A.—2,

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No. 1. No. 29. My Lord, , ' Downing Street, 27th February, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 71 of the sth of September last, forwarding a petition to His Majesty the King from certain natives of New Zealand praying His Majesty to disallow two Maori Land Acts passed by the New Zealand Legislature, and of your telegram of the 14th instant on the subject. 2. The petition was duly laid before His Majesty but, in the absence of any reasons or particulars in support of the Petitioners' prayer, I have been unable to tender any advice to His Majesty'on the subject. I have, etc., ELGIN. Governor, the Rt. Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O.

A.-1, 1908, No. 14.

No. 2. Miscellaneous. My Lord, Downing Street, 28th February, 1908 I have the honour to transmit to Your Lordship for the information of your Government, a copy of a letter from the Admiralty relative to the proposed institution of Long Service and Good Conduct Medals for the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and also for the Colonial Naval Volunteer or Reserve Forces. I have, etc., ELGIN. Governor, the Rt. Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O.

Enclosure. Sib, Admiralty, 19th February, 1908. With reference to your letter of the 31st August last No. 30533/07, and subsequent correspondence, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that steps are now being taken to prepare a design of Long Service and Good Conduct Medals for the Royal Navarßeserve and Royal Naval Volunteer or Reserve Forces with a view to obtaining His Majesty's approval and the subsequent sanction of an Order in Council. . It is intended that the issue of these Medals should be governed by practically the same regulations as those concerning the Army Volunteers, the cost of the medals for the Colonial Naval Volunteer or Reserve forces falling upon Colonial Funds. A further communication will be made to you as to the cost of any medals which may be earned in consequence of service under the Australasian Agreement. The detailed Regulations which it is proposed to adopt will be formulated in due course and communicated to you, but meanwhile it may perhaps be considered desirable that the Colonies which have been pressing for the establishment of the medal to know how far the matter has progressed. I am etc., C. I. Thomas. The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office.

No. 3. No. 31. My Lord, Downing Street, 28th February, 1908. I have the honour to transmit to you for the information of your Ministers, with reference to my despatch No. 107 of the 18th November, 1907 the paper noted