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A.—l

Trusting this arrangement may have the approval of your Excellency and of the authorities in England who have to do with this affair, We have, &c, Donald and Edenborouoh. His Excellency the Bight Hon. the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G., &c, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand. In view of this communication forming the basis of a settlement of Messrs. Donald and Edenborough's claim against the German Government, I officially certify the signature thereto to be the genuine signature of the firm of Messrs. Donald and Edenborough.— Wm. Coleman, Notary Public, Auckland, New Zealand.

My Lord, — Auckland, New Zealand, sth September, 1891. We beg leave to refer again to our last letter to your Excellency, of the 2nd September instant, for the purpose of more particularly and distinctly requesting your Excellency, with all respect, to be so good as to cause Messrs. Shaen, Boscoe, Massey, and Co., solicitors, of No. 8, Bedford Bow, London, named in our last letter, and the respective members of their firm, to be officially recognised by the British Government, and the German Government, and all others concerned, as our fully-accredited agents in London, and as having the fullest powers to represent and act for our firm of Donald and Edenborough in all things concerning the matter of our claim against the German Government. We are sending Messrs. Shaen, Boscoe, Massey, and Co. a full power of attorney by the outgoing mail, and have the honour to be, My Lord, &c, Donald and Edenborough. His Excellency the Bight Hon. the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G., &c, Governor of the Colony of New" Zealand.

No. 18. . (No. 62.) My Lobd, — Christchurch, Ist October, 1891. I have the honour to inform your Lordship that on the 25th September I prorogued by Proclamation the second session of the eleventh Parliament of New Zealand. I have, &c, The Bight Hon. Lord Knutsford, &c. ONSLOW.

No. 19. (No. 65.) My Lobd, — Christchurch, 6th October, 1891. In reply to your Lordship's circular despatch of the 23rd June, requesting information as to the liability of foreigners, and particularly of Consuls, to serve on juries in this colony, I have the honour to enclose a copy of a memorandum on the subject prepared by the Solicitor-General. I have, <fee, The Bight Hon. Lord Knutsford, &c. ONSLOW.

A.-2, 1892, No. 12.

Enclosure. By " The Juries Act, 1880," which is the general enactment in force relating to juries, it is provided that no person who is not a natural-born or naturalised subject of the Queen shall be qualified to serve on any jury in any Court or on any occasion. The law makes no special provision in respect of the consular representatives of foreign Powers, and if such persons are subjects of the countries which they represent they would be exempt from serving on any jury under the enactment above referred to. I may add that by the same Act the former right of an alien to be tried by a jury de medietate lingua is taken away, and now an alien would be triable in the same manner as if he were a naturalborn subject. 29th September, 1891. W. S. Beid.

No. 20. (No. 67.) My Lobd,— Christchurch, 7th October, 1891. I find that urgent and pressing affairs of a somewhat complicated nature connected with my property in England demand my presence there at an early date. Under these circumstances I have to request your Lordship to submit to Her Majesty the Queen my resignation of the office of Governor and Com-mander-in-Chief of the Colony of New 7 Zealand.