5

A.—2

The application from the Library Committee is for a copy of the Acts of Parliament of Scotland in thirteen volumes folio, of which the stock is kept at the General Register House, Edinburgh, and for a copy of the Acts of the Long Parliament during the Protectorate of Cromwell. The latter is not a Government publication. Grants of Record publications have been made to the Library of the General Assembly in 1860, 18G8, and 1870, and the present application is referred to their Lordships pursuant to their letter before alluded to. I have, &c, Sir R. R. W. Lingen, X.C.8., &c, Treasury. William Hardy.

Enclosure 3 in No. 9. The Chaibman of the Libeaey Committee, New Zealand, to the Master of the Eolls. Sic,— Wellington, New Zealand, 12th August, 1881. The Joint Library Committee of the General Assembly of New Zealand are very anxious to have as complete a collection of parliamentary records as they can possibly secure, and have so far been fairly successful. There are two sets of Acts, however, which they have been unable to get, though they have made repeated efforts through their English agent to do so —namely, " The Acts of the Parliament of Scotland from 1124 to 1707 a.d.," and "The Acts of the Long Parliament during the Protectorate of Cromwell." At the last meeting it was suggested that it I, as Chairman of the Joint Committee, were to apply specially to you as Curator of Public Eecords, these gaps in our collection might be filled up, and I was requested to make such an application. I have the honor now, most respectfully, to lay the Committee's request before you, and to express the hope that you may be able to supply us with those volumes, which we have tried in vain to procure elsewhere. I need scarcely add that any expenses will be gladly defrayed. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. Sir Q-eorge Jessel, Knight, William Fitziieebert, Master of the Eolls. Chairman of the Joint Library Committee.

No. 10. (No. 54) Sir, — Downing Street, 2nd December, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Chief Justice Prendergast's Despatch No. 60, of the Ist of October, enclosing a petition to the Queen from the Ngatiwhatua Tribe of Maoris. I request that you will inform the petitioners that their petition has been laid before the Queen, who was pleased to receive it very graciously, but that, in laying it before Her Majesty, the Secretary of State did not feel able to give any advice in respect of it, as the matter to which it relates is one which the Government of the colony is empowered and required to deal with. You will however, at the same time, assure the petitioners that, in granting to the Legislature of New Zealand its present powers of legislation, the Queen was not unmindful of her Maori subjects, in whose welfare and happiness she has not ceased to feel the deepest interest. I have, &c, Governor the Hon. Sir A. 11. Gordon, G.0.M.G., KIMBERLEY. &c, &c, &c.

No. 11. (No. 55.) Sir, — Downing Street, 6th December, 1881. On receipt of your Despatch No. 53, of the 22nd of August last, respecting the proposed Bill "to provide for the execution of warrants of apprehension issued in other colonies," I invited your attention, in my Despatch No. 47, of the 7th ultimo, to my circular despatch of the 25th October, enclosing a copy of " The Fugitive Offenders Act, 1881." As the cases for which it was the object of the Colonial Conference and of the New Zealand Legislature to provide have been sufficiently dealt with in the Imperial Act, it is unnecessary to examine in detail the proposed colonial legislation, some provisions of which would have otherwise demanded consideration. I have, &c, Governor the Hon. Sir A. H. Gordon, G.C.M.G., KIMBERLEY. &C, &C.j &C.