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No. 39. (No. 90.) My Lord, — Downing Street, 4th September, 1902. I have the honour to transmit to you, to be laid before your Ministers, copy of a letter from the Foreign Office respecting certain certificates which have been required by your Government from His Majesty's Consul-General at San Francisco. 2. I concur with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in thinking that it is not within the competence of Consular Officers to give certificates of the kind in question ; but, before proceeding further in the matter, I shall be obliged if you will move your Ministers to state on what grounds such certificates have hitherto been requested. I have, &c, J. CHAMBERLAIN. Governor the Right Hon. the Earl of Ranfurly, G.C.M.G., &c.

Enclosures. Sib,— Foreign Office, 18th August, 1902. I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to transmit to you a copy of a despatch from Mr. Bennett, His Majesty's Consul-General at San Francisco, from which it appears that he has been required by the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand to furnish certificates as to the laws of the State of California. Lord Lansdowne considers that it is not within the competence of Consular Officers to give certificates of this nature; but His Lordship would be glad to receive any observations whi,ch Mr. Secretary Chamberlain may wish to offer as to the proper course to be pursued, in order that Mr. Bennett may be furnished with instructions for his guidance in the future. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. F. H. Villiers.

My Loed, — His Majesty's Consulate-General, San Francisco, 24th July, 1902. I have the honour to enclose herewith an extract from the letter of a lawyer in Sydney, New South Wales, to a firm in San Francisco, requiring that I should certify " that the American documents are in the form prescribed and required by the laws of the State of California." This certificate is always required by the Government of New South Wales, and also by the Government of New Zealand, and I would respectfully submit that it is one which a Consular Officer should hardly be called upon to give. I suggested on this and a previous occasion that such a certificate should be given by a local notary, and that I should certify to the notary's signature-in the ordinary way, but was told that the Government in question would accept nothing but a certificate from me in the sense indicated. In order to avoid delay and inconvenience, I finally consented to grant the certificate on production of a letter addressed to me by the legal adviser of this Consulate-General saying I could safely do so. As, however, I am doubtful whether I have not gone beyond my instructions in giving such a certificate, I would venture to ask your Lordship what course I should take in future when such unusual services are demanded from me. I have, &c, C. W. Bennett, The Marquess of Lansdowne, K.G., &c. Consul-General.

Sydney, 23rd June, 1902. Dear Sirs, — Ec Mr. Lacy's Shares. I have seen the Eegistrar of Probates upon the subject of granting letters of administration with the will annexed of Mr. Lacy, but before the letters of administration can be granted he requires that the signatures of Mr. Mahony, the County Clerk, and Mr. Justice Cook, the presiding Judge, attached to the document verifying the will and order admitting probate, should be first verified and attested by the British Vice-Consul in California. He also requires a certificate by the Vice-Consul that the American documents are in the form prescribed and required by the laws of the State of California. This certificate is a trifling matter. The Vice-Consul will have a form of certificate to which, when completed, all the American documents should be attached. I have, &c, Walter G. Parish, Solicitor. Messrs. Parke and Lacy Co. (Limited), Clarence Street.

No. 40. (General.) My Lord, — Downing Street, 6th September, 1902. In confirmation of my telegram of the 14th August, I have the honour to transmit to you for the consideration of your Ministers the accompanying copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Berne, enclosing corre-