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that salary for ten years, with an office allowance of £200 a year, and also to provide a consular house if required, the Consul would be appointed. 1 need not refer to the importance of this step as an indication of the willingness of Her Majesty's Government to entertain the principle of concerted action between the Imperial and colonial authorities in the Eastern Pacific, which was first raised by New Zealand several years ago in the case-of Rapa, and which yourself and your predecessors in office have so constantly desired to see affirmed. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.
No. 2. The Agent-Geneeal to the Peemiee. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 25th January, 1887. After sending my letter of the 14th instant, No. 31, respecting the appointment of an officer of consular rank at Rarotonga, it seemed to me desirable for you to have the earliest information on the matter, and I sent you the telegram of which a copy is enclosed. On looking at my letter I see it did not refer to the late Lord Iddesleigh's wish for further information as to the duties that would belong to the Consul if he were allowed to act also in the character of Agent of your Government; I took care, however, to mention it in the telegram. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.
Enclosure. To Premier, New Zealand. (Telegram, despatched 15th January, 1887.) Raeotonga. Despatch, Governor. Consul will be appointed provided salary and expenses, seven hundred, appropriated ten years; also house built when desired. Secondly, before finally deciding Consul act your Agent, further statement proposed duties wanted. F. D. Bell.
No. 3. The Agent-Genekal to the Peemiee. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 21st February, 1887. I had the honour to receive in due course your telegram of the 7th instant, in reply to mine of the 15th January, relating to Rarotonga, instructing me that you adhered to the proposal for the appointment of a consular officer there which you had made in the memorandum to the Governor enclosed in your letter to myself of the 7th November, 1885. For the present, therefore, I think the matter must be considered at an end, as there is not the least chance of the Imperial Government giving up the nomination of such an officer. I have communicated your decision privately to the Colonial Office, but have thought it advisable not to write officially at this moment, because the position of Rarotonga will be one of the things that will come before the Conference when it takes up the question of Samoa, Tonga, and the other islands of the Eastern Pacific. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.
Enclosure. The Peemiek to the Agent-General, London. 7th February. Rakotonga Consul. We adhere to proposal in enclosure to my letter of 7th November last (A.-l, 1886, No. 10). Robert Stout.
No. 4. The Aoent-Geneeal to the Peemiek. Sib, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 23rd February, 1887. A fortnight ago there appeared Press telegrams from Wellington, saying that you had asked Admiral Tryon to send a man-of-war to Tonga to inquire into the recent attack upon Mr. Shirley Baker, but that the Admiral had declined to do so. This was followed by telegrams from Melbourne that six natives implicated in the outrage had been executed. On the 21st questions were asked in the House of Commons, in reply to which the Secretary of State, Sir Henry Holland, said the Admiral had reported that the disturbances had subsided. Sir Henry added that Her Majesty's Government would consider, as soon as they were in possession of fuller authentic information, whether the High Commissioner in the Pacific should be ordered to take any action. To-day a further Melbourne telegram has come, that five more natives have been condemned to death at Tonga, and thirty others were awaiting trial; that the British Consul had succeeded in averting further executions, bat beyond that had declined to interfere ; that an appeal had been sent to Sir C. Mitchell, Governor of Fiji, to get a man-of-war sent down to the island, as intense excitement prevailed; and that the Roman Catholics had applied for French protection. The same telegram, referring to affairs in Samoa, stated that the overtures of the Hawaiian Government had failed, the -Samoans declining the notion of being annexed to the Sandwich Islands. Another telegram, just received, says that th.c Admiral had sent H.M.B. "Diamond" to Tonga. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F, D. Bell.