may rest upon you and upon the Ministers of the Irish Free State in the difficult task committed to your charge. In the Speech itself, which was written by the Executive Council, the Governor-General told members of the creation of the Boundary Commission. The Parliament of that portion of the Province of Ulster called Northern Ireland, taking advantage of Article 12 of the Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland, has seen fit to present an address to His Majesty, by the effect of which the powers of your Parliament and Government have ceased to extend to Northern Ireland. Accordingly it becomes the duty now of my Government to take such steps as may be necessary for constituting the Commission which is to determine in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants, so far as may be compatible with economic and geographic conditions, the boundaries between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland. Members were also informed of forthcoming legislation that would deal with the implementation of the Irish Free State Constitution, the creation of a new judiciary, reform of the Poor Law, the creation in law of the Civil Guards (later named the Garda Síochána) and other legal reforms. After its conclusion, a motion of thanks was proposed in each House for the Governor-General's Speech. The Houses then debated in detail the full contents of the speech. The second Address: October 1923 The second Governor-General's Address was delivered in the Dáil on 3 October 1923, shortly after the Oireachtas reconvened after the 27 August general election. The text had been distributed in advance. Its contents were discussed in detail in subsequent weeks in both Houses. No further Governor-General's Addresses were ever given. See also List of addresses to the Oireachtas References Texts 1922 Address: Dáil debates, Vol.2 c.97–102 Dáil debate Vol.2 c.102–6 c.168–93 c.268–90 Seanad debate Vol.1 c.20–23 1923 Address: Dáil debates, Vol.5 Appendix c.1–5 Dáil debate Vol.5 c.151–4 c.627–60 c.749–810 c.819–884 c.885–8 c.1025–78 c.1092–1164 Seanad debate Vol.2 c.7–8 c.11–50 Notes Speeches by heads of state Government in the Irish Free State