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No. 36. New Zealand, Dominions No. 300. Sir, — Downing Street, Bth July, 1929. I have the honour to transmit, for the information of His Majesty's Government in New Zealand the accompanying copies of an agreement made on the 7tli November, 1928, amending the Treaty of Friendship of the 18th May, 1900, between Great Britain and Tonga. 2. In view of the position of Tonga as a territory under His Majesty's protection, it is considered that the agreement should not be regarded as a treaty between His Majesty the King and the head of a foreign State. Accordingly, no provision has been made for ratification by His Majesty, and it is not contemplated that the agreement should be registered with the League of Nations under Article 18 of the covenant. I have, &c., PASSFIELD. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Pergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

Enclosure. Agreement between Great Britain and Tonga. Whereas a Treaty of Friendship between Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, and His Majesty the King of Tonga was made on the eighteenth day of May, 1900 : And whereas it is desirable to remove doubts as to the jurisdiction of Her Majesty the Queen of Tonga in respect of offences against certain of the laws and regulations of Tonga committed by British subjects and foreigners : Therefore the undersigned, being duly authorized to that effect, have agreed that Article V of the aforesaid treaty shall be amended as follows—that is to say, that the proviso occurring therein beginning with the words " Provided that British subjects and foreigners charged " down to the end of the article shall be deleted, and the following substituted therefor:— " Provided that British subjects and foreigners charged with any offence against any of the laws and regulations of Tonga for the enforcing of which the Minister of Police is responsible, not including crimes punishable by death or by imprisonment exceeding two years, shall be amenable to the jurisdiction of the Tongan Courts. The proceedings at all such trials shall be public and the records thereof accessible." In testimony whereof I, Byre Hutson, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner and Consul-General for the Western Pacific, in virtue of my full power under the Royal Sign Manual and Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated the 12th day of August, 19.26, have hereunto signed my name, and I, Salote Tubou, Queen of Tonga, in virtue of the powers vested in me by section 12 of the Act of Constitution of Tonga of the year 1888 and section 5 of Chapter 1 of the Law of Tonga of 1903, have hereunto signed my name. Done in duplicate at Suva in the Colony of Fiji, this 7th day of November, 1928. For His Britannic Majesty, FiYRE Hutson, High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. Done in duplicate at Nukualofa this 12th day of August, 1927. Salote Tubou.

No. 37. New Zealand, No. 216. Sir, — Downing Street, 11th July, 1929. In confirmation of my telegram, No. 67, of the 6th July, I have the honour to request Your Excellency to inform your Ministers that Mr. L. A. Paish, 0.8. E., an Assistant-Director in the Department of Overseas Trade, has been appointed as His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in New Zealand. 2. Mr. Paish entered the Civil Service in 1904 and had served in the Board of Education, the Board of Inland Revenue, and the Patent Office before his transfer to the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade (now the Department

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