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Proclamation by Gipps appointing Hobson as Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand [1840] NZConLRes 2 (14 January 1840)

Last Updated: 21 August 2017

Proclamation

By his Excellency Sir George Gipps, Knight, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty’s Territory of New South Wales and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c., &c., &c.

WHEREAS Her Majesty was graciously pleased, by certain Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the fifth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, to constitute and appoint Me, Sir George Gipps, Knight, to be Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Territory called New South Wales, comprised within the limits therein mentioned; And whereas Her Majesty, by certain other Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the said United Kingdom, bearing date the fifteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, was pleased to revoke so much of the said first recited Letters Patent as describes the limits of Her Majesty’s said Territory of New South Wales, and to further extend the limits thereof, so as to include any Territory which is or may be acquired in sovereignty by Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors, within that group of Islands in the Pacific Ocean commonly called New Zealand, and lying between the latitude of thirty-four degrees thirty minutes and forty-seven degrees ten minutes south and one hundred and sixty-six degrees five minutes, and one hundred and seventy-nine degrees east longitude, reckoning from the meridian of Greenwich: And whereas Her Majesty, reposing especial trust and confidence in the prudence, courage, and loyalty of William Hobson, Esquire, Captain in Her Majesty’s navy, has been pleased, by a Commission under the Royal Signet and Sign Manual, bearing date the thirtieth day of July, in the year One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine, to constitute and appoint the said William Hobson, esquire, to be her Majesty’s Lieutenant-Governor in and over that part of Her Majesty’s Territory so described, as aforesaid, in the said last recited Letters Patent, which is or may be acquired in sovereignty by Her Majesty, Her heirs or successors, within that group of Islands in the Pacific Ocean commonly called New Zealand, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy, the said office of Lieutenant-Governor during Her Majesty’s pleasure: And whereas Her Majesty was pleased to command that in the execution of such his Office he, the said Lieutenant-Governor, should obey all such lawful instructions as might be from time to time addressed to him by Me, the said Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief, or in the event of my death, or absence from the limits of my Government and Command, by the Officer for the time being administering the Government of the said Territory and its Dependencies: Now I, the Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief aforesaid, do hereby proclaim and declare that I have this day administered the prescribed oaths to the said William Hobson, Esquire, as Lieutenant-Governor of such parts of the said Territory as is or may be acquired in sovereignty as aforesaid: And I hereby call upon all British subjects to be aiding and assisting the said William Hobson, Esquire, in the execution of his said Office.

Given under my Hand and Seal, at Government House, Sydney, this fourteenth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and forty, and in the Third year of Her Majesty’s Reign.

GEORGE GIPPS,

Governor-in-Chief.

By His Excellency’s Command

E. DEAS THOMSON

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.