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Where the Municipal Wards, Eoad Board, or School Districts are large, they should be subdivided, so as to include so much country as may be considered to be the support of any given group of publichouses. A copy of the Act is enclosed. I have, &c, E. G. Fountain, The Eesident Magistrate. Acting Under Secretary.

No. 3. Telegbam addressed to certain Eesident Magisteates from Depaetment of Justice. Government Buildings, 20th January, 1874. Please recommend, for the consideration of Government, the names of three persons, to be nominated as Commissioners in your district, under 17th section of " Licensing Act, 1873." E. G. Fountain, Under Secretary for Justice.

No. 4. Telegbam sent to Eesident Magistbates concerned. Government Buildings, 25th February, 1874. You have been appointed Eesident Magistrate for the District, under " Licensing Act, 1873." For description of district, see Gazette No. 11 of this year. See also Sections 4, 13, &c, of Act. E. J. Fountain.

No. 5. The Undeb Seceetaet, Department of Justice, to certain Eesident Magistbates. (Circular No. 4a.) g IE) Department of Justice, Wellington, 16th March, 1874. I have the honor, by direction of the Acting Minister of Justice, to enclose a copy of a warrant under the hand of His Excellency the Governor, appointing certain gentlemen to be Commissioners under " The Licensing Act, 1873," and to request you to be good enough to inform those in your districts of their appointment. I have, &c, E. G. Fountain, The Eesident Magistrate. Under Secretary.

No. 6. The Eesident Magisteatb, Christchurch, to the Hon. the Ministee of Justice. Sie ; — Eesident Magistrate's Office, Christchurch, Bth June, 1874. In reply to your letter of the 22nd May last, No. 272, asking for my opinion as to the working of the present Licensing Act, I have the honor to state that.[ consulted the other Licensing Commissioners, Messrs. Tancred, Harman, and Lee, and that we desire to make the following suggestions in the event of the Government contemplating any legislation on the subject during the ensuing Session of the General Assembly : — 1. It appears unnecessary that wholesale dealers should be brought under the operation of the Licensing Act. All brewers and wine and spirit merchants are alreaciy obliged to get licenses from the Collector of Customs, under " The Distillation Act, 1868 ;" and a great number of dealers who hold such licenses have overlooked the necessity of applying in time for licenses under " The Licensing Act, 1873." It seems an unnecessary hardship and interference with trade that they should be obliged to apply for licenses under two Acts, to two different authorities, especially as under " The Licensing Act, 1873," if they do not apply at a particular time, they forfeit their right to trade in liquors for a whole year. 2. We are strongly of opinion that bottle licenses are mischievous, as tending to encourage clandestine drinking among women and families. Any one who wants one bottle at a time of any wine or spirit can get it at a respectable hotel. 3. In Schedule D (line 2), the word " colony " should be read instead of " province," to avoid a discrepancy between the Schedule and the provision of section 11. There is no provision in this province for a packet license fee. 4. There is no provision for entertaining applications for new licenses that may become necessary, except at the annual meeting on the first Monday in March. A second meeting, say on the first Tuesday in September, for that purpose, would be convenient. We think that when the holder of an old license has omitted through inadvertence to give due notice of intended application for renewal, he should be allowed to give notice, and make his application at an adjourned sitting, on payment of a penalty of (say) £5. . In section 30, also, we think a locus penitentice should be provided, by allowing a license to be taken out late, on payment of a penalty of £5.