A.—6

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Enclosure No. 5. Eeveeend Sic, — British Eesidency, Earotonga, 3rd February, 1893. With reference to the shipment cf liquor from Earotonga to Humphrey's Islands and Penrhyn Island, referred to in your letter of the 31st January, I cannot find that any is so shipped and Landed in those islands. They are beyond my district; but if you will kindly supply me with the information that leads you to believe that any has been landed on those islands, I shall be much obliged, and will transmit it to His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, who will, no doubt, see that action is taken by the proper authority thereon. I have, &c, Eev. W. E. Lawrence, Earotonga. Feedeeick J. Moss.

Enclosure No. 6. Deae Sic, — Mission House, Earotonga, 4th February, 1893. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 3rd February in answer to mine of the 31st January. I will, with your permission, take the opportunity of returning to this matter again after the departure of the New Zealand mail, preparing for which fully occupies your time, as well as my own. I may be permitted to say that lam not at all convinced by the reply I have received. It does not, in fact, contain anything that leads me to doubt that the information on which I based my complaint and protest is perfectly correct. I have, &c., Wm. E. Laweence, Eesident Missionary, L.M.S., Earotonga. Frederick J. Moss, Esq., British Eesident, Cook Group, South Pacific.

No. 21. Mr. F. J. Moss to His Excellency the Goveenoe. My Loed, — British Eesidency, Earotonga, Bth March, 1893. I have the honour to enclose a copy of a letter received by me by the steamer " Eichmond," yesterday, from the Governor of the French Establishments in Oceania, asking for the extradition of a Native charged or chargeable with a criminal offence in Tahiti, and supposed to be now within the Cook Islands. I also enclose a copy of my reply, which I am enabled to send to Tahiti to-day by the sailing of the Native schooner " City of Arorangi," in which the Tahitian native is said to have escaped to the Cook Islands. I have, &c, Feedeeick J. Moss.

Enclosure. Sic, — British Eesidency, Earotonga, Bth March, 1893. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's confidential letter of the 3rd hist., asking for information respecting Taati-a-Tavi, a native of Tahiti, charged with a criminal offence and supposed to have escaped to one of the Cook Islands. Also, if in that case I should be prepared to agree to his extradition. In reply, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that, so far as I can learn, the said Taati was landed at Atiu, one of the islands of this Protectorate. Any demand for his extradition would be heard by the Supreme Court at Earotonga, and should in the first instance be addressed to Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Cook Islands Government. I readily undertake to see that Makea receives any application which your Excellency may see fit to entrust to my care for her; and, further, that in coining to a decision, the Supreme Court will be guided by the principles and practice that rule in similar cases within Her Britannic Majesty's possessions. I beg that whoever may be entrusted with the application for extradition be provided with copies of the treaty, and all necessary information for the guidance of the Court, as such information could not readily be obtained here. Agreeable as the visit of a French man-of-war would be personally, I suggest to your Excellency that it might be misunderstood by the Native Government, unless deferred until after the application for extradition had been dealt with in due course of law. I have, &c, Feedeeick J. Moss, His Excellency M. Th. La Cascade, British Eesident. Governor of the French Possessions in Oceanic, Tahiti.

No. 22. Mr. F. J. Moss to His Excellency the Goveenoe. My Loed, — British Eesidency, Earotonga, 6th May, 1893. In my despatch of the Bth March I informed your Excellency of the application made by the French Government in Tahiti, respecting the extradition of one Taati, charged with forgery and embezzlement of public money, and who was believed to have taken refuge in the Cook Islands,