A.—No. la,

82

DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Contagious Diseases Acts, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Commission. I request that you will communicate copy of this Report, together with the Evidence, to the principal Medical Officer of your Government charged with the administration of the local enactment on the subject. I have, &c, Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. KIMBERLEY. [Enclosures filed in the General Assembly Library.]

No. 81. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimbehley to Governor Sir G. E. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (Circular 2.) Sir, — Downing Street, 9th August, 1872. I transmit to you, for the consideration of your Responsible Advisers,"a copy of a letter from the Secretary of State for War, acquainting me that the adoption of the Martini-Henry Rifle into Her Majesty's Service has b en definitively decided upon, and suggesting that there will be advantage in the selection of the same weapon by the Colonial Governments. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government KIMBERLEY. of New Zealand.

Enclosure in No. 81. Sir H. K. Storks to the Under Secretabt, Colonial Office. Sir, — Surveyor-General's Department, "War Office, 26th July, 1872. I am directed by Mr. Secretary Cardwell to acquaint you, for the information of the Earl of Kimberlev, that the adoption of the Martini-Henry riflo into Her Majesty's Service has been definitively decided upon, and that issues to the troops will commence as soon as a sufficient store shall have been accumulated. The manufacture of these arms is in progress at the Boyal Small Arms Factory, and I am to state this for Lord Kimberley's information, because the colonies may probably be disposed to follow the example of this country, so that in any case of emergency their arms and their ammunition might be convertible with ours, a manifest advantage, especially to countries which do not as yet possess arsenals or manufactories of arms on an extensive scale. I have, &c, The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office. H. X. Stocks.

No. 82. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. the Earl of Kimbehley to Governor Sir G. F, Bowen, G.C.M.G. (Circular.) Sir, —■ Downing Street, 14th August, 1872. Her Majesty's Government have had under their consideration a question which has arisen with reference to the Government established de facto in the Eiji Islands, namely, whether, beyond the limits of the new State, British subjects, so long as the new State is not duly recognized, can be accepted as citizens of it, and exempted from British jurisdiction, in respect of acts done by them or engagements entered into with them. A reference has been made to the Law Officers of the Crown, who have advised Her Majesty's Government that British subjects, beyond the limits of the new State not yet duly recognized, should not be accepted as citizens of the new State, nor be held exempted from British jurisdiction for acts done by them on British territory, or on board ships which ought to be navigated under the British flag; and further, that they should not be held exempted from British jurisdiction for engagements entered into with them in cases where the validity or construction of such engagements would properly, and in ordinary course, be triable before a British tribunal. They are further of opinion that Her Majesty's Government may interfere with the acts and engagements of British subjects within Eiji, and