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A.—2 V

Enclosure. Draft Order in Council. Whereas by section 4 of the Domicile Act, 1861, it is enacted that whenever a, convention shall )><■ made between His Majesty and any foreign State, -whereby His Majesty's Consuls or Vice-Consuls in such foreign State shall receive the same or the like powers and authorities as are hereinafter expressed it shall be lawful for His Majesty, by Order in Council, to direct, and from and after the publication of such Order in the London Gazette it shall be and is hereby enacted, that whenever any subject of such foreign State shall die within the dominions of His Majest}*, and there shall be no person present at the time of such death who shall be rightly entitled to administer the estate of such deceased person, it shall be lawful for the Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent of such foreign State within that part of His Majesty's dominions where such foreign subject shall die, to take possession and have the custody of the personal property of the deceased, and to apply the same in payment of his or her debts and funeral expenses, and to retain the surplus for the benefit of the persons entitled thereto ; but such Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent shall immediately apply for and shall be entitled to obtain from the proper Court letters of administration of the effects of such deceased person, limited in such a manner and for such time as to such Court shall seem fit: And whereas conventions have been made between His Majesty's predecessors and the Sublime Porte whereby His Majesty's consular officers in the Ottoman dominions have in substance the like powers and authorities as are hereinafter expressed to be conferred on Ottoman consular officers in His Majesty's dominions: Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice of his Privy Council, is pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered, that whenever any subject of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of Turkey shall die during the currency of the said conventions within any of the dominions of His Majesty, and there shall be no person present at the time of such death who shall be rightfully entitled to administer the estate of such deceased person, it shall be lawful for the Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent of the Ottoman Government within that part of His Majesty's dominions where such Ottoman subject shall die to take possession and have the custody of the personal property of the deceased, and to apply the same in payment of his or her debts and funeral expenses, and to retain the surplus for the benefit of the persons entitled thereto ; but such Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent shall immediately apply for and shall be entitled to obtain from the proper Court letters of administration of the effects of such deceased person, limited in such manner and for such time as to such Court shall seem fit.

No. 101. New Zealand, No. 277. My Lord, — Downing Street, 25th November, 1910. With reference to my despatch, No. 268, of the 17th November, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, a paper which has been presented to Parliament, giving the text of the award of the Hague tribunal in the North Atlantic Coast fisheries arbitration. 2. Further copies are being sent to you in my despatch (Library) of the 25th instant. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, D.5.0., &c.

No. 102. New Zealand, No. 278. My Lord, — Downing Street, 25th November, 1910. With reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the appointment of the President and Public Prosecutor for the combined Court in the New Hebrides, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of your Ministers, that on learning that these officers were imperfectly acquainted with English, I communicated by telegram with the Resident Commissioner aaking that arrangements should be made for adequate interpretation of the proceedings of the Court. 2. I have now received a telegram from the Resident Commissioner in which he states that the British Judge informs him that the ruies-s of procedure for the combined Court, which are now being prepared, provide for the interpretation of the proceedings and the appointment of fully competent interpreters. 3. I enclose, for the information of your Ministers, copy of a question asked on the matter in the House of Commons, together with copy of the reply returned. T have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, D.5.0., &c.