A.—3.

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8. Section two of this Act .shall not come into operation until a day to be fixed hereafter, and to be proclaimed in the Cook Islands Government Gazette, the Gazette notice to be signed by the Chief of the Federal Government and the British Besident. Passed. Te Ariki Tapu Rangi, Chairman of the Cook Islands Parliament. Approved. Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Federal Government. Approved.—W. E. Gudgeon, British Eesident.—The Eesidency, 22nd August, 1900.

No. 4, 1900.—The Peivate Debts Act, 1900. Whereas the Maori inhabitants of the Cook Islands have been the victims of reckless trading, and have been allowed to incur debts that will take years to liquidate : And whereas it is in the interests of the said Maoris that this system of trade should cease forthwith : Be it enacted— 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be " The Private Debts Act, 1900." 2. A debt incurred after the thirty-first day of August, one thousand nine hundred, by any Maori, or by a half-caste who is living among the Maoris, shall not be recoverable by any process of law known in the Cook Islands. 3. Contracts entered into by chiefs for or on behalf of the tribe may be enforced by either of the parties to the contract : Provided always that such contract shall have been entered into and signed in the presence of the British Eesident, or in the presence of some person duly appointed by him for that purpose, and shall have been approved by the Eesident. 4. Debts incurred previous to the thirty-first day of August, one thousand nine hundred, may be sued for in the High Court of the Cook Islands in the following manner —namely, in Earotonga at any time before the thirtieth day of November, one thousand nine hundred ; and at other islands of the group at the first sitting of the High Court in that island after the passing of this Act. 5. When the High Court shall have granted a debt certificate to any suitor under section four of this Act, it shall be the duty of the Au of the district in which the debtor lives to inquire into the circumstances of the man, and recommend to the High Court a reasonable arrangement for the payment of the debt. 6. In the event of the Au neglecting to compel the payment of a debt in the manner presented in section five, the High Court may make such order for payment as shall seem just and reasonable, and, in default of payment, may order the defaulter to be imprisoned with hard labour for any period not exceeding one month, with hard labour for each default. 7. All moneys recovered under this Act shall be paid-in the manner directed by the Court. Passed. Te Ariki Tapu Eangi, Chairman of the Cook Islands Parliament. Approved. Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Federal Government. Approved.—W. B. Gudgeon, British Eesident.—The Eesidency, 22nd August, 1900.

No. 5, 1900. —An Act to besteict the Immigeation of Chinese and othee Asiatics into the Cook Islands. Wheeeas experience has shown that the native inhabitants of many of the Pacific Islands have been demoralised by contact with Chinese immigrant?, they having contracted the habit of opiumsmoking and other evil practices of a like nature: Be it enacted — 1. The Short Title of this Act shall be " The Asiatics Immigration Eestriction Act, 1900." 2. " The Asiatic Eestriction Act, 1898," is hereby repealed. 3. No Chinaman or other Asiatic shall be allowed to land or reside in or within the limits of the Cook Islands unless such man or woman shall have first obtained the written permission of the British Eesident and the Chief of the Federal Government, and shall furthermore have paid into the hands of the Collector of Customs the sum of one hundred pounds for himself and for each member of his family : Provided always that those Chinamen who are already residing in the Cook Islands shall, if they are good characters, receive the permission to reside, and shall not be called upon to pay any sum for that permission. 4. The master of any sailing-vessel or steamer who shall bring Asiatics to this group, and shall allow them to land in contravention of section three, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable, on a summary conviction before the High Court, to a penalty of not more than fifty pounds for each person landed, and in addition shall be required to remove the Asiatic so landed to any place outside of the group. 5. It shall not be a defence to any action under section four that the Asiatic was a member of the crew of the said vessel and not an immigrant within the ordinary meaning of the term. Passed. Te Ariki Tapu Eangi, Chairman of Cook Islands Parliament. Approved. Makea, Ariki, Chief of the Federal Government. Approved.—W. E. Gudgeon, British Resident.—The Eesidency, 22nd August, 1900.