Address presented to His Majesty by the Legislative Council and House of Assembly of Newfoundland.

To the King's Most Excellent Majesty:

Most Gracious Sovereign :

We, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Council and Assembly of Newfoundland, humbly approach Your Majesty praying that--

Whereas in the present emergency Your Majesty's Island of Newfoundland is unable from its own resources to defray the interest charges on the public debt :

And whereas the Royal Commission appointed by Your Majesty's Warrant bearing the date the seventeenth day of February, 1933, to examine into the future of Newfoundland has recommended that for the time being, until such time as the Island may become self-supporting again, the administration of the Island should be vested in His Excellency the Governor acting on the advice of a specially created Commission of Government and that during such period Your Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom should assume general responsibility for the finances of Newfoundland and should, in particular, make such arrangements as may be deemed just and practicable with a view to securing to Newfoundland a reduction in the present burden of public debt :

And whereas Your Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have signified their readiness subject to the approval of Parliament to accept the recommendations of the Royal Commission and have made detailed proposals for carrying those recommendations into effect :

Now, therefore, Your Majesty may be graciously pleased to suspend the Letters Patent under the Great Seal bearing the date at Westminster the Twenty-eight day of March, 1876, and Letters Patent under the Great Seal bearing the date at Westminster the Seventeenth day of July, 1905, and to issue new Letters Patent which would provide for the administration of the Island, until such time as it may become self-supporting again, on the basis of the recommendations which are contained in the Report of the Royal Commission and of which a summary is set out in the Annex hereto :

And further that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased to cause to be laid before the Parliament of the United Kingdom at its present Session such a measure as may enable them to be given immediate effect.