The Hon. The Colonial Secretary to the Seat of Government Commissioners.

I have the honour 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 inquire into and report upon the best site for the seat of Government of this colony on the shores of Cook Straits.

The Hon. Joseph Docker, the Hon. Sir Francis Murphy, and Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esq.

Enclosure.

His Excellency Sir George Grey, K night Commander of the Most Honourable 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:

To the Honourable Joseph Docker, Member of the Legislative Council of the Colony of New South Wales; the Honourable Sir Francis Murphy, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Victoria; and Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esquire.

Whereas on the thirtieth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, the Honourable 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 good 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. We 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 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 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 whereas on 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 necessary for the good government of the whole colony, and for the maintenance of its unity, that the permanent position of the seat of Government should now be finally settled. We 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 upon the shores of Cook 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 Straits in the discussion of a question so important to their respective interests. Such a tribunal would, in our opinion, be best formed by Commissioners having no interest in or relation with any part of the colony, and whose high social and intellectual standing should guarantee a full inquiry and an impartial decision, founded solely upon a consideration of the advantages which the different sites in Cook Straits present for the administration of the Government of the whole colony. We venture to think that the Governors of the neighbouring colonies would, if moved thereto by your Excellency, readily lend their aid in the selection of such Commissioners. We therefore respectfully pray that your Excellency will be pleased to request their Excellencies the Governors of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania each to appoint one Commissioner of the character and for the purpose herein referred to, and that your Excellency will be pleased to submit for the consideration of the Commissioners so appointed the question as to the best site for the seat of Government within Cook Straits. 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 of the colony, we respectfully but earnestly pray that your Excellency will cause no time to be lost in carrying into effect the measures now submitted:"

And whereas their Excellencies the Governors of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania aforesaid have, in pursuance of the aforesaid resolutions, respectively appointed the Honourable Joseph Docker, Member of the Legislative Council of the Colony of New South Wales; the Honourable Sir Francis Murphy, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Victoria; and Ronald Campbell Gunn, Esquire, to be such Commissioners as aforesaid:

And whereas it is expedient to confirm such appointment under the hand of the Governor and the Seal of the said Colony of New Zealand:

Given under my hand at the Government House, at Auckland, and issued under the Seal of the Colony of New Zealand, this twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.

The Seat of Government Commissioners to Sir George Grey.

We have the honour to transmit to your Excellency a report upon the site for the seat of Government of New Zealand in Cook Straits, a subject which was submitted for our consideration in the Commission with which your Excellency honoured us on the 29th of July last.

The Commissioners, acting under the above-recited instrument, have agreed to the following Report:—

In order to guarantee a full inquiry and impartial decision, founded solely upon a consideration of the advantages which the different sites in Cook Straits present for the administration of the Government of the whole colony, the Commissioners determined to lay down a principle of inquiry which would be rigidly applicable in the examination of every site submitted to their investigation. This principle comprised inquiries into—First. The central position of the site; its accessibility, either by land or sea, from the adjoining provinces of New Zealand, from the various British settlements in the Southern Hemisphere, and from Europe and America; and also the existing and projected means of communication. Second. The water capabilities, comprising: Character of harbour; the approaches; depth of water; nature of anchorage-ground; protection from prevailing winds; rise and fall of tides; currents, their direction and velocity; dangers, whether hidden or visible. Third. Land capabilities, comprising: The extent of proposed site; natural formation of the land; water-supply; facilities for drainage and sewerage; facilities for the construction of wharves and piers; the sanitary condition of the site and neighbourhood. Fourth. The resources of the surrounding country; its extent and character; quantity of available land (whether alienated or unalienated) for pastoral or agricultural pursuits; its timber for building purposes and fuel; other building materials; mineral products; roads and facilities of communication with proposed capital. Fifth. Capabilities of defence: from attack by land; from attack by sea. Sixth. Natural disadvantages: whether capable of removal from the appliances of science; whether beyond control or removal.

The Commissioners commenced their labours at Wellington, on the southern coast of the North Island. They collected all the information that could be laid before them on these several heads of inquiry, and tested the information, so obtained, by personal examination, wherever such a course was practicable. The Commissioners then proceeded along the South Coast to Whanganui, and personally examined the harbour and the surrounding country. The Commissioners then passed to the opposite shore of the Strait, and directed their attention to Picton, in the Province of Marlborough, and minutely examined Queen Charlotte Sound and the Tory Channel. They then proceeded inland to Blenheim, and (descending by the Wairau River) made a personal inspection of Port Underwood, represented to be the natural harbour of this district. They also examined the pastoral districts lying to the south and east of the Wairau Valley. Leaving Picton the Commissioners examined carefully the Pelorus Sound, to the Town of Havelock, in the same province, and from thence proceeded through the French Pass to Nelson. They made a personal inspection of Blind Bay, with its various harbours, including Croixelles on the east shore, and Massacre Bay and Astrolabe Roadstead upon the west, and visited portions of the interior of the country.

Having thus made themselves acquainted, as far as was practicable, with the character and capabilities of both shores of Cook Straits, the Commissioners have arrived at the unanimous conclusion that Wellington, in Port Nicholson, is the site upon the shores of Cook Straits which presents the greatest advantages for the administration of the Government of the colony.

The Commissioners cannot conclude the important mission which has been intrusted to them without recording their high sense of the valuable assistance afforded to them, in pursuing their investigation, by the authorities of the various provinces, and also of the spirit of candour and impartiality which has been displayed by the gentlemen furnishing the information they required. They are desirous also of placing on record their acknowledgment of the courtesy and personal kindness received by them in every district which they visited.