A.—2.

In reply, I am to request that you will inform the Marquess of Landowne that Mr. Chamberlain sees no objection to the proposal, and that he hopes that it may be found possible to meet the wishes of the New Zealand Government in the matter. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office. H. Beetbam Cox.

No. 4. (General.) My Lord, — Downing Street, 30th November, 1900. I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship, for the information of your Government, a copy of a despatch received at the Foreign Office from the Acting British Consul at Rio de Janeiro, enclosing a summary of the new Brazilian regulations respecting Consular invoices published in the Diario Official of the 20th October, 1901. I have to add that Her Majesty's Minister at Rio has informed Lord Lansdowne by a telegram that the Brazilian Government do not propose to enforce the new regulations until the Ist January next. I have, &c, J. CHAMBERLAIN. Governor the Right Hon. the Earl of Ranfurly, K.C.M.G., &c. [For enclosure, see New Zealand Gazette, 21st February, 1901, page 460.]

No. 5. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 4th December, 1900. With reference to my circular despatch of the 18th September last, enclosing copies of the Literary and Artistic Copyright Bills introduced into Parliament last session, I have the honour to request that you will inform your Ministers that, in view of the probability that proposals for the amendment of the law of copyright will again come before Parliament next session, the Board of Trade are desirous of supplementing in certain particulars the information in their possession relating to the questions involved or likely to be raised; and that I shall therefore be glad to be favoured with an expression of the views of your Government in regard to the two Bills at the earliest possible date. I have, &c, J. CHAMBERLAIN. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

No. 6. (No. 102.) My Lord, — Downing Street, 6th December, 1900. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (No. 69) of the 26th September last, enclosing the opinion of the Crown Law Officer of New Zealand on the subject of legislation for the enlistment of a Force for service without as well as within the colony. The difficulty raised by Mr. Reid is, I understand, to provide for the time between the departure of a colonial Force from the colony and its coming into service with the regular troops, or for a colonial Force acting by itself outside the colony. This question is dealt with by the first sentence of section 177 of the Army Act. lam advised that that provision amounts to an extension of the powers of a colonial Legislature, enabling it to declare that its military discipline law is to follow its troops wherever they may be. In fact, it empowers a colony to legislate for raising troops for general service; and the second part of section 177 provides that, where such service is with the regular troops, any deficiencies in the colonial law may be supplied by the Army Act at the discretion of the General Officer Commanding the Imperial Forces with which the colonial troops are serving.

A.-l, 1901, No. 33.

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