remission of the sentence passed on such offender, or any respite of the execution of such sentence for such period as the Governor thinks fit, and further may remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures due or accrued to Us. Provided always that the Governor shall in no case, except where the offence has been of a political nature, unaccompanied by any other grave crime, make it a condition of any pardon or remission of sentence that the offender shall absent himself or be removed from the Colony.

X. The Governor may, so far as We Ourselves lawfully may, upon sufficient cause to him appearing, remove from his office, or suspend from the exercise of the same, any person holding any office or place within the Colony under or by virtue of any Commission or Warrant or other instrument granted, or which may be granted by Us or in Our name or under Our authority.

XI. The Governor may exercise all powers lawfully belonging to Us in respect of the summoning, proroguing, or dissolving any Legislative Body, which now is or hereafter may be established within the Colony, and in respect of the appointment of members thereto.

XII. [If the office of Governor becomes vacant the duties shall be carried out by a Lieutenant-Governor or other officer appointed by the Crown.]

XIII. [If the Governor is absent from the Colony for any period not exceeding one month, he shall none the less continue to fill the office of Governor.]

XIV. [During such temporary absence the Governor may appoint a Deputy to act for him.]

XV. [All officers, ministers, and other inhabitants shall be aiding and assisting the Governor.]

XVI. [The term Governor" shall include every person for the time being administering the government of the Colony.]

XVII. [Power is reserved to revoke, alter, and amend these Letters Patent.]

XVIII. And We do direct and enjoin that these Our Letters Patent shall be read and proclaimed at such place or places within the Colony as the Governor shall think fit.

In witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent. Witness Ourself at Westminster, the Twentieth day of July, in the Fifty-seventh year of Our Reign. By Warrant under the Queen's Sign Manual.

MUIR MACKENZIE.

Statutes of Natal, " Parliament," p. 33.

GOVERNOR'S INSTRUCTIONS.

No. 128. To Our Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Our Colony of Natal, or to Our Lieutenant-Governor or other Officer for the time being administering the Government of Our said Colony.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, this Twentieth day of July 1893, in the Fifty-seventh year of Our Reign. WHEREAS by certain Letters Patent bearing even date herewith We have constituted, ordered, and declared that there shall be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief (therein and hereinafter called the Governor) in and over Our Colony of Natal (therein and hereinafter called the Colony):

And Whereas We have thereby authorised, empowered, and commanded the Governor to do and execute all things that belong to his said office, and to exercise the powers and authorities vested in him by a Law of the Colony styled the "Constitution Act, 1893," or by any other Act adding to, amending, or substituted for the same, and by Our said Letters Patent, or by any other Our Letters Patent adding to, amending, or substituted for the same, and by such commission as may be issued to him under Our Sign Manual and Signet, and according to such instructions as may from time to time be given to him under Our Sign Manual and Signet, or by Our Order in Our Privy Council, or by Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, and to such Laws as are now or shall hereafter be in force in the Colony :

And Whereas We did issue certain Instructions under Our Sign Manual and Signet, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February 1882, and certain Additional Instructions bearing date respectively the Sixth day of June 1885 and the Sixth day of December 1889; Now know you that We do hereby revoke the aforesaid Instructions and Additional Instructions and We do by these Our Instructions under Our Sign Manual and Signet direct and enjoin and declare Our Will and Pleasure as follows:

I. In these Our Instructions, unless inconsistent with the context, the term "Governor" shall include every person for the time being administering the Government of the Colony.

II. The Governor may, whenever he thinks fit, require any person in the public service to take the Oath of Allegiance, together with such other Oath or Oaths as may from time to time be prescribed by any Law in force in the Colony. The Governor is to administer such Oaths or cause them to be administered by some Public Officer of the Colony.

III. The Governor shall forthwith communicate these Our Instructions to the Executive Council, and likewise all such

others, from time to time, as he shall find convenient for Our service to impart to them.

IV. The Executive Council shall not proceed to the despatch of business unless duly summoned by authority of the Governor, nor unless two Members at least (exclusive of himself or of the Member presiding) be present and assisting throughout the whole of the meetings at which any such business shall be despatched.

V. The Governor shall attend and preside at the meetings of the Executive Council, unless prevented by some necessary or reasonable cause, and in his absence such Member as may be appointed by him in that behalf, or in the absence of such Member the senior Member of the Executive Council actually present shall preside; the seniority of the Members of the said Council being regulated according to the order of their respective appointments as Members thereof.

VI. Before exercising the powers of Supreme Chief, other than those by Law vested in the Governor in Council, the Governor shall acquaint his Ministers with the action which he proposes to take, and so far as may be possible shall arrange with them as to the course of action to be taken. The ultimate decision must, however, in every case rest with the Governor.

VII. In the execution of all other powers and authorities vested in him the Governor shall be guided by the advice of the Executive Council, but if in any case he shall see sufficient cause to dissent from the opinion of the said Council, he may act in the exercise of his said powers and authorities in opposition to the opinion of the Council, reporting the matter to Us without delay, with the reasons for his so acting.

In any such case it shall be competent to any Member of the said Council to require that there be recorded upon the Minutes of the Council the grounds of any advice or opinion that he may give upon the question.

VIII. The Governor shall not, except in the cases hereunder mentioned, assent in Our name to any Bill of any of the following classes:

1. Any Bill for the divorce of persons joined together in holy matrimony.

2. Any Bill whereby any grant of land or money, or other donation or gratuity, may be made to himself.

3. Any Bill affecting the currency of the Colony.

4. Any Bill imposing differential duties.

5. Any Bill the provisions of which shall appear inconsistent with obligations imposed upon Us by Treaty.

6. Any Bill interfering with the discipline or control of Our forces in the Colony by land or sea.

7. Any Bill of an extraordinary nature and importance,

whereby Our prerogative, or the rights and property of Our subjects not residing in the Colony, or the trade and shipping of the United Kingdom and its dependencies may be prejudiced.

8. Any Bill whereby persons not of European birth or descent may be subjected or made liable to any disabilities or restrictions to which persons of European birth or descent are not also subjected or made liable.

9. Any Bill containing provisions to which Our assent has been once refused, or which have been disallowed by Us;

Unless he shall have previously obtained Our Instructions upon such Bill through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, or unless such Bill shall contain a clause suspending the operation of such Bill until the signification in the Colony of Our pleasure thereupon, or unless the Governor shall have satisfied himself that an urgent necessity exists requiring that such Bill be brought into immediate operation, in which case he is authorised to assent in Our name to such Bill, unless the same shall be repugnant to the law of England, or inconsistent with any obligations imposed upon Us by Treaty. But he is to transmit to Us by the earliest opportunity the Bill so assented to, together with his reasons for assenting thereto.

IX. Whenever any offender shall have been condemned to suffer death by the sentence of any Court, the Governor shall consult the Executive Council upon the case of such offender, submitting to the Council any report that may have been made by the Judge who tried the case; and, whenever it appears advisable to do so, taking measures to invite the attendance of such Judge at the Council. The Governor shall not pardon or reprieve any such offender unless it shall appear to him expedient so to do, upon receiving the advice of the Executive Council thereon; but in all such cases he is to decide either to extend or to withhold a pardon or reprieve, according to his own deliberate judgment, whether the Members of the Executive Council concur therein or otherwise; entering nevertheless on the Minutes of the Executive Council, a Minute of his reasons at length in case he should decide any such question in opposition to the judgment of the majority of the Members thereof.

X. All commissions granted by the Governor to any persons to be Judges, Justices of the Peace, or other officers shall, unless otherwise provided by Law, be granted during pleasure only.

XI. The Governor, except in the execution of any Letters Patent or of any Commission under Our Sign Manual and Signet, shall not upon any pretence whatever quit the Colony without having first obtained leave from Us for so doing under

Our Sign Manual and Signet, or through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, unless for the purpose of visiting the Governor of Our Colony of the Cape of Good Hope, or of visiting some neighbouring State for periods not exceeding one month at any one time, nor exceeding in the aggregate one month for every year's service in the Colony.

Statutes of Natal, " Parliament," p. 36.

FRANCHISE AMENDMENT ACT, 1896. [23 May 1896.] No. 8, 1896.

No. 129. Act.-To amend the Law relating to the Franchise. WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the Law relating to the Franchise :

Be It Therefore Enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly of Natal, as follows:

I. Act No. 25, 1894, shall be and the same is hereby repealed.

2. Save those who come under the operation of Section 3 of this Act, no persons shall be qualified to have their names inserted in any List of Electors, or in any Voters' Roll, or to vote as Electors within the meaning of Section 22 of the Constitution Act of 1893, or of any Law relating to the election of members of the Legislative Assembly, who (not being of European origin) are Natives or descendants in the male line of Natives of countries which have not hitherto possessed elective representative institutions founded on the Parliamentary Franchise, unless they shall first obtain an order from the Governor in Council exempting them from the operation of this Act.

3. The provisions of Section 2 of this Act shall not apply to persons of the class mentioned in that section whose names are rightly contained in any Voters' Roll in force at the date of the promulgation of this Act, and who are otherwise competent and qualified as electors.

Statutes of Natal," Parliament," p. 43.

No. 130. ANNEXATION OF ZULULAND. [29 Dec. 1897.]

[Cetewayo, King of the Zulus, who succeeded Panda in 1872, kept a powerful army which was regarded as threatening to the safety of Natal. The Governor's demands for redress for certain acts of provocation were not complied with, and war broke out in 1879. Soon the greater part of Zululand became British territory, and by an arrangement made in 1887 it was administered by the Governor of Natal with