TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND.

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A.—No. la.

gold imported into this country from New Zealand; and Mr. Stansfeld having at the same time stated that your Lordships would wish to comply with the request of the New Zealand Government, if any arrangements to effect that object could be made by this Department, — We report —That, in our Eeport to your Lordships dated 16th July, 1867, on a Despatch and its enclosures from the Governor of New Zealand, drawing attention to the discrepancy between the account of gold imported into this country from New Zealand, as published under the authority of this Board, and the account of gold exported from New Zealand to this country as published by the Colonial Government, we stated that the discrepancy was explained by the fact that much of the gold obtained in New Zealand did not come directly from that Colony but was shipped from New Zealand to Australia, and brought from thence to this country; and that, as all foreign imports into this country could only be recorded in the books of this Department as being imported from the port and country abroad at which they have been shipped for the United Kingdom, gold, the produce of New Zealand, coming to this country through Australia, could only be classified and treated as gold from Australia. We have now to state to your Lordships, that bullion when imported into this country is not by law required to be either reported or entered, but is allowed to be landed from the import ship simply •on a request from the consignee or his agent, describing the contents of the packages, and giving the name of the master and of the importing vessel, and the name of the place from which she has arrived. With reference, however, to the annexed copies of the Despatch and the enclosures from His Excellency tho Governor of New Zealand, wherein it is now stated in the letters from the Governments of Victoria and New South Wales that New Zealand gold, shipped to England through those Colonies, is always clearly distinguished on the outward manifests of the vessels on board which it is shipped, we have to observe that we instructed our officers to make the necessary inquiries of the masters of the vessels next arriving with gold from Australia, with the view of ascertaining whether they had any documents in their possession showing the countries where the gold was produced. Two vessels, viz., " Star of Peace " and " Suffolk," arrived at this port with gold from Australia on the 9th instant, when the masters of those vessels produced to our officers certain documents termed "Content" or "Manifest," signed by the Collector of Customs at Melbourne. These documents contained the required particulars, viz., the quantities and place of production of the gold brought from Melbourne as follows, viz. : — Gold. Oz. dwts. grs. Produce of " Star of Peace," 3 boxes 3,073 9 0 ... Victoria. "Suffolk," 4 boxes ... ... ... ... 5,257 6 5 ... New Zealand. Under the aforegoing circumstances, and assuming that the Collectors of Customs at Melbourne and Sydney will continue to furnish similar documents to masters of vessels bringing gold to this country, we shall be prepared, should your Lordships be pleased to signify your approval of such a course being adopted, to issue directions to our officers, with a view to persons applying for permission to land bullion in London, from vessels arriving from Sydney and Melbourne, being required to distinguish in their request the bullion brought by those routes from New Zealand. We deem it proper, however, to apprise your Lordships that we cannot hold ourselves responsible that by this means the object of tho New Zealand Government will be fully attained, nor can we be responsible for the returns of bullion which may be made up distinguishing in all cases the countries from whence it may be pi'oduced, inasmuch as our officers must be dependent on the consignees for the correctness of the information given as to origin ; whereas, under the former practice of returning the bullion as imported from tho place from which the vessel had arrived, that fact was vouched for by the ship's report. Thos. E. Eeemautle. Eeedk. Eomilly. To tho Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.

No. 47. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. Earl Granville, E.G., to Governor Sir G. E. Boaven, G.C.M.G. (No. 28.) Sir,— Downing Street, 18th March, 1869. On your representation of the value of the services rendered by the Chief Te Eepa or Major Kemp, I sent to you in September last a silver-mounted SAVord, in order that it might be presented by you to that Chief in token of Her Majesty's recognition of his services. Additional swords Avere forwarded to you by the last mail for presentation to five other Maori Chiefs, avlio had rendered important services to the Government. I request that you will take a suitable occasion of presenting them to the Chiefs for Avhom they are intended, and whose names they bear. You will not fail to explain that they are presented to them by Her Majesty in recognition of their loyalty to the CroAvn, and of the gallantry Avhich they have shoAvn in support of Her Majesty's Colonial Government. I have, &o.j Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. GRANVILLE. 8