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No. 23. Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 25th July, 1864, Sir,— I have the honor to request that you will be pleased to tender Sir George Grey my best thanks for His Excellency's kind consideration in placing the Government House here at my disposal for the accommodation of the Commissioners for deciding on the Seat of Government. I have, &c., I. E. Featherston. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland.

No. 24. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, Ist August, 1864. Gentlemen, I have the honor to transmit to you the enclosed Commission under the hand of His Excellency the Governor and the Seal of the Colony, confirming your appointments as Commissioners to enquire into, and report upon the best site for the Seat of Government of this Colony on the shores of Cook's Straits. I have, &Ci, William Fox. The Hon. Joseph Docker, the Hon. Sir Francis Murphy, and Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esq.

Enclosure to No. 24. His Excellency Sir George Grey, Eight Commander cf the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Governor and Commander-in-Chief, in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand, and its Dependencies, and Vice Admiral of the same, &c, &c. To the Honorable Joseph Docker, Member of the Legislative Council of the Colony of New South Wales. The Honorable Sir Francis Murphy, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Victoria. Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esquire. Whereas on the thirtieth day of November, One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Three, the Honorable the Legislative Council of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, did resolve that the address hereafter set forth should be presented to me, and the same was accordingly presented, that is to say :— " May it please Your Excellency,— "We the Legislative Council of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled, desire respectfully to express to Your Excellency our strong conviction that the time has arrived when it has become imperatively necessary for the uood government of the whole Colony, and for the maintenance of its unity, that the permanent position of the Seat of Government should now be settled. " Wre are of opinion that the just claims and varied necessities of all parts of the Colony require that the Seat of Government should be placed in a central position, that is to say, somewhere on the shores of Cook's Straits. "We desire that the actual site of the Capital should be submitted to some independent tribunal by which the interests of the whole Colony may be impartially considered, apart from those local claims which are sure to be asserted by the several settlements of Cook's Straits, in the discussion of a question so important to their respective interests. " Impressed with the conviction that continued delay in the settlement of this question will only tend to keep alive those feelings of rivalry and jealousy between different parts of the Colony, which seriously impede the action of Responsible Government, and which threaten at no distant period the dismemberment of the Colony, we respectfully, but earnestly pray that your Excellency will cause no time to be lost in giving effect to the foregoing resolutions in such manner as to your Excellency may seem expedient." And WHEREASon the Twenty-fifth day of November, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-three, the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled did resolve that the address hereafter set forth should be presented to me, and the same was accordingly presented, that is to say :— May it please Your Excellency,— " We the Commons of New Zealand in Parliament Assembled, desire respectfully to express to Your Excellency our strong conviction that the time has arrived when it has become imperatively

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PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE REMOVAL OF THE