a.—s.

No. 83. Sir,— Niue, 17th October, 1904. I have the honour to enclose to you herewith a list of names of members of the Niue Island Council, who were elected on the 25th August last for the term of three years from that date. I have been unable to forward the list to you earlier, as the people of Alofi would not hand in the names of the members to represent their village, as they were endeavouring to obtain increased remuneration for the members of the Council amongst others. I pointed out to them that the proper course was to elect the members; then, if they had a grievance, to put it in writing, and send it through me to the Minister in Charge, who would consider it. This they finally agreed to, and the two former members were re-elected. With the exception of the members for Tuapa and Hikutavake, all of the former members of the Council were re-elected. I have, &c, C. F. Maxwell, The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister in Charge, Resident Commissioner, Niue. Cook and other Islands Administration, Wellington.

Enclosure. List of Members of Niue Island Council, elected on the 25th August, 1904, for the Term of Three Years from that Date. Togia, President, from Village of Tuapa. Members —Pila, from Tuapa; Fitihega, from Hikutavake; Togaiki, from Mutalau ; Talaheiki, from Lakepa; Talagi, from Liku; Puletagaloa, Hakupu; Hegotule, from Avatele and Fatiau; Lahega,' froot Tamakautoga; Tatagata, from Alofi South; Tagavaitoa, from Alofi North; Logo, from Makefu. C. F. Maxwell, 17th October, 1904. Resident Commissioner, Niue.

No. 84. Sir, — Rarotonga, 18th October, 1904. I have the honour to forward for approval the following Federal Ordinances : No. 14, Immigration and Vagrancy; No. 15, Public Health; No. 16, High Court; No. 17, Adoption of Native Children; also an Ordinance, No. 5, of the Island Council of Rarotonga, regulating village life and traffic. The necessity for No. 14 is immediate and urgent, in order to prevent the introduction of vagrants and criminals from Tahiti and New Zealand. Within the last two months we have had three bad cases of this nature dumped upon us, and, our police forcebeing purely Native, we are quite unable to deal with such men, and for this reason our Vagrant Act requires to be drastic. No. 17 is intended to give adoption the force of law, and prevent fraud; and I have the honour to request that a copy of the Gazette containing regulations under section 50 of " The Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1901," may be forwarded to me. I have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister administering the Islands, Wellington.

Enclosures. Federal Ordinance No. 14.—An Ordinance to prevent the Landing and Remaining in the Cook and Northern Islands of Persons of Bad Character, or of Unsound Mind, or Drunken Habits. Be it enacted by the Federal Council of the Cook and Northern Islands as follows: — 1. The Short Title of this Ordinance shall be "The Immigrants and Vagrancy Ordinance, 1904." 2. No person who shall have been convicted at any place outside the Cook and Northern Islands of any indictable offence, and no person of notoriously bad character, or of drunken habits, or of unsound mind, shall be brought to, or land, or remain in the said islands. 3. The master of any vessel arriving at the said islands from places beyond the said islands shall forthwith report in writing to the Collector of Customs, or to the European Resident Agent at the island at which such vessel arrives, the names, and, as far as is known, the occupations of all passengers on board such vessel. 4. The master of such vessel shall, if required in writing by such Collector of Customs or European Resident Agent, give a substantial guarantee to an amount not exceeding fifty pounds for each passenger left at any one of the said islands that such passenger will not within six months from the date of his landing within the said islands become a burden to the Government or people of the said islands. 5. If the master of such vessel shall neglect or refuse to make such report as aforesaid, or to give such guarantee when called upon so to do, he may be forthwith summoned before a European Judge of the High Court of the Cook Islands, or before a Resident Magistrate, and shall be liable to a penalty for each offence not exceeding the sum of fifty pounds. Such penalty shall be recoverable from such master, and failing him, from the owners of such vessel. The Collector of Customs or other officer shall not be bound to give any vessel a clearance until the master thereof shall have paid such penalty, or shall have complied with the provisions of the two preceding sections.

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