A.—2.

18

by the Government of New South Wales is, as they are advised, extreme and illegal, I may instruct the Governor of New South Wales to cause it to be annulled, unless the Parliament of New South Wales shall pass such an Act as will justify the issue of the Proclamation. 3. In reply, I request that you will inform your Ministers that, in a commercial matter of this nature, I am disposed to think that any question as to the legality or illegality of a Proclamation issued by a Colonial Government should in the first instance be tested, if it is deemed necessary to take exception to it, in the Law Courts of the colony in which it is issued; and that it would not be in accordance with constitutional practice for the Secretary of State, at the instance of the Ministers of a colony, to issue instructions to the Governor of another for the withdrawal of a Proclamation which he has issued on the recommendation of those who are responsible for advising him in such matters. 4. In signing such a Proclamation as that in question, the Governor of New South Wales cannot, consistently with the spirit of the Constitution of that colony, properly be held to be individually responsible to persons deeming themselves aggrieved by it. 5. As in Sir J. Eergusson's despatch, and in the accompanying correspondence, there is much reference to the question whether your predecessor should himself have addressed the Governors of the neighbouring colonies on the matter at issue, I think it desirable to express my clear opinion that it was neither necessary nor expedient in this instance to depart from the long-established usage under which the Ministers of one Australasian colony correspond with those of another on matters not affecting Imperial interests. 6. It is indeed obvious that it is very desirable that Governors should personally be drawn as little as possible into the discussion of such intercolonial questions as are likely to become the subjects of animated controversy, and the correspondence enclosed in Sir J. Eergusson's despatch contains strong evidence of the inexpedience of departing from this rule. 7. If any serious and continued inconvenience should be caused to persons in New Zealand by the New South Wales Proclamation (supposing it to be still in operation), I cannot doubt that the Government of that colony will give all due consideration to such representations as may be made to them by your Advisers, without the intervention of yourself or of the Secretary of State. I have, &c, Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby. CAENAEVON. K.C.M.G., &c, &c.

No. 24. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Eight Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon to the Officer Administering the Government'of New Zealand. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 10th February, 1875. At the request of the Director of the Meteorological Office, I transmit to you, for the use of any meteorological systems in the colony under your Government, copies of New Instructions for Meteorological Telegraphy,* which came into use on the Ist instant. In the letter transmitting to this department copies of this pamphlet, it is stated that the new code has been adopted in compliance with the request of the Permanent Committee of the Vienna Congress, in order to attain greater uniformity in weather telegraphy, and that it will be used by almost every country in Europe, subject to certain modifications to suit the metric system. I have, &c, CAENAEVON. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. * Deposited in the General Assembly Library.