TO THE GOVERNOR OE NEW ZEALAND.

19

A.—No. 1a-

Enclosure 2 in No. 21. Mr. Holland to Mr. Hammond. Sib,— Downing Street, 29th November, 1871. I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd instant, enclosing a copy of a Despatch from Mr. "West, reporting the departure of a number of French convicts for New Caledonia. Lord Kimberley would suggest, for the consideration of Earl Granville, whether it may not be desirable to express, through Lord Lyons, the confident hope of Her Majesty's Government that the Government of France will not fail to make the fullest provision for the safe custody, and for preventing the escape to the neighbouring English Colonies, of any convicts confined in New Caledonia or other adjacent island. I am, &c, The Eight Hon. E. Hammond. H. T. Holland.

Enclosure 3 in No. 21. Mr. Hammond to the Under Secretaey of State, Colonial Office. Sib,— Foreign Office, 2nd December, 1871. I have laid before Earl Granville your letter of the 29th ultimo, suggesting that communication should be made to the French Government on the subject of the safe custody of the convicts sent to New Caledonia, and I am directed by his Lordship to request that you will inform tho Earl of Kimberley that Her Majesty's Minister in Paris has been instructed to express to the French Minister for Foreign Affairs the hope of Her Majesty's Government that proper precautions will be taken to prevent the escape of the convicts to British Colonies. I am, &c, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office. E. Hammond'. No. 22. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 2.) Sir, — Downing Street, 12th January, 1872. I have received your Despatch No. 99, of 23rd October, forwarding a Resolution of the House of Representatives, that an Address should be presented to you, requesting that the Queen might he moved to confer some mark of her approbation on Sir David Monro, on his retirement from the Speaker's Chair. In an accompanying Ministerial Memorandum it is stated that it would fulfil the intention of the House if a seat in the Legislative Council should be offered to Sir David Monro. Unless some very special and urgent reasons were given for departing from the usual course, I should be unwilling to advise the Queen to nominate directly a Member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand. Your Ministers have it in their power to advise you to call such persons as they may think fit, in Her Majesty's name, to the Council; and it docs not seem expedient that the Imperial Government should make itself responsible for the nominations to the Council. In the present case, as no special reasons are given, and as, moreover, Sir David Monro has requested me not to advise Her Majesty to nominate him, I can have no hesitation in abstaining from tendering such advice to Her Majesty. I request that you will inform Sir David Monro that I have received his letter of the 28th October. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY.

No. 23. Copt of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (No. 3.) Sir, — Downing Street, 15th January, 1872. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 101,