The first New Zealand Legislative Council, also known as the General Legislative Council, was established in 1841 when New Zealand was created as a Crown colony separate from New South Wales. The Legislative Council consisted of the governor, the colonial secretary, the colonial treasurer, and senior justices of the peace; all members were appointed. From 1848, there were additional provincial Legislative Councils for New Ulster and New Munster. The general Legislative Council had twelve sessions, and the first ten were held in Auckland while the last two were held in Wellington. In May 1852, an act provided for two thirds of the membership of the provincial Legislative Councils to be elected. Elections for the New Ulster Province had already been held when news was received that the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 had been passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. No meeting of the elected members was ever called. The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 disestablished the Legislative Council when writs for the first election of members of the New Zealand House of Representatives were returned. The original Legislative Councils ceased to exist in September 1853.
The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 created a bicameral general assembly consisting of the governor, a Legislative Council and a House of Representatives, an executive council (nominally appointed by the governor), and the Provinces of New Zealand (New Zealand was divided into six provinces).[1]
The New Zealand Legislative Council was formed in 1841 by governor William Hobson. The Charter for Erecting the Colony of New Zealand took effect from 3 May 1841; at that time the capital of New Zealand had just shifted from Okiato (Old Russell) to Auckland. The first session of the New Zealand Legislative Council was held in Auckland from 24 May to 10 July 1841. The initial members were Hobson as governor, Willoughby Shortland as colonial secretary, Francis Fisher as attorney-general, George Cooper as colonial treasurer, and a number of JPs: William Wakefield, William Cornwallis Symonds, James Reddy Clendon, Edmund Halswell, and George Butler Earp.
James Coates was clerk to the general Legislative Council during the entire time of its existence.
The general Legislative Council sat for twelve sessions, with the third session split across two periods. The sessions in Wellington were held in a room in the court house:[2]
| Session | from | to | location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 May 1841 | 10 July 1841 | Auckland | |
| 2 | 14 December 1841 | 15 March 1842 | Auckland | |
| 3 | 9 January 1844 | 13 January 1844 | Auckland | |
| 14 May 1844 | 18 July 1844 | |||
| 4 | 19 September 1844 | 28 September 1844 | Auckland | |
| 5 | 4 March 1845 | 22 April 1845 | Auckland | |
| 6 | 12 December 1845 | 13 December 1845 | Auckland | |
| 7 | 5 October 1846 | 18 November 1846 | Auckland | |
| 8 | 26 July 1847 | 16 October 1847 | Auckland | |
| 9 | 16 November 1848 | 18 November 1848 | Auckland | |
| 10 | 1 August 1849 | 25 August 1849 | Auckland | |
| 11 | 19 May 1851 | 2 August 1851 | Wellington | |
| 12 | 12 December 1852 | 5 January 1853 | Wellington |
The general Legislative Council had 41 members during its existence. Where membership was due to holding an office, this is identified in the table below. Members were entitled to the honorific prefix "Honourable". The last session of the council was adjourned in January 1853, and those who were present at this session, or not present but still held membership, are identified accordingly. There was no public announcement of the general Legislative Council having ceased to exist, but based on the New Zealand Constitution Acts and the date of writs received, it is likely that membership terminated on 28 September 1853.
Henry Tancred and William Deans were both invited in 1851 to represent Canterbury, but both declined.[3]
| Member | Office held | Appointed | Retired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | 3 May 1841 | 10 September 1842 | ||
| Colonial Secretary | 3 May 1841 | 26 December 1843 | ||
| Administrator | 10 September 1842 | 26 December 1843 | ||
| Francis Fisher | Attorney-General | 3 May 1841 | 28 September 1841 | |
| Colonial Treasurer | 3 May 1841 | 9 May 1842 | ||
| 3 May 1841 | September 1841 | |||
| 3 May 1841 | 23 November 1841 | |||
| 3 May 1841 | 13 January 1844 | |||
| 3 May 1841 | 10 July 1841 | |||
| George Butler Earp | 3 May 1841 | 15 March 1842 | ||
| William Swainson | Attorney-General | 28 September 1841 | (1) | |
| 27 October 1841 | 6 June 1844 | |||
| Colonial Treasurer | 9 May 1842 | (1) | ||
| Governor | 26 December 1843 | 17 November 1845 | ||
| Colonial Secretary | 8 January 1844 | (1) | ||
| 13 May 1844 | 3 March 1845 | |||
| 13 May 1844 | 3 March 1845 | |||
| 16 July 1847 | 16 November 1848 | |||
| 13 May 1844 | 3 March 1845 | |||
| 3 March 1845 | 22 December 1845 | |||
| William Donnelly < | -- Q96776752 --> | 3 March 1845 | 22 December 1845 | |
| 30 September 1846 | 4 August 1847 | |||
| 3 March 1845 | 22 December 1845 | |||
| Governor | 18 November 1845 | (1) | ||
| 30 September 1846 | 14 February 1848 | |||
| Colonial Secretary of New Munster | 14 February 1848 | (1) | ||
| Alexander Kennedy < | -- Q96776845 --> | 30 September 1846 | 16 July 1847 | |
| 16 November 1848 | (2) | |||
| 9 August 1847 | (2) | |||
| 16 November 1848 | (2) | |||
| Lieut-Governor of New Munster | 28 January 1848 | 7 March 1853 | ||
| Commander of the Forces | 28 January 1848 | (1) | ||
| Colonial Treasurer of New Munster | 28 January 1848 | (1) | ||
| Surveyor-General | 16 November 1848 | (2) | ||
| 16 November 1848 | (2) | |||
| 20 December 1848 | (1) | |||
| 20 December 1848 | (2) | |||
| Attorney-General of New Munster | 21 December 1848 | (1) | ||
| 24 July 1849 | (2) | |||
| 24 July 1849 | (2) | |||
| 24 July 1849 | (2) | |||
| Lieut-Governor of New Ulster | 1 August 1849 | 8 January 1851 | ||
| Collector of Customs | 19 May 1851 | (1) | ||
| 19 May 1851 | (1) | |||
| 3 June 1851 | 16 April 1853 | |||
| 3 June 1851 | 2 August 1851 | |||
| 3 June 1851 | 2 August 1851 |