A.—2,

No. 3. New Zealand, No. 83. My Lord,— Downing Street, 27th February, 1913. With reference to my telegram of the 25th instant, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the accompanying copies of an Order of His Majesty in Council of the 11th February, assenting to the reserved Bill of the Parliament of New Zealand entitled " The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act, 1912." •. /;l 2. I shall be glad if you will be so good as to inform me on what date the Act takes effect in New Zealand, in order that steps may be taken to arrange for the application to the Dominion of the international conventions with regard to collisions and salvage, as to which I would invite reference to your predecessor's despatches Nos. 84 and 157, of the 7th June, 1912, and the 27th September, 1912, respectively. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor His Excellency the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, K.C.M.G., M.V.0., &c.

A.-1, 1914, No. 3.

Enclosure. At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 11th day of February, 1913. Present: The King's Most Excellent Majesty, Lord President, Master of the Horse, Earl of Desart, Lord Chamberlain, Sir Rufus D. Isaacs, Sir John A. Simon. Whereas it is, among other things, enacted by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, that the Legislature of any British possession may by any Act or Ordinance, confirmed by His Majesty in Council, repeal wholly or in part any provisions of the said Act (other than those of the third part thereof, which relate to emigrant ships) relating to ships registered in that possession, but that any such Act or Ordinance shall not take effect until the approval of His Majesty has been proclaimed in the possession, or until such time thereafter as may be fixed by the Act or Ordinance for the purpose : And whereas it is, among other things, enacted by the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890, that the Legislature of any British possession may by any colonial law— (a.) Declare any Court of unlimited civil jurisdiction, whether original or appellate, in that possession to be a Colonial Court of Admiralty, and provide for the exercise by such Court of its jurisdiction under the said Act, and limit territorially, or otherwise, the extent of such jurisdiction ; and (b.) Confer upon any inferior or subordinate Court in that possession such partial or limited Admiralty jurisdiction under such regulations and with such appeal (if any) as may seem fit, subject to the proviso that any such colonial law shall not confer any jurisdiction which is not by the said Act conferred upon a Colonial Court of Admiralty : And whereas it is further enacted by the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890, that every colonial law which is made in pursuance of the said Act, or affects the jurisdiction of or practice or procedure in any Court of such possession in respect of the jurisdiction conferred by the said Act, or alters any such colonial law as above mentioned which has been previously passed, shall, unless previously approved by His Majesty through a Secretary of State, either be reserved for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure thereon or contain a suspending clause providing that such law shall not come into operation until His Majesty's pleasure thereon has been publicly signified in the British possession in which it has been passed. And whereas by an Act passed in the session held in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, 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 His 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 His Majesty in Council, and that His Majesty has been pleased to assent to the same : And whereas by a Proclamation dated the 10th day of September, 1907, His late Majesty King Edward VII was graciously pleased to change the style and designation of " the Colony of New Zealand " to " the Dominion of New Zealand " : And whereas a certain Bill (1912, No. 53) passed by the Legislative Council and House of Representattives of the said Dominion, entitled " An Act to amend the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908," was presented to the Governor of the said Dominion for His Majesty's assent: And whereas the said Bill was reserved by the said Governor for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure thereon : And whereas the said Bill so reserved as aforesaid has been laid before His Majesty in Council and it is expedient that the said Bill should be confirmed and assented to by His Majesty : Now, therefore, His Majesty, in pursuance of the said Acts and in exercise of the powers thereby reserved to His Majesty as aforesaid, doth by the present Order, by and with the advice of His Majesty's Privy Council, confirm and declare His Majesty's assent to the said Bill. Almeric Fitzroy.

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