British sovereignty, in the case of the North Island by virtue of the Treaty of Waitangi, and in the case of the South Island and Stewart Island by right of discovery. On the treaty being signed in the South Island a formal proclamation of British sovereignty of that Island in accordance with the consent of the Maoris was made at Cloudy Bay on June 17th, 1840, by Major Bunbury. New Zealand remained a dependency of New South Wales until May 3rd, 1841, when it was created a separate Colony by Royal Charter, dated November 16th, 1840.
The necessary legislation having at length been enacted, on September 23rd, 1847, a charter was signed dividing the Colony into two Provinces—New Ulster and New Munster. This was proclaimed in New Zealand on March 10th, 1848. Portion of this Charter, however, was suspended for five years and before it came into operation a new Constitution was obtained. Under this the Provinces of New Ulster and New Munster were abolished, and the Colony was divided into six Provinces, Auckland, New Plymouth (later altered to Taranaki), Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. Each Province was to be presided over by an elective superintendent, and have an elective Provincial Council empowered to legislate except on certain specified subjects.
The Provincial Governments, which were afterwards increased to nine by the formation
