ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OP STATE.

A.—No. 1

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No. 4. The District Courts Act Amendment Act, 1865.—This Act was past to facilitate and render efficient the proceedings of any District Court established under " The District Courts Act, 1858," holding sittings in more than one place and to improve the practice of such Courts. No. 5. The Otago Provincial Public Offices Site Trusts Act, 1865," enables the surrender to Her Majesty, by the Superintendent of Otago, of a portion of the Dunedin Post Office Reserve, for the purpose of widening the street opposite the Post Office. No. 6. The Panama Mail Service Act Amendment Act, 1865. —This Act was passed to ratify the arrangements made with a view to establishing a Postal Service with Great Britain via Panama, and to indemnify the officers of the Government concerned therein, and to give the requisite powers to confirm and carry into effect those several agreements ; and also to empower the Governor in Council to agree with the Company for further modifications of contract; and with the Governments of other Australian Colonies, the Imperial Government, and any Foreign Government, for admitting any of them to share in the contract, and for regulation of postages, with the consent however of the Government of New South Wales, so long as that Colony shall participate in the contract. No. 7. The Armitage Pension Act, 1865, provides a terminable annuity of £150 per annum for the widow and children of the late James Armitage, a Resident Magistrate, who was killed by rebels when in command of an armed body of friendly Natives engaged in transporting supplies for the use of Her Majesty's Forces. No. 8. The Audit Act Amendment Act, 1805, provides for the publication of Quarterly Statements of the Public Accounts of the Colony ; further defines tho form in which public accounts are to be annually prepared, audited, and presented to Parliament; establishes further duties on the part of the Auditor, and increases the salary of the office to £800 per annum. No. 9. The British Companies Act, 1865, was passed to facilitate the carrying on of business in the Colony by Companies incorporated in Great Britain, and removes certain difficulties of proof of incorporation. , No. 10. The Commencement of Acts Act, 1865, defines the time when Acts of the General Assembly, assented to by the Governor on behalf of Her Majesty, and which do not prescribe such time, shall come into operation. No. 11. The Native Rights Act, 1865, was passed to remove doubts respecting the legal status of persons of the Maori race ; directs that every person of that race within the Colony shall be deemed to be a natural-born subject of Her Majesty ; declares that the Supreme Court and other Courts of Law have jurisdiction touching the property real or personal of the Maori people; provides that certain interests in land, over which the Native title shall not have been extinguished, should be determined according to ancient custom and usage, and requires the Judge of the Supreme Court, before whom any action shall be tried involving any such title or interest, to refer any issue or issues of fact or Maori custom to be tried in the Native Lands Court. No. 12. The Native Commission Act, 1865, is the complement to No. 11, and passed as a step towards conferring upon the aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand the rights and privileges of naturalborn subjects of Her Majesty within the Colony. No. 13. The Parliamentary Privileges Act, 1865, was passed to assimilate the privileges, immunities, and powers of the Legislative Council and House- of Representatives of the Colony, and the Committees and Members thereof respectively, with those of the Commons House of Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Committees and Members (subject nevertheless to the unrepealed provisions of the Constitution Act) thereof. No. 14. The West Coast Gold Field Provincial Representation Act, 1865. —The recent discovery of gold diggings on the West Coast of the Middle Island in the Province of Canterbury, having occasioned a large influx of persons engaged in gold mining, this Act was passed to authorize the return to the Provincial Council of Canterbury of two Members as Representatives of the West Coast Gold Fields under "The Miners' Representation Act, 1862," and " The Miners' Representation Act Amendment Act, 1863," as a temporary measure. No. 15. The Wellington Hospital Reserves Act, 1865.—The lands called the Wellington Hospital Reserves having been granted to the holders of certain public offices, some of which have been abolished, this Act vests these Reserves in the existing trustees, and provides for the appointment of their successors. No. 16. The Diseased Cattle Act Amendment Act, 1865.—" The Diseased Cattle Act, 1861," authorized the establishment of Regulations controlling or prohibiting the importation of Cattle into any Province or district of the Colony from other Colonies, and from other Provinces in this Colony, and for other purposes connected with the importation of Cattle, but omitted to provide for the annulling, altering, or varying such Regulations. This Act was passed to supply the deficiency, and to validate certain Orders in Council and Proclamations previously issued. No. 17. The Public Domains Act Amendment Act, 1865, was passed to enable the Governor to do the requisite acts to ascertain the compensation for part of the Public Domain taken for the Auckland and Drury Eailway, and to vest such land in the Superintendent acting under " The Auckland and Drury Eailway Act, 1865," and authorizes the persons to whom the powers conferred by " The Public Domains Act, I860," may with respect to the Auckland Domain be delegated, to make bye-laws, with penalties, for preserving the said Domain. No. 18. The Marine Board Act Amendment Act, 1865, was passed to vest in the Governor and to enable him by Order in Council to delegate the powers which by the unrepealed sections of " Tho Marine Board Act, 1863," and " The Steam Navigation Act, 1862," and this Act, are given to him, and to vary the distribution of powers under those Acts between the Governor and the