A.—No. la,

44

DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OE STATE

Service Pipes, and to make and construct other Works for supplying the City of Auckland and its Vicinity with Gas. No. 2.—An Act to authorize the Superintendent of the Province of Nelson to break up Streets, Roads, and Bridges, and to lay down and place Pipes, Conduits, and Service Pipes, and io make and construct other Works for supplying the City of Nelson with Gas. No. 3.—An Act to make provision for the Construction and Maintenance of Waterworks for supplying the City of Wellington with Water, and for defraying the Cost thereof. No. 4.—An Act to amend " The Dunedin Waterworks Act, 1864," and to increase the Capital of the Dunedin Waterworks Company, and to make further provision for the Management of the said Company. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY.

No. 54. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Eight Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 29.) Snt,— Downing Street, 10th April, 1872. In compliance with the request contained in your Despatch No. 15, of 18th January last, I transmitted the Opinion of the Attorney-General of New Zealand, and the Ministerial Memorandum, to the Law Officers of the Crown, for their report upon the question raised by the Attorney-General of New Zealand respecting marriage with a deceased wife's sister. I am advised that, in accordance with the views of the majority of the Law Lords in the case of Brook v. Brook, such a marriage as the question relates to would be held to be valid in England, provided the parties to it were domiciled in the Colony at the time of the marriage. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY.

No. 55. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimbeeley to Governor Sir G. P. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 30.) Sir,— Downing Street, 11th April, 1872. On receipt of your Despatch No. 3, of 4th January, on the subject of the selection of a station for the observation of the transit of Venus in 1874, I forwarded a copy of it to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and to the Astronomer-Royal, calling the attention of the latter to the proposed erection of an Observatory at Christchurch, the capital of the Province of Canterbury, and requesting to be informed of the steps which in his opinion should be taken by the local authorities. It will be seen from Professor Airy's reply, of which I enclose a copy, that he is in direct communication with the Secretary of the Observatory Committee at Christchurch. I have, &c, Governor Sir G.E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY.

Enclosure 1 in No. 55. Professor Aiet to Mr. Hehbeet. Siii, — Koyal. Observatory, Greenwich, 4th April, 1872. I liave the honor to acknowledge your letter of April 3rd, transmitting, by instruction of the Earl of Kimberley, copy of a Despatch from the Governor of .New Zealand, dated January 4th, and other papers, relating to a proposed establishment of an Observatory at Christchurch, in the Province of Canterbury, and requesting my opinion as to the steps to be taken by the local authorities. 2. I have had some correspondence with the Committee for the proposed Observatory, and (indirectly) with Archdeacon Wilson; and I have also seen some of the published papers. 8. The subject appears to me to be not without its difficulties. For explanation of the view which I take, I believe that I cannot do better than ask leave to place before the Earl of Kimberlev copy of