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His Excellency has read this correspondence with much interest, and desires me to say that, in his opinion, Australasia generally is much indebted to you and the other members of the Committee, who are taking an active part in matters which so deeply concern its welfare. His Excellency is prepared to recommend to Her Majesty's Government the payment by Fiji of its proportional share of the £15,000 to be contributed temporarily by Australasia to the additional expenses to be incurred by the Imperial Government in connection with New Guinea and Polynesia, but he has some difficulty with regard to the question of the amount of that share. According to the resolution of the Convention, the contribution of each colony was to be in proportion to its population. If, however, that of Fiji should have reference to its whole population, including the natives, it would involve a charge upon the resources of the colony very disproportionate to that borne by other colonies. If, on the other hand, the non-native population were alone considered, the contribution would be unduly small. For this reason, His Excellency is of opinion that the quota of Fiji would best be determined by the proportion which its revenue bears to that of the other colonies. Before deciding on this matter, however, which involves a principle for the future, having by no means exclusive reference to the small sum now to be paid, His Excellency would be glad to have the views of your Committee on the subject. With regard to the law for preventing the introduction of foreign criminals, which Mr. Griffith, the Premier of Queensland, has suggested for general adoption, His Excellency desires me to say that, though he has not yet had an opportunity of giving it careful consideration in detail, he is, nevertheless, of opinion that its ably-drafted provisions are generally such as to meet the object desired; and that he will be prepared to recommend to the Legislature of this colony an ordinance framed on a similar basis, should events, unhappily, render such an event necessary on the part of united Australasia. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Victoria. John B. Thueston. No. 3. The Peemiee, New Zealand, to the Peemiee, Victoria. Sie, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 11th October, 1884. I have received, and desire heartily to thank you for, your circular letter of the 25th September, No. 2757, enclosing copy of correspondence between the Government of Fiji and yourself, as to the readiness of the Government of that colony to recommend that Fiji should bear its share in the payment of the £15,000 asked for by the Imperial Government as a New Guinea Protectorate Subsidy, and expressing general approval by His Excellency Sir William Des Voeux of the Foreign Criminals Bill, drafted by the Premier of Queensland, Mr. Griffith. I am sorry to be unable, as yet, to inform you of the decision of the New Zealand Parliament respecting those matters, but they will be submitted for discussion and decision as soon as the state of the public business permits. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Victoria. Bobeet Stout. No. 4. The Peemiee, New Zealand, to His Excellency the Goveenoe. Memorandum for His Excellency. The Premier presents his respectful compliments to the Governor, and has the honour to ask that His Excellency will inform Lord Derby that, because of the state of the public business, consequent upon the recent general election, it has not yet been possible to submit to the House the question of New Zealand contributing to the proposed New Guinea Protectorate Subsidy; but that the Government are in favour of contribution, and that the question as a whole will shortly be submitted for the decision of Parliament. Bobeet Stout. Wellington, 10th October, 1884. ENGLISH. Having read the accompanying correspondence,— 1. Make a short abstract, schedule, or docket of the several letters (and enclosures if necessary). 2. Draw up a memorandum or precis : i.e., a brief and elear statement of what passed, not letter by letter, but in the form of a narrative. Directions. 1. The object of the abstract, schedule, or docket is to serve as an index. It should contain the date of each letter, the names of the persons by whom and to whom it is written, and, in as few words as possible, the subject of it. The merits of such an abstract are : (1) to give the really important point or points of each letter, omitting everything else ; (2) to do this briefly, (3) distinctly, and (4) in such a form as to readily catch the eye. 2. The object of the memorandum or precis, which should be in the form of a narrative, is that any one who had not time to read the original correspondence might, by reading the precis, be put in possession of all the leading features of what passed. The merits of such a, precis are: (1) to contain all that is important in the correspondence, and nothing that is unimportant; (2) to present this in a consecutive and readable shape, expressed as distinctly as possible ; (3) to be as brief as is compatible with completeness and distinctness. You are recommended to read the whole correspondence through before beginning to write, as the goodness both of the abstract and of the precis will depend very much on a correct appreciation of the relative importance of the different parts. Brevity should be particularly studied.