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would urge on the British Government the necessity of strengthening Mr. Moss's hands by giving him further authority, and providing the means for carrying into effect the wish of the natives, that there should be total prohibition of the drink-traffic ; and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor of New Zealand, with a request that he approach the Home Government with a view to the necessary steps being taken to suppress the great evil of the drink-traffic among the natives of the South Seas."
No. 20. (No. 27.) My Lord,— Government House, Auckland, sth May, 1891. With reference to your Lordship's circular despatch of the 21st of A.April, 1890, on the subject of establishing a uniform procedure throughout the Na Empire in the matter of patents and trade-marks and designs, my Government agree that there would be a great advantage in a system by which a patent issued, and a design or a trade-mark registered, in one part of Her Majesty's dominions should have the same protection in every other part. They desire to point out, however, that such a system would apparently involve not only a serious loss of revenue, but also would involve an expense for clerical labour in recording patents, designs, and trade-marks issued and registered elsewhere, such as my Government would not feel justified in incurring. I desire to draw your Lordship's attention to the fact that in New Zealand the law r relating to patents, trade-marks, and designs has been assimilated with that of England. I have, &c, ONSLOW. The Right Hon. Lord Knutsford, &c.
-2, 1891, Sess. 1., . 3.
No. 21. (No. 29.) My Lord, — Government House, Auckland, Bth May, 1891. Your Lordship may probably wish for some information respecting Australasian federation, which is attracting so much public attention both in Australasia and England at the present moment. 2. As your Lordship has ample means from other sources of learning what is the feeling in the Australian Continent, and as you will have received all particulars of the proceedings and results of the Federal Convention, I propose to address myself only to the aspect in which the matter is regarded in New Zealand. 3. When the Constitution Bill comes to be discussed in the General Assembly I shall be better able to give your Lordship the view taken by politicians of all shades of opinion, but I think I may safely say that, in the opinion of the great majority, the question of federation with Australia under the Constitution Bill is regarded as outside the realm of practical politics. 4. The main reason for this is on account of the manner in which the financial position of the colony will be affected by the Bill. 5. The Bill, as your Lordship is aware, proposes that the commonwealth shall take from the colonies the revenues arising from Customs and Excise, and, after deducting the cost of Federal Government, refund any balance that may remain. 6. But in New Zealand the Customs and Excise amount to £1, 585,000, a, sum which falls short by £175,000 of the total charges (£1,860,000) for interest and sinking fund on the debt. 7. If this sum were removed from colonial control, and such an amount taken from it as would be required for the cost of Federal Government, an increased burden would fall upon this community estimated at lis. od. per head of the population, or an aggregate of nearly .£400,000. 8. In addition to this, however, it is proposed to assimilate the tariff of the whole commonwealth. The Victorian tariff is the highest in Australia; but even if the tariff of New Zealand were assimilated to the highest tariff in Australia, she would lose in revenue to the extent, it is calculated, of £400,000 per annum, which, added to her contribution for the cost of Federal Government, would amount to £800,000.
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