A.—7

2

5. With regard to the Companies Act, we had prepared a draft Consolidation Bill before the commencement of the last sitting of the General Assembly This comprised the Acts in force in the colony; but, as a desire was expressed to consider the propriety of adopting and adapting the last English Consolidated Act on the subject, we forbore from reporting the Bill in the meantime. During the session a Committee of the Legislative Council affirmed the desirability of adopting that course, and we have accordingly prepared a Bill embodying the provisions of the English Act and its amendments, so far as applicable to the circumstances of the colony CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION 6. In our last report we had the honor of reporting, to the best of our knowledge, the proceedings in England with respect to " The Criminal Code Indictable Offences Bill, 1878/' and the fresh Bill introduced in 1879. We find that the third Bill, introduced in 1880, contained a considerable number of alterations from that of 1879, and we are not aware whether the Bill of 1880, or a fresh one, has been or is likely to be introduced during the current session of the Imperial Parliament. 7 But considering the amount of care and time which it will be necessary to devote to the adaptation of the proposed code for the colony, we believe that, if the Legislature should deem it desirable that such a code should be prepared for their consideration without waiting for the final decision of the Imperial Parliament, we shall be able to prepare a Bill founded on the English Bills of 1878, 1879, and 1880, before the next session of the General Assembly All of which we humbly submit to your Excellency's gracious consideration As witness our hands this sixth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one. Alexander J Johnston, ~| n ■ ■ T,r c t, > Commissioners. W S. Reid, J

Authority : Geokge Pidsbuky, G-overnment Printer, Wellington.—lSSl.