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Enclosure No. 2. Thuesday, 4th June, 1891. Minutes of Meeting of the Central Council, at the Schoolhouse, Avarua. The British Eesident (Mr. F. J. Moss) took the chair at 10 a.m. The following representatives were present:— Barotonga —Te Pou o te Eangi (Avarua), William Isaiah (Arorangi), Samuela (Taketumu). Mangaia —Ngatama (Oneroa), Tangi (Ivirua), Oruruiti (Tamarua). Atiu, Mitiaro, and Mauke —Ngamaru (Atiu), Toil (Mauke). Aitutaki —John Mokoenga (Arutangi), Ngativaro (Peureu), Eaka (Arutangi). Mana (Mitiaro), absent. Daniela (of Oneroa) claimed that he should sit instead of Oruruiti, and had been sent to do so. Vaipo (Chief of Ivirua) and John (ariki of Mangaia) declared that Oruruiti was the right member, and that they would be responsible for his being so. Furthermore, as Oneroa was already represented, and Tamarua (to which settlement Oruruiti belonged) was not the Chairman decided that Oruruiti should be accepted as the member. Daniel Makea was then elected to act as Clerk to the Council. Mr. Moss then read the following address : " I have asked you, representing the people of the Cook Islands, to meet together here to consider how you can best work together so as to be strong and lift up to increased knowledge and prosperity the chiefs and people of the Cook Islands. It is the first time in your history that you have been thus brought together, and I earnestly hope that this meeting will lead to a good understanding among you, to the sinking of small jealousies, and to your laying a broad and strong foundation on which your children may continue to build long after you and I are gone. To do this a system of regular government must be established, and it must be based on two clear principles which I ask you, in your local Governments also, to bear constantly in mind. The first principle is that those who make the laws should be a body distinct from those who carry them out. The one will then be a check upon the other, and it will be better for both of them and for the people. The second principle is that those who carry out the laws—namely, the Government and its officers, must be regularly and properly appointed and personally answerable for what they do. I have drawn up a short law embodying these two principles. It is the first matter for your consideration. I hope you will find it good, but it will be for you to tell me frankly and fully what your thoughts about it may be. Then we shall work together, and make a good for the future government of the whole of the Islands. Other laws will be submitted to you :to establish a Supreme Court, a post-office, and other things urgently required, as well as to obtain a revenue to carry them out. But the greatest of all is to establish schools, so that your children can be taught how to read English books, and thus learn all that has made the English people wise and strong. The missionaries brought Christianity to you, and they have given you, in your own tongue, the first and greatest of all books—the Bible. My desire is to help them in their good work, and they will, I feel sure, help me in mine. Then, by God's blessing, we shall together succeed in doing great and lasting benefit to you and to your children. I ask you now to appoint one of your own number as Chairman, and leave you to the full and free consideration of the law " for the Good Government of the Cook Islands," which I now lay before you. The Aitutaki members proposed that the British Eesident should keep the chair, and were supported by others. After considerable discussion—as Mr. Moss insisted on their putting one of their own number in the chair—Tepou ote Eangi was proposed by Ngamaru. No other member being proposed, the Chairman declared Tepou duly elected, and vacated in his favour. The meeting being now properly constituted, prayers were offered by Ngamaru, and the business of the meeting began. Law No. 1, "To provide for tlieGood Government of the Cook Islands," was read and considered section by section. Sections Ito 6 were debated and passed, and the members adjourned at halfpast 1 to dinner. The meeting resumed at half-past 2 o'clock. Sections 7 to 12 were passed. Section 13, after considerable discussion, was postponed, the members being unanimously of opinion that the arikis should settle among themselves who was to be the Chief of the Government, and the name would then be inserted. Sections 14, 15, and 16 were also postponed, and the meeting adjourned at 4 p.m. till 10 next morning.

No. 5. Mr. F. J. Moss to His Excellency the Govebnoe. My Loud, — British Eesidency, Earotonga, 9th June, 1891. I have the honour to enclose for your Excellency's information the following laws, passed by the Parliament of the Cook Islands, which is still in session: No. 1, " To provide for the good Government of the Cook Islands;" No. 2, "To levy an Import Duty;" No. 3, "Import Duty No. 2." "With reference to these laws, I beg to remark that No. 1 is the first attempt to separate the Legislature from the Executive in the governing system of these islands, and to make the Executive officers personally responsible for their actions. As an illustration of the system now in existence, I may state that in this one island, with a population not exceeding two thousand of all ages, I find that there are over one hundred persons acting as policemen —in other words, prying into other people's business instead of minding their own. This is, of course, a local-government affair, but I hope the practice will soon be of the past both in this and the other islands. I found it difficult to express by Maori names the Legislature and Executive. The phrases are long and complex for such words as " Member of Parliament," " Legislature," and "Executive; " and it seemed to me best to make use of English words that carried their meaning with them, and

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