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Enclosure No. 2. Memorandum for His Excellency. The Premier has the honour to forward to His Excellency the enclosed copy of a letter received from the Warden of Christ's College, Christehurch, suggesting that the object of the Council of Military Education, recently constitutod here under " The Defence Act, 1886," would be greatly facilitated and promoted if the young men of New Zealand who are desirous of military service could be encouraged and assisted in offering themselves as candidates for admission into Woolwich and Sandhurst, and especially if, with the consent of the Imperial authorities, their examination could take place in the coiony simultaneously with and on the same terms as those held in England. The Premier submits that, if the suggestion of the Warden could be given effect to, it would be welcomed as a great boon to the colony, and would prove invaluable as a means towards the perfection of internal defence, and incidentally as contributing to the colonial defence of the Empire. The Premier has therefore respectfully to request His Excellency to be good enough to forward the Warden's letter to the Eight Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies for favourable consideration in the proper quarter. Robert Stout. 3rd December, 1886.

Sub-Enclosure. Sir, — Bishopscourt, Christehurch, 13th November, 1886. Under the Defence Act of 1886 a Gomicil of Military Education has, I understand, been constituted in this colony, and is charged, I assume, with the duty of devising and carrying out plans for the education and training of young men for military service. May I be permitted to suggest to yourself, and through you to the Council, that their object would be greatly facilitated and, I think, promoted if the young men of New Zealand who are desirous of a military service could be encouraged and assisted in offering themselves as candidates for admission into Woolwich and Sandhurst; and especially if, with the consent of the Imperial Government, their examination for such admission could take place in this colony simultaneously with and on the same terms as those held in England. This, I imagine, might possibly be effected by examination papers prepared by the authorities in England being sent out to the Council, under seal, some few weeks before the day fixed for the examination in England, and the answers of the New Zealand candidates assembled for examination, under the supervision of the Council, being returned, under seal, to the examiners in England. I feel assured that, if an arrangement of this kind were accepted by the Imperial Government, many young men of the colleges and schools of New Zealand would prepare themselves for this examination, and be found to be as fully qualified for the completion of their education in Woolwich or Sandhurst as those admitted to these military institutions by competition in England. At present, with some few exceptions, they are deterred from competing by the extremes of the voyage and the uncertainty of the result. I need scarcely add that, if what I have suggested can bo carried into effect, it would be welcomed as a great boon to the colony, and would contribute in no slight degree to the maintenance of those cordial relations which now happily bind this and other divisions of the British Empire together. I have, &c, H. C. Chbistchuech, Warden of Christ's College, Christehurch. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Education Department, Wellington.

No. 08. (No. 123.) Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 27th December, 1886. With reference to your general despatch, dated the 9th October last, I have the honour to forward herewith a memorandum from my Ministers, covering a letter from the Chancellor of the New Zealand University applying for an Order of the Queen in Council, under section 17 of the Imperial Medical Act of 1886, for extending Part 11. of the Act to New Zealand. My Ministers further enclose a copy of the New Zealand Medical Practitioners' Registration Act of 1869, under the 12th section of which the privilege of registration in the colony is extended to medical practitioners of the United Kingdom on the production of their certificates of Imperial registration. I have, &c, W. F> DRUMMOND JEEVOIS. The Right Hon. Edward Stanhope.

A.-2, 1887, No 101.

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