A.—la
No. 70. (No, 103.) , . . , ..... g IR Government House, Wellington, 21st August, 1885. With reference to the despatch from your predecessor, marked! " Circular " and dated the 7th March last, transmitting for the consideration of my Government a draft Pill to amend the law respecting the exercise of Admiralty jurisdiction in Her Majesty's dominions and elsewhere Out of the United Kingdom, 1 have the honour to state that my Ministers have very carefully considered the Bill and the memorandum which accompanied it. 2. They have no objection to the Bill passing in its present shape; but, on the contrary, believe that it would be a great boon to the colonial Courts to bring the Admiral procedure into consonance with the ordinary Civil procedure. '6. My Ministers do not propose to offer any remarks on clauses 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, to which their attention has been specially directed; and, as to subsection (3) of clause 17, they would consider it incumbent on them to make provision for recouping the officers of the Vice-Admiralty Court thereby abolished for the loss of fees they would sustain. I have, &c, Wm. E. DRUMMOND JERVOIS. The Right Hon. Colonel Stanley, M.P.
No. 71. (No. 106.) Sir,— Government House, Wellington, 29th August, 1885. With reference to the despatch from your predecessor, No. 38, dated the 28th June last, respecting an offer of commissions in the Imperial Army to members of the military forces in this and certain other colonies, I have the honour to inform you that the offer has been received in this colony with much satisfaction. I have, &c, Wm. E. DRUMMOND JERVOIS. The Right Hon. Colonel Stanley, M.P.
A.-2A., No, G2.
No. 72. (No. 107.) Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 12th September, 1885. With reference to your telegram, received by me through the Governor of South Australia on the 17th ultimo, concerning New Guinea, I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a memorandum from my Ministers stating that, after again considering the subject, they feel unable to make any further proposals than those contained in their memorandum of the 7th July last, which I forwarded in my Despatch No. 91, of the 18th July. 2. It will be observed that the proposals of my Government, which I had forwarded previously to the receipt of your telegram, but which have not been decided upon by the New Zealand Parliament, coincide in the main with those of Her Majesty's Government. I have, &c., Wm. E. DRUMMOND JERVOIS. The Right Hon. Colonel Stanley, M.P.
A.-4c, No. 129 A.-1., No. G4.
Enclosure. Memorandum for His Excellency. Ministers have the honour to return herewith the telegram from the Governor of South Australia, forwarding a telegram from the Secretary of State concerning New Guinea expenses, which His Excellency submitted for their consideration on the 19th of August last. The conclusion at which Ministers have arrived, after again considering the subject, is, that they cannot say more than they have already conveyed to His Excellency in their memorandum of the 7th July last, in which they stated their views for submission to His Excellency MajorGeneral Scratchley, and their willingness to submit to Parliament a resolution to the effect that this colony should undertake to pay its share of £15,000 a year on certain conditions. Wellington, sth September, 1885. Eobeet Stout. 2—A. la.
A.-lc, No. 120.
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