A.—No. la,

20

DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR OF NEW

No. 2. The Partnership Law Amendment Act, 1866, introduces in the law of partnership in the Colony certain changes adopted from Imperial legislation on the subject. No. 3. The Arms Act Amendment and Continuance Act, 1866, amends and continues " The Arms Act, 1860." No. 4. The Supreme Court Judges Act, 1866, provides for the performance of certain duties of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand during his absence, or a vacancy in the office. No. 5. The District Courts Jurisdiction Extension Act, 1866, extends to £200 the jurisdiction of District Courts, regulates the recovery of costs in certain cases, and enables the Governor to regulate the amount of solicitors' costs in proceedings in these Courts. No. 6. The Military Pensions Act, 1866, regulates the granting of pensions to officers and men of the Colonial Forces for wounds and injuries received on actual service, and to their widows and families in certain cases; and assimilates the practice with respect to pensions to that of the Begular Troops. No. 7. The Crown Debts Act, 1866, substitutes more simple modes of procedure for the recovery of debts and property of the Crown. No. 8. The Indictable Offences Trials Act, 1866, enables Justices of the Beace to commit offenders for trial to gaols and places, and for sittings of the Supreme Court out of the Province in which the Justices are sitting, and provides for the change of the place of trial of offenders by Judges of the Supreme Court, and for the removal of the offenders accordingly. No. 9. The Trade Marks Act, 1866, was passed to protect the rights of trades in the exclusive use of trade marks, and to inflict penalties upon the use of trade marks upon articles indicating false quantities. No. 10. The Vagrant Act, 1866, was passed to define and restrain vagrancy, and was rendered necessary by the advent of suspicious characters, attracted by the Gold Fields of the Colony. No. 11. The Indemnity Act, 1866, indemnifies Officers of Her Majesty's Forces and others who have been engaged in quelling the insurrection of Her Majesty's subjects of the Native race ; simplifies the form of the certificate to be given by the Governor for the protection of persons against whom actions may be brought. No. 12. The Summary Procedure on Bills Act Amendment Act, 1862, enlarges the time for defendants in actions on bills, residing at a distance, to apply for time to plead. No. 13. The Sale of Poisons Act, 1866, was passed to regulate the sale and keeping of certain poisons and to afford protection from their use in certain cases. No. 14. The Provincial Compulsory Land Taking Act, 1866, was passed to enable the Superintendent and Provincial Council of every Province, under certain restrictions, to make or ordain any law or ordinance authorizing the compulsory purchase of land granted by the Crown within sueh Province for any work or undertaking of a public nature. This Act is reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure. No. 15. The Newcastle Crown Grants Validation Act, 1866, validates Crown Grants for certain allotments of land in the Township of Newcastle. No. 16. The Friendly Natives'1 Contracts Confirmation Act, 1866. —-Provision having been made by " The New Zealand Settlements Act, 1863," for the protection of the interests of the friendly Natives in lands taken under the provisions of that Act, to be determined by Courts called Compensation Courts, for more speedily arranging such interests, Henry Hanson Turton negociated with claimants on behalf of the Government, and this Act authorizes the issue of Crown Grants of land in fulfilment of engagements so entered into by him. No. 17. The Aliens Act, 1866, defines the privileges of alien friends in the Colony and the conditions of naturalization, and provides a mode of obtaining letters of naturalization. The previous course has been to pass Acts annually for this purpose, which will henceforth be unnecessary. No. 18. The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Act, 1866, adopts certain provisions of " The Common Law Procedure Act, 1854," of the Imperial Parliament, as to arbitration and references, interrogatories, and examination of parties to actions ; introduces certain provisions for relieving lessees against forfeiture in certain cases ; extends the authority of the Judges in inter-pleader cases, and improves the procedure and practice as to parties' set-off and attachment of debt. No. 19. The Offences against the Person Act, 1866, amends the law relating to the unlawful administration of poison and other offences against the person. No. 20. The Crown Grants Act, 1866, consolidates and amends the law relating to the preparation, issue, signing, and delivery of Crown Grants ; to the roads, and rights of roads reserved in grants, to descriptions of boundaries and plans, and the correction or cancellation of erroneous grants, and provides for the ante-vesting of the legal estate in lands comprised in grants in certain cases, and the issue of duplicate grants in cases of proved loss of originals. No. 21. The Croion Land Sales Extortion Prevention Act, 1866. —It having been on several occasions observed that sales by auction of Crown Lands were made the occasions of extortionate or corrupt bargains to forbear from the competition, this Act was passed to render such transactions penal, and as far as practicable to prevent them for the future. No. 22. The Otago Waste Lands Act, 1866, consolidates the laws relative to the sale, leasing, and management of Waste Lands of the Crown in that Province, making provision for the grant of lands to Contractors for public works, for reserves for public purposes, for the leasing and management of lands having minerals or special value, and for the issue of licenses to occupy lands for short periods for temporary purposes, with a saving of " The Crown Lands Act, 1862," and the several Acts relating to gold fields.