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A message from his Excellency the Governor was announced. His Excellency's Private Secretary was introduced, who presented the following message, which was read by the Speaker :— MESSAGE No. 1. THOMAS GORE BROWNE, Governor. The Governor takes the first opportunity, on assuming the government of the Islands of New Zealand, to forward to the House of Representatives the accompanying correspondence with the Secretary of State, having reference to the subject of the despatch addressed by the Secretary of State to the Officer administering the Government, dated Bth December, 1854, and published in the " New Zealand Government Gazette" of the Ist June, 1855, regarding the future Executive Government of New Zealand, in which despatch the Secretary of State intimates that the views of Her Majesty's Government on the points referred to therein will be communicated to the Governor. Government House, Auckland, 6th Sept., 1855. On motion of Mr. O'Neill, his Excellency's Message No. 1, with its enclosures, ordered to be printed. On motion of Mr. Travers, the previous notices of motion postponed, until after the consideration of (No. 4.) an address (o his Excellency the Governor, On motion of Mr. Brown, the Speaker left the Chair, and the House resolved itself into a Committee of the whole for the purpose of considering an address to his Excellency the Governor, congratulating him on his arrival in the Colony. On the Speaker resuming the Chair, the Chairman reported that the Committee recommended to the House the adoption of the following address :— To his Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, — We, the Commons of New Zealand, assembled in their House of Representatives, approach your Excellency with the expression of our sincere congratulation, on your safe arrival in this colony. Your Excellency will be gratified to learn that the general interests of the colony, taken as a whole, are in a state of high prosperity and advancement. We dare not flatter your Excellency with the assurance that the task you have undertaken will be free from difficulties. Grave and important questions, which have perplexed the Government of this colony from its earliest foundation, and others arising out of the introduction of a new and hitherto untried form of Constitution, are still unsettled. The solution of these questions remains for your Excellency, acting in conjunction with the people of the colony, through their Representative Legislature. In whatever measures may tend to the removal ot existing or future difficulties, or to the advancement of the interests of the colony, your Excellency may rely with confidence on the hearty support and co-operation of this House. Question —that the address be adopted by the House—put and passed. Mr. Hart, pursuant to notice, moved the adoption of the following address to her Majesty the Queen :— May it please your Majesty,— We, your Majesty's loyal and faithful subjects, the Commons of New Zealand, in their House of Representatives assembled, desire to approach your Majesty to e e w the assurance of our devoted attachment to your Majesty's Crown and person. We are desirous of laying before your Majesty the statement of doubts seriously affecting titles to land in the settlements formed by the New Zealand Company, originally purchased from the Company, held under grants from your Majesty, and for the removal whereof the action of the Imperial Parliament is required. By two Acts of the Imperial Parliament—namely, " An Act to grant certain powers to the New Zealand Company," passed in the Session of the ninth and tenth years of vour Majesty's reign, chapter 382, s. 51, and "An Act to regulate the affairs of certain Settlements "established by the New Zealand Company in New Zealand, passed in the Session of the fourteenth and fifteenth years of your Majesty's reign, chap. 84, sec. 10— the titles to land originally purchased of the New Zealand Company, and now held or to be held under grants from your Majesty, are rendered doubtful, and those lands are subjected to any undisclosed equitable estates, charges, and liens created by the purchaser or purchasers named in the land orders or contracts to which such grants relate. Though apparently just, this qualification of the grants is unjust. It allows of the existence of undisclosed equitable estates, charges, and liens against which no precaution ■whatever on the part of purchasers will enable them effectually to guard, and perpetuate, the difficulties on the part of vendors of disproving the existence of any such equitable estates, charges, and liens.