WHEREAS by an Act passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the eighteenth and nineteenth years of the Reign of Her Majesty, entitled, "_An Act to enable Her Majesty to assent to a Bill as amended of the Legislature of New South Wales 'to confer a Constitution on New South Wales, and to grant 'a Civil List to Her Majesty,'_" it was amongst other things enacted that it should be lawful for Her Majesty, by Letters Patent, to be from time to time issued under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to erect into a separate Colony or Colonies, any territories which might be separated from New South Wales by such alteration as therein was mentioned, of the northern boundary thereof; and in and by such Letters Patent, or by Order in Council, to make provision for the Government of any such Colony, and for the Establishment of a Legislature therein, in manner as nearly resembling the form of Government and Legislature which should be at such time established in New South Wales as the circumstances of such Colony will allow; and that full power should be given in and by such Letters Patent, or Order in Council, to the Legislature of the said Colony, to make further provision in that behalf. And whereas Her Majesty, in exercise of the powers so vested in Her Majesty, has by Her Commission under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, bearing date the sixth day of June, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, appointed that from and after the publication of the said Letters Patent in the Colonies of New South Wales and Queensland, the Territory described in the said Letters Patent should be separated from the said Colony of New South Wales and be erected into the separate Colony of Queensland: Now, therefore, I, SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, the Governor of Queensland, in pursuance of the authority invested in me by Her Majesty, do hereby proclaim and publish the said Letters Patent in the words and figures following, respectively. QUEENSLAND. _LETTERS PATENT erecting Moreton Bay into a Colony, under the name of_ QUEENSLAND, _and appointing_ SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, K.C.M.G., _to be Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the same_. VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, to Our trusty and well-beloved SIR GEORGE FERGUSON BOWEN, Knight Commander of Our most distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George,-- GREETING: