A.—l.

No. 8. Gisborne Harbour Board Empowering Act.—This Act authorises the Public Trustee to pay to the Board £15,000 out of the unexpended balance of the Board's loan now vested in him under "The Gisborne Harbour Act, 1884," and directs how the money is to be applied by the Board. No. 9. Lake Forsyth Lands Vesting Act.—This Act vests certain lands in the Corporation of the County of Akaroa, and authorises the Governor to grant certain other lands to the Council of that county. No. 10. Greytown Trustees Empowering Act.—This Act empowers the Greytown Trustees to transfer certain lands to the Education Board of the District of Wellington. No. 11. Waimakariri Harbour Board Land Act.—This Act vests certain land in the Waimakariri Harbour Board, and empowers the Kaiapoi Borough Council to extend certain streets in the borough to the water's edge. No. 12. Bishop Suter Art Gallery Trustees.—This Act vests certain lands in certain persons as trustees to be held by them as a site for an art gallery for the people of the City of Nelson. No. 13. Borough of Masterton Water-supply and Drainage-works Loan Empowering Act.— This Act empowers the Council of the Borough of Masterton to raise a special loan not exceeding £30,000 for the construction of water-works and drainage-works within a portion of the borough, subject to the consent of the ratepayers within that portion, and on the security of a special rate on the rateable property within that portion. No. 14. Otago Boys' and Girls' High Schools Board Empowering Act.—This Act empowers the Board to borrow money not exceeding £3,500 on debentures or mortgage charged on the rents and profits of its lands, the maximum rate of interest to be 5 per cent, per annum, with an annual sinking fund of 10s. per centum, and the term of the loan not to exceed twenty years. No. 15. St. Albans Borough Council Special Loan Empowering Act.—This Act empowers the Council of the Borough of St. Albans to' borrow money not exceeding £30,000 for works within the borough. No. 16. Mataura Eeserve Vesting Act. —This Act vests a certain piece of land in the Corporation of the Borough of Mataura for a municipal reserve. No- 17- Oamaru Harbour Board Leasing Act. —This Act validates certain leases granted by the Board, subject nevertheless to the conditions mentioned in the Act. The Act is to come into operation on a day to be named by the Governor, being not sooner than the Ist March, 1897, and he may decline to bring it into operation if at any time before the Ist March, 1897, it is objected to by debenture-holders representing not less than one-third in value of all the debentures issued by the Board. No person is to have any claim against the colony by reason of anything contained in the Act. No. 18. Horowhenua Block Act. —This Act gives effect to the recommendation of the Commission appointed to inquire into the matter. The Act cancels certain certificates of title and all entries therein, subject to reinstatement if so ordered by judgment in proceedings which the Public Trustee is directed to institute for the purpose of testing the validity of certain transactions. All dealings with the land is prohibited pending the result of such proceedings. The residue of the block is disposed of in accordance with the report of the Commission, and the relative shares of the owners are to be determined under "The Native Equitable Owners Act, 1886," which is re-enacted for that purpose alone. Private Act. No. 1. The Wesleyan Methodist Church Property Trust Act Further Amendment Act.—This Act vests in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand the lands belonging to or held in trust for the United Methodist Free Church and the Bible Christian Church, pursuant to an agreement for the union of the three churches. It also empowers the New Zealand Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church to appoint ministers for five years, alter (within prescribed limits) the Model Deed of the church, and make regulations for the appointment of ministers and election of officers. The Act also makes provision for the union of other churches with the Wesleyan Methodist Church.

" The Asiatic Restriction Act, 1896." The long title of this Bill is " An Act to prevent the Influx into New Zealand of Persons of Alien Eace who are likely to be hurtful to the Public Welfare." Its operation is confined to " Asiatics " —this term being defined to mean any native of any part of Asia, or of the islands adjacent to Asia or in Asiatic seas, and the descendants of such natives; but it does not include (1) persons of European or Jewish extraction, nor (2) British subjects being natives of that portion of Her Majesty's dominions known as the Indian Empire. Its provisions are based very largely on those already in force in the colony in " The Chinese Immigrants Act, 1881," which, with its amendments, is repealed by the new measure. But the poll-tax to be paid on the landing of any Asiatic in New Zealand has been increased from £10 to £100. Other disabilities are created, such as those set forth in section 17 and those in section 18, prohibiting in future the naturalisation of any Asiatic being a Chinese. Looking, therefore, at the nature of this measure, it was deemed one of such importance as rendered it desirable His Excellency the Governor should be advised, under subclause 7 of clause VI. of the Eoyal instructions of the 26th March, 1892, and in terms of section 56 of the New Zealand Constitution Act (15 and 16 Vict., cap. 72), to reserve it for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon. W. S. Eeid, Solicitor-General. Crown Law Offices, 2nd November, 1896. 2—A. 1.

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