A.—3

22

Estimated Revenue for the Year ending 30th June, 1900. £ s. d. By Cash balance on hand, Ist July, 1899 ... ... ... 409 1 5 Import duties ... ... ... ... ... 1,000 0 0 Post Office ... ... ... ... ... ... 300 0 0 Trade license ... ... ... ... ... 250 0 0 High Court ... ... ... ... ... ... 185 0 0 Arikis' Courts ... ... ... ... ... 100 0 0 Liquor-tax ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 0 0 £2,314 1 5 Passed. Te Ariki Tapu Rangi, Chairman to Cook Islands Parliament. Approved. Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Federal Government. Approved.—W. E. Gudgeon, British Resident. The Residency, 22nd August, 1899.

No. 15. His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 18th September, 1899. No. 9. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (No. 36/99) of the 16th August, enclosing three Acts, passed by the Cook Islands Parliament, which have received your sanction. I am pleased to hear that the revenue and expenditure of the Group for the past year show such a satisfactory surplus. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Rarotonga. Ranfurly.

No. 16. His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 6th October, 1899. No. 12. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch (No. 42/99) of the 11th September, 1899. The statement of receipts and expenditure of the Federal Government seem to be most satisfactory. I venture to hope that the revenue of the present year may enable the Federation to carry out many of the much-needed improvements that are proposed. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Rarotonga. Ranfurly.

No. 17. His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 6th October, 1899. jcj 0- 1% I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch of the 14th September (No. 44/99), enclosing Acts passed by the Cook Islands Legislature. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Rarotonga. Ranfurly.

No. 18. His Excellency the Governor to Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 6th October, 1899. No. 14. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (No. 43/99) of the 14th September, 1899, enclosing "The Appropriation Act, 1899-1900." I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident, Rarotonga. Ranfurly.

No. 19. Lieut.-Colonel Gudgeon to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Rarotonga, 10th October, 1899. I have the honour to inform you that I returned on the Bth instant to Rarotonga, after visiting the Islands of Mangaia and Aitutaki. This I was enabled to do by the courtesy of the London Missionary Society, who allowed me to take advantage of the fact that their steamer, the " John Williams," was about to visit the islands.