A.—i

18

No. 24. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach. (No. 11.) Government House, Wellington, Sir,— New Zealand, 20th March, 1879. I have the honor to inform you that a copy of a treaty between Her Majesty and the King of Spain, for the mutual surrender of fugitive criminals, as well as a copy of the Order in Council of the 27th of November, for carrying the treaty into effect, enclosed with your circular despatch dated the 6th of December, 1878, has been duly published in the New Zealand Government Gazette, dated the 6th of March, 1879. I have, &c, JAMES PRENDERGAST. The Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach.

No. 25. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach. (No. 13.) Government House, Wellington, Sir,— New Zealand, 20th March, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch dated the 4th January last, No. 1, requesting me to convey to the citizens of Auckland Her Majesty's gracious appreciation and recognition of the expression of their heartfelt sympathy in her bereavement by the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse-Darmstadt, and I have now the honor to state that the command of Her Majesty has been obeyed. I have, &c, JAMES PRENDERGAST. The Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach.

No. 26. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach. (No. 14.) Government House, Wellington, Sir, — New Zealand, 20th March, 1879. Since the despatch of my letter of the Ist of March instant, No. 9, transmitting a memorandum by Sir George Grey on the subject, amongst others, of crimes committed by British subjects in the Pacific Islands, I have received a memorandum by the Attorney-General of New Zealand on the same subject, a copy of which, upon the advice of Ministers, I now have the honor to forward to you, together with six printed copies of the newspaper report of the proceedings before the Magistrate in the case of Thomas Rennell, referred to in the memorandum of the Attorney-General; and also six printed copies of the report of the judgment of Mr. Justice Gillies in the Supreme Court in the same case. I enclose a copy of a New Zealander newspaper, containing matter on the same subject. I have, &c, JAMES PRENDERGAST. The Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach.

Enclosure in No. 26. Memorandum by the Attorney-General, and Copy of Newspaper Report (New Zealand Herald, 20th December, 1878), and Report of the Judgment of Judge Gillies. (Vide Appendix to Journals of House of Representatives, Vol. 1., A.-3.)