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No. 8, 1899.—An Act to Establish a British Currency. Be it enacted by the Parliament of the Cook Islands, with the consent of the British Resident:— 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be " The Cook Islands Currency Act, 1899." 2. From and after the date on which this Act shall come into force the value of a Chili dollar as a legal tender within the Cook Islands shall be one shilling and sixpence. 3. The Chili dollar shall cease to be a legal tender within the limits of this Federation on the first day of March, one thousand nine hundred. 4. The British Besident and the Chief of the Government are hereby empowered to make such regulations and do all acts necessary to give effect to the clauses of this Act. 5. The Chief of the Government shall bring this Act into force by Proclamation in the Cook Islands Gazette, and shall fix the day on which this law shall take effect within the Federation of the Cook Islands. Passed. Te Ariki Tapu Rangi, Chairman to the Cook Islands Parliament. Approved. Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Federal Government. Approved.—W. E. Gudgeon, British Resident. The Residency, 22nd August, 1899.

No. 9, 1899.—An Act to provide for the Punishment of Offenders. Be it enacted by the Parliament of the Cook Islands, with the consent of the British Resident :— 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be " The Offenders' Punishment Act, 1899." 2. Except as hereinafter mentioned, no person charged with an offence before the High Court shall be liable to any greater punishment than that defined for such offence under the following Acts of the New Zealand Legislature, which are hereby adopted as the Criminal Law of the Cook Islands Federation:— (a.) "The Criminal Code Act, 1893." (b.) "The Summary Jurisdiction Act, 1894." 3. And whereas by Act No. 3 of the session of 1892 it was provided that offenders against the laws of the Federation might be banished to the Island of Takutea : And whereas this Act has been inoperative by reason of the fact that Takutea is uninhabited, and otherwise unsuitable for the purpose of a penal settlement, Act No. 3 is hereby repealed. 4. The Island of Manuae is by this Act declared to be a penal settlement, and, with the consent of the owners thereof, or their resident agent at Rarotonga, prisoners may be deported to that island, and may there serve a term of imprisonment with hard labour for any period not exceeding three years, under such regulations as to diet and hours of labour as may hereafter be made. 5. Any person convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment on the Island of Manuae shall be guilty of an offence against the laws of the Federation if he shall do any of the following acts:— (a.) Escape or attempt to escape from custody; (b.) Refuse to perform the hard labour to which he has been sentenced ; On conviction may be sentenced to a further term of imprisonment with hard labour for anyperiod not exceeding three months. 6. Any European or foreigner found living among the native population of these islands and having no visible means of support may be deemed to be a vagrant, and on conviction before the High Court may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment for any period not exceeding three months. ~ 7. Any person who shall spread idle or malicious reports with intent to disturb the minds of the native inhabitants and the peace of the Cook Islands may on conviction be sentenced to a term of imprisonment with hard labour for any period not exceeding three months. 8. And whereas the Federal Government of the Cook Islands is, by reason of its poverty, unable to maintain an expensive prison establishment: Any European or foreign offender convicted under sections six and seven of this Act, or under any section of " The Criminal Code Act, 1893," may, subject to the approval of His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, be ordered to leave these islands, and, failing to comply with such order, may be deported to any place from whence he had emigrated to these islands. 9. " The Arikis' Courts Act, 1896," is hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof it is enacted that, if any person refuse or neglect to obey the judgment of an Ariki's Court, the Judge of that Court may remit the case to the Chief Judge of the High Court, who shall confirm or vary the original judgment, as the circumstances of the case may require. 10. Either of the parties to a suit in an Ariki's Court may, within one month after the decision has been given, demand that the case be reheard by the High Court: and any Maori may bring a suit, whether civil or criminal, before the High Court, notwithstanding that such case has not been heard before the Ariki's Court of his or her district. 11. And whereas an efficient hospital and medical staff has been provided in Rarotonga at the expense of the Federal Government, which same is open to all the inhabitants of the Cook Islands free of charge. And whereas, also, several deaths have recently occurred in this island by reason of the fact that certain tohungas pretend to have a medical skill and knowledge that they do not possess: It is hereby enacted that any one not duly qualified as a medical man who may attend a sick Maori on the Island of Rarotonga shall be legally responsible for any injury done to