A.-^l.

Enclosure. His Excellency the Governor. The graves at Eangiriri have been inspected, and it was found that they were much overgrown with bush and scrub, and the head-boards, being made of wood, have in a great many instances rotted and disappeared. Orders have been given for the graveyard to be thoroughly cleared and cleaned and the fence painted, and as soon as these repairs are completed it is proposed to place a four-sided monument in the centre of the graveyard, with the names of the casualties of eachof the four regiments that were engaged at Eangiriri thereon. The officers who fell at Ranginri are buried in the Symonds Street cemetery, Auckland, and orders have been given for their graves to bo thoroughly renovated. 13th December, 1893. E - J - Seddon.

No. 19. (No. 59.) My Lokd,— Government House, Wellington, 22nd December, 1893. I have the honour to annex copy of a letter I have received from Sir John Thurston concerning certain regulations which he has issued in the Western Pacific, which he considers should apply in the ordinary course to the Cook Group, and certain suggestions, which he considers would meet the difficulty, with regard to the present position of these islands. I would point out to your Lordship that the fact of my having to forward a copy of this letter to your Lordship brings into prominence the inconvenience of there being what I may term—at least as far as correspondence is concerned—a divided jurisdiction in these islands. , , Your Lordship will no doubt communicate with the High Commissioner your opinion on the subject, and, as the High Commissioner does not correspond with the Eesident in the Cook Islands, when I have the honour to receive a despatch from you on this subject I shall communicate its contents to him. I have, &c, GLASGOW. The Eight Hon. the Marquis of Eipon, G.C.M.G., &c.

Enclosures. High Commissioner's Office, Western Pacific, Suva, Fiji, My Loed— 14th October, 1893. I have the honour to forward herewith copies of the following regulations made under the authority of the Pacific Order in Council of 1893 : No. 3 of 1893—Arms Amendment; No. 4of 1893—Liquor Prohibition ; No. 5 of 1893—Gilbert Group. I also forward, copies of a rule of Court with regard to judgments against natives of the Gilbert Islands. The effect of Eegulations 3 and 4 is to extend the provisions of the Arms and Liquor Prohibition Sedations to all persons residing within the limits of the British Protectorate in the Western Pacific. Ihave &c, John B. Thurston. His Excellency the Eight Hon. the Earl of Glasgow, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand.

High Commissioner's Court.Western Pacific, Suva, Fiji, My Loud,— 23rd October, 1893. Eeferring to my despatch of the 12th instant, with regard to the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner in the Cook Group, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that from Mr. Boss's report I learn that under certain circumstances it is permitted by local law to supply alcoholic liquor to natives, and that therefore the local law permits such supply under circumstances in which it is forbidden by the Liquor Prohibition Regulation. I have therefore addressed to the Secretary of State a proposal that I should either issue a regulation exempting the Cook Group from the operation of the Liquor Eegulation, or amend the regulation by a proviso that the supply of alcoholic liquor when lawful under a law of the Protectorate, approved by the British Eesident, shall not be deemed an offence against the >U lt has also occurred to me that possibly it may be lawful in the Cook Group to permit the sale of firearms and ammunition to natives for sporting purposes, and that, if so, it may be advisable to modify the Arms Eegulation in the manner proposed in the case of the Liquor Prohibition Eegulation. ~ . . I shall be glad if your Excellency will communicate with the Secretary of State direct on this subject, so that I may receive his Lordship's instructions. _ Should Her Majesty's Government decide to remove the Cook Group from the operation of the Pacific Order in Council of 1893, of course no amendment of the regulations will be necessary. I have, &c, John B. Thueston. His Excellency the Eight Hon. the Earl of Glasgow, G.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand,

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