A.—l.

No. 53. Native Land Laws Amendment Act. —This Act provides for the appointment of a SubCommissioner of the Native Land Court and the Native Appellate Court, and defines his powers. It enlarges the powers of these Conrts as to confirmation of leases, payment of moneys due to minors, and otherwise. It also appoints the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court to be Chief Judge of the Validation Court, and empowers assessors, clerks, and interpreters of the former Court to act in the latter. The Act amends in various ways " The Native Land Court Act, 1894," and " The Native Land Laws Amendment Act, 1895," chiefly in the direction of enlarging the jurisdiction of the Court. No. 54. Eegistration of People's Claims.—This Act provides for the investigation and registration of claims to old-age pensions (if hereafter established) by persons possessing the prescribed qualifications of age, residence, &c, the purpose being to ascertain the probable cost of establishing an old-age pension fund. No. 55. Alcoholic Liquors Inspection Act.—This Act enlarges and defines the powers of special Inspectors appointed to prevent the sale of adulterated liquor. No. 56. Eeserves and Crown Lands Disposal and Enabling Act.—This Act deals with various reserves by changing the purposes thereof. It also authorises certain reserves to be disposed of as Crown lands, and certain Crown lands to be set aside as reserves for specified purposes. No. 57. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.—This Act amends the principal Act on several technical points— e.g., by preventing a member of one Board of Conciliation from being elected to another, providing for the joinder of parties to an industrial dispute, giving further facilities for the registration of companies as industrial unions, and providing for fees payable to the chairman and members of the Board. No. 58. Tobacco Act Amendment Act.—This Act amends the law as to the manufacture of tobacco, enlarges the powers of the Commissioner, and reduces the license-fee and bond in respect of a tobacco manufactory. It also provides for warrants authorising the use of a cutting-machine and the making of cigarettes by hand. It also enlarges the powers of inspection, and makes several technical amendments of the existing law. No. 59. Tobacco Excise Duties Act. —This Act imposes excise duties on tobacco, cigars, snuff, and machinery-manufactured cigarettes, but exempts cigarettes made by hand from duty-paid tobacco outside a bonded tobacco factory. No. 60. Land-tax and Income-tax Act.—This Act imposes the same land-tax and income-tax for the year commencing Ist April, 1896, as were imposed last year. No. 61. Public Eevenues Act Amendment Act (No. 2). —This Act removes certain technical difficulties in the existing Acts by providing for the delivery up of securities for the purpose of exchange for other securities. No. 62. Public Works Appropriation Act.—This Act appropriates in all £1,145,716 out of the various funds and accounts therein mentioned for the construction of public works and other purposes for the year ending 31st March, 1897. No. 63. Appropriation Act.—This Act appropriates the supplies granted during this session of Parliament, and makes a further grant and appropriation of £1,102,888 out of the Consolidated Fund, making the total sum granted out of the Consolidated Fund for the year £2,438,696. Act reserved for the Signification of Her Majesty's Pleasure. No. 64. Asiatic Eestriction Act.—This Act repeals all former Acts restricting the immigration of Chinese, and applies the provisions of those Acts to all Asiatics other than persons of European or Jewish extraction or British subjects natives of the Indian Empire. The poll-tax is £100, and no ship may bring more than one Asiatic for every 200 tons of the ship's tonnage. This Act is reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure thereon, on the grounds set forth in a separate memorandum herewith. Local and Personal Acts. No. 1. Caversham Waterworks Account Act.—This Act empowers the Council of the Borough of Caversham to place to the credit of the General Account the surplus at credit of the Waterworks Account on the 31st March, 1896. No. 2. Dunedin City Borrowing Act.—This Act empowers the Corporation of the City of Dunedin to borrow £50,000 for the purposes of the city as mentioned therein, on the security of a special rate, the maximum currency of the debentures to be twelve years, and the maximum rate of interest 5 per cent, per annum. No. 3. Picton Eecreation Eeserve Act.—This Act vests certain land in the Picton Borough Council as a recreation reserve. No. 4. Westport Harbour Board Loan Act.—This Act authorises the Westport Harbour Board to borrow on the security of its endowments a sum of £50,000 for harbour-works, in addition to the moneys authorised to be borrowed under " The Westport Harbour Act, 1884." No. 5. Lyttelton Harbour Board Enlargement Act.—This Act increases by one the number of members constituting the Harbour Board, and directs that he shall be elected by the ratepayers of the Boroughs of Linwood, Woolston, and Sumner. No. 6. Mount Wellington Public Domain Board and Thomas Morrin Exchange of Land Act. —This Act authorises an exchange of land between Thomas Morrin and the Mount Wellington Domain Board. No. 7. Dunedin Garrison Hall Trustees Empowering Act Amendment Act. — This Act empowers the Trustees of the Dunedin Garrison Hall to raise money not exceeding £6,500 from any lending department of the Government on debentures bearing not more than 5 per cent, interest per annum. It also authorises the Minister of Defence to guarantee such loans on the conditions therein mentioned. •

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