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No. 8. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, Ist June, 1887. With reference to Lord Kimberley's circular despatch of the 18th April, 1882, I have the honour to transmit to you, for information in the colony under your Government, copies of the revised regulations governing the examination and entry of naval cadets. I have, &c, H. T. HOLLAND. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. [For enclosure, see New Zealand Gazette, 4th August, 1887, p. 1045.] ]

No. 9. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 2nd June, 1887. The Belgian Government. is anxious that Her Majesty's colonial possessions should adhere to the proposal which is explained in the accompanying precis of a paper received from the Belgian Minister at this Court, for the publication of the Customs tariffs of various countries. 2. The proposal is one which meets with the cordial approval of Her Majesty's Government, and the adherence of the United Kingdom and of India has been notified to the Belgian Government. 3. -The Belgian Government attaches much importance to the adhesion of the British colonies generally to the proposal, and thinks that, as nearly all of them have a Customs tariff, it would, be an advantage to them as well as to international commerce that their tariffs should be published in the collection issued by the International Bureau. 4. I shall be glad to be informed, at your early convenience, whether your Government desires its adhesion to be notified to the Belgian Government. I have, &c, H. T. HOLLAND. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. International Customs Tabiff Bureau. The Belgian Government has, within the last year, drawn the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the want experienced by traders and manufacturers of authentic information as to the Customs tariffs of the countries with which trade is carried on. It is stated that formerly there existed in various countries publications containing information of this nature which were supported by private enterprise, but that the particulars which they contained were often inaccurate, and that these works soon became dangerously misleading. To avoid inaccuracies, several Governments, notably those of Germany, England, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States, undertook severally the publication of foreign Customs tariffs for the use of their own nationals. This system, though naturally superior to that previously carried out by private individuals, has, nevertheless, in the opinion of the Belgian Government, left much to be desired. A comparative examination at the Foreign Office at Brussels, which has taken place periodically for some years past, has tended to show that the tariffs as given by the various countries do not always correspond, and that the greater part of the collections are incomplete, and do not in every case present the most recent modifications, while additional confusion is caused in some cases by modifications being placed in the body of the publications, where they pass unnoticed. In any case the tariffs and their modifications generally appear so late that the usefulness of these publications is considered to be contestable from a practical point of view. The complaints of traders and manufacturers have led to the idea, on the part of the Belgian Government, of organizing at Brussels, with the co-operation of all Governments concerned, an International Bureau, which would undertake the duty of publishing, as they came out, all Customs duties of the world, with their modifications, and of translating them into the languages most generally used in trade, such as German, English, French, and Spanish, though there would probably be no inconvenience in adding to the number of languages if the Governments interested expressed a desire to this effect. The advantage of centralisation in a work of this character is apparent, and the creation of an organ receiving directly and promptly particulars from the Governments concerned would offer to traders and manufacturers of all countries guarantees and advantages not hitherto known. It is unnecessary to inquire whether Governments which have already a service of this nature would care to continue it after the establishment of the proposed international service at Brussels.