be holden by a Governor, .Legislative Council, and a House of Eepresentatives ; and we do hereby declare, ordain, and appoint, that the limits of the said provinces respectively, and the time at which in each of the said provinces respectively, the said Assemblies shall be convened or holden, shall be determined in the manner and form prescribed and provided for in and by the said Instructions hereinbefore mentioned. IV. And whereas it is by the said recited Act further enacted that each of the said Legislative Councils, when constituted, shall consist of such persons as we shall for that purpose appoint; and that the elections of the members of the said Houses of Eepresentatives shall take place in such manner and form, and under such regulations, as shall for that purpose be prescribed in any such Letters Patent as aforesaid: Now, therefore, in further pursuance and exercise of the powers aforesaid, we do hereby grant, appoint, and ordain that the said Legislative Councils shall consist of such persons as are for that purpose appointed or designated by us in the said Instructions hereinbefore mentioned, and that the elections of members of the said Houses of Eepresentatives respectively shall take place in the manner and form and under the regulations prescribed and provided for in and by the said instructions hereinbefore mentioned.