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We are compelled to submit to your Majesty tliis our humble prayer, that your Majesty will be pleased to give effect to the principle of Ministerial Responsibility in the conduct of Legislative and Executive affairs, by instructing his Excellency the Officer administering the Government to remove from their offices the Gentlemen respectively filling the offices of Attorney-General, Colonial Secretary, and Colonial Treasurer of this Colony ; and further to instruct His Excellency to give your Majesty's Royal Assent to a Bill to be passed by the General Assembly, for establishing the Executive Government on the basis of Ministerial Responsibility. It would be impossible within the limits of this Address to narrats fully the circumstances under which we are obliged to make this appeal. We have ordered to be transmitted to your Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, the fullest and most authentic particulars, in sure reliance that the consideration of them, will satisfy your Majesty of the justice and wisdom of that measure which we now pray your Majesty to grant. We can assure your Majesty that a generous confidence in the people of this Colony, which shall place in their own hands, through an Executive Government responsible to a popular Legislature, a large controul over their own affairs, will be a sure means of uniting this distant dependency of Great Britain to its parent Empire by an indissoluble tie. Mr. Wortley also gave notice that at the same time he would move, that Mr. Speaker be instructed to transmit to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, copies of all papers and documents which have been laid before the House, relative to the establishment of Responsible Government. A deputation from the Legislative Council was announced. The deputation on being introduced presented two Bills, the "Interpretation Bill" and the "Dower Bill," to which they prayed the assent of the House. The deputation then withdrew. Mr. Fitzgerald gave notice that to-morrow he would move for leave to bring in a Bill for regulating the management of the Waste Lands of the Crown. Mr. Merriman moved that the course heretofore adopted with regard to Bills brought up from the Legislative Council be adhered to; viz., that the Bills be now read.—Agreed to. * Dower Bill read a first time, and ordered for second reading. O Interpretation Bill read a first time, and ordered for second reading. Mr. Forsaith moved, seconded by Mr. Cargill, the adoption of the address to his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, on this days notice paper, in answer to the Speech of his Excellency on opening the Session. Dr. Monro with the "leave of the House then read the following address, which he intended to move as an amendment:— AY e, the Commons of New Zealand assembled in their House of Representatives, acknowledge with great respect, the address delivered by your Excellency to this House at the opening of the present Session. Heartily concurring in the wish expressed by your Excellency to avoid reference to past differences between your Excellency and this House, and anxious to devote the small space of time which remains available of the Session before us, to measures of immediate importance, we respectfully point your Excellency's attention to the fact, that a large proportion of the Members of the Legislature drawn from the Southern parts of the Colony, have already been detained from their homes, soxe upwards of five months, none for a less period than three months and a-half ; and that they will be obliged to return thither by the next steamer which may be expected to leave Auckland probably within a few days from this time. It being obvious that under these circumstances, it would be impossible to give adeem ate consideration to alUhe measures proposed in your Excellency's address, this House can only state that it recognizes the practical utility of many of them. It must at the same time add, that as to a large proportion of those measures, it is of opinion, that they involve questions A« u 'b magnitude that they ought to be submitted to a Session of the General incr tS /rJfil bef T lt; for (lehbcratiou ' then only by a Government erijoyof the Legislature, and responsible to it for the proper administration of whatever measures may be adopted. But that which appears to this House to be its most urgent and imperative duty, is to pro- » ™» u