1856–1861 Stafford Ministry

As the office of Premier had yet to be established, Edward Stafford served as head of the government, although initially Henry Sewell was the Minister who reported to the Governor.

[1] Stafford defeated William Fox 18–17 in a confidence motion based on the latter's proposal to give the provinces the bulk of state funding.

He thereafter resigned the Superintendency of Nelson Province and formed a ministry including Henry Sewell, who was soon sent to London to negotiate a loan, and the detail-oriented William Richmond.

In light of the rise of the Kingitanga, the Ministry favoured Francis Dart Fenton's scheme to create self-governing constitutional institutions for Maori, but was countermanded by Governor Thomas Gore Browne and his advisor, Donald McLean.

At the start of the 1861 session, Fox moved a confidence motion in the midst of the ramp-up of tensions in the Waikato, and won by two votes.