A.—2

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Enclosure. At the Court at Windsor, the 15th day of May, 1900. Present: The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, Lord President, Lord Chamberlain, Earl of Kintore, Sir Richard Webster. Whebbas by an Act passed m the session held in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of Her Majesty's reign, entitled " An Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand," it is, amongst other things, declared that no Bill which shall be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon shall have any force or authority within the Colony of New Zealand until the Governor of the said colony shall signify, either by speech or message to the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the said colony, or by Proclamation, that such Bill has been laid before Her Majesty in Council, and that Her Majesty has been pleased to assent to the same : And whereas a certain Bill passed by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the said colony, entitled " An Act to place certain Restrictions on Immigration into New Zealand," was presented to the Officer Administering the Government of the said colony for Her Majesty's assent: And whereas the said Bill was reserved by the said officer for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon : And whereas the said Bill so reserved as aforesaid has baen laid before Her Majesty in Council, and it is expedient that the said Bill should be assented to by Her Majesty : Now, therefore, Her Majesty, in pursuance of the said Act, and in exercise of the power thereby reserved to Her Majesty as aforesaid, doth by this present Order, by and with the advice of Her Majesty's Privy Council, declare her assent to the said Bill. A. W. Fitzeoy.

No. 21. (Circular.) Sm,— Downing Street, 30th May, 1900. I have the honour to transmit to you, for your consideration, a copy of a letter from the Marquess of Lansdowne asking to be furnished with information regarding the nature of the engagements under which members of the forces raised elsewhere than in the United Kingdom are serving in the present campaign in South Africa, and I request that you will be good enough to supply me, at an early date, with the information required in regard to the contingents serving in South Africa raised in the colony under your government. I have, &c, J. CHAMBBELAIN. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Sib,— . War Office, London, S.W., 14th May, 1900. As no information exists at this department regarding the nature of the engagements under which members, either of the South African local forces or of the other forces raised elsewhere than in the United Kingdom, are serving in the present campaign, and as the possession of such information is found to be necessary, I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to ask that his Lordship may be made acquainted with the conditions of service, &c, obtaining in the various local forces in South Africa, irrespective of whether such forces were in existence prior to the war or have been raised since. His Lordship would also be glad to be furnished with similar information in the cases of oversea contingents sent to South Africa from the other colonies. I am further to request that it may be stated whether it is obligatory that men should be furnished with certificates of discharge on quitting the forces referred to. In the event of the men of any of the forces in question having been required to sign a form of attestation or enrolment on joining the forces to which they now belong, or of there being any form of discharge certificate to be given to them when they cease to belong to such forces, the Marquess of Lansdowne will feel obliged by your obtaining and forwarding to this department a copy of each such document. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. G. Fleetwood Wilson.

No. 22. (No. 34.) My Lord,— Downing Street, 31st May, 1900. I have the honour to inform you that Her Majesty will not be advised to exercise her powers of disallowance with respect to the Act (No. 15 of 1899) of the Legislature of New Zealand entitled "An Act to amend the Shipping