The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

cording to their usages, should be allowed to interpret
and to administer .their own laws. Even beyond those
precincts the same practice should be followed in all
,cases, whether civil or criminal, in which the natives
alone have any direct and immediate interest. Difficul-
ties will of course arise in the execution of such rules,
but not, I think, any which may not be easily sur-
mounted ; for the administration of different laws to
different races of men inhabiting the same country under
one common sovereign, is a practice which has pre-
vailed so extensively, that scarcely any civilised nation
can be mentioned in which some examples of it have
not occurred. With the increase of Christian know-
ledge, of civilisation, of the use of the English tongue,
and of mutual confidence between the two races, these dis-

tinctions of law and of legal customs will, I trust, become
unnecessary and obsolete. In the meantime we must
await that consunsmation with every reasonable indul-
gence for the innocent habits and for the venial preju-
dices of the aboriginal race with which we have thus
been brought into contact.
I pass over in this dispatch, as in the accompanying
instruments her Majesty has passed over, in silence,
many topics of the greatest importance to the future
good government of New Zealand. Such are the ad-

ministration of justice, the management of the revenue,
the education of youth, and the provision to be made
(or public Christian worship. On these and similar
questions I think it better to await, than to anticipate
the deliberations of the legislative bodies about to be
convened in New Zealand. They will properly form the
subject of a separate and future correspondence.
The Act of Parliament which I now transmit to you,
and the instruments which have been issued in pursuance
of it, are framed in the spirit of an unreserved confi-
dence, both i❑ the capacity and in the willingness of the
British settlers in New Zealand to regulate their own
internal affairs in such a manner as may best conduce
to the welfare of the colony and of the empire of which
it forms a part. To men to whom so high a trust
has been committed, it is fitting that the Minister of the
Crown charged with the communication. to them of her
Majesty's gracious intentions should address himself
in the language of frankness and of candour. I there-
fore do not scruple to observe, that the experience of
our widely-extended empire has ascertained that the
otherwise inestimable advantages of colonial self-
government are attended with at least one serious dan•
ger. It is the danger that the powers conferred by
this great franchise on the representatives of the people
may be perverted into an instrument for the oppress'-on
of the less civilised and less powerful races of men
inhabiting the same colony. This abuse has arisen in
our colonies, not because the wealthier and better edu-
cated classes of society there are in any respect in-
ferior in character to the corresponding classes of
society elsewhere, but because they are exposed to a
temptation from which the greater number of imperial
and independent legislatures are ex. inapt. They live in
a vicinity to which nothing parallel exists in the an-
cient states of Europe. Such a vicinity exists, and, conse-
quently, such a temptation will arise in New Zealand.
I, therefore, acquit myself of a duty, involving no failure
of respect to the future assemblies of that colony, in
thus unreservedly pointing out to you, and through
you commending to their attention, the sacred duty
which will be incumbent on them, of watching over
the interest, protecting the persons, and, as far as
may be, cultivating the minds of the aboriginal race
among whom they and their constituents have settled.
They can render no service more acceptable to the
Queen, to Parliament, and to the people of this country
at large.

Although her Majesty has confided to your discretion
the time from which the new charter is to be promul-
gated and to take effect, and although in the exercise of
that discretion you will of course weigh every material
circumstance, including many which it would be impos-
sible for me to foresee or to estimate aright, yet you
will understand it to be her Majesty's pleasure that no
delay should intervene which those circumstances may
not justify and require. I have, &C.

THE NEW ZEALAND CHARTER.
Victoria, 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, greet-
ing.—Whereas by an Act made and passed in the Par-
liament holden in the ninth and tenth years of our
reign, entitled " An Act to make further Prevision 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 estab-
lish 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 the
statutes in that behalf made and provided) it is com-
petent 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 any such letters patent as aforesaid, to make

and prescribe all such rule; 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 ascer-
taining the qualifications of the members of any such
inuni2ipal 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 oar Privy
Council, and accompanying or referred to in letters
patent to be issued as aforesaid, and that it shall be law-
ful 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 Gover-
nors 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 man-
ner 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 spe-
cial grace, mere motion, and certain knowledge, have
constituted and established, and do hereby consti-
tute 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 or-
dain, that the districts to be comprised within such mu-
nicipal 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 ar.d be regu-
lated according to the rules and in the manner and form
prescribed and provided for in and by the said instruc-
tions ; 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 fur-
ther 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
separate provinces, and to constitute and esta-
tlishwith 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 Legis-
lative Council, and a House of Representatives ; now,
therefore, in further pursuance of the said recided Act,
and in exercise of the powers thereby in us vested, we
II() hereby grant, ordain, and appoint, that the said
islands of New Zealand shall be divided into two sepa
rate provinces, to be called respectively the " Province
of New Ulster," and the "Province of New Munster;"
and we do hereby divide the said islands accordingly ;
and we do hereby constitute and establish a separate
assembly within each of the said two provinces, to con-
sist of and be holden by a Governor, Legislative Coun-
cil, and a House of Representatives ; 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 fur
that purpose appoint; and that the elections of the mem-
bers of the said Houses of Representatives shall take
place in such manner and form, and under such regula-
tions 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 Legis-
lative 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 elec-
tions of members of the said Houses of Representatives
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.
V. And whereas it is by the said recited Act further
enacted, that it shall be lawful for us, in and by any such
letters patent to be issued as aforesaid, to constitute and
establish a General Assembly in and for the said islands
of New Zealand, to be called the General Assembly
of New Zealand, which said General Assembly shall
consist of, and be holden by, the Governor-in-
Chief of the said islands, and a Legislative Council,
and a House of Representatives ; and that such
shLe-
gislativealifor
that Council
purposeshall
appoint; consist
and
suchd that
such
Houseas s‘
of
Representatives Representatives shall consist of members of the respec-
tive Houses of Representatives of the several provinces
into which the said islands may be divided ; which mem-
bers, so to serve in the said General Assembly, shall be
eleeted,nominatedr,oramnd,
andap uponpointe
d andby b
such persons,
such
onss,in
such manner and
rules and conditions as we, by any such letters patent
as aforesaid, shall direct ; now, therefore, in further
pursuance of the said recited Act, and in exercise of the
powers thereby in us vested, we do hereby constitute
i
and establish a General Assembly n and for the islands
of New Zealand. to be called "the General Aisembly
I of New Zealand," and to consist of, and to be holden by,
the Gov,rce.r-in-Chief of the said islands, it Lt•gislati!t.
Comm]. and a Iloth,e of lioprescntatirt's ; and e‘e do
hereby grant, appoint, and ordain, that the Legislative
Council of the said General Assembly of New Zealand