A.—6

4

This Government regrets the delay which must ensue in their co-operating with the other Colonies in this matter, and will submit to Parliament, as soon as possible, a Bill to confer upon them the necessary powers. I have, &c, William H. Eeynolds. The Hon. Chief Secretary, Victoria and South Australia. Tho Hon. Colonial Secretary, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The Hon. J. Vogel to the Hon. the Chief Seceetaby, Victoria. (Telegram.) New Zealand, Wellington, 25th July, 1873. No. 481. —House of Eepresentatives rejected Bill to empower Government to prohibit importation of stock, introduced in pursuance of resolution of Conference. [Similar telegram to the Hon. Chief Secretary, South Australia, the Hon. Colonial Secretary, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and Tasmania.] The Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, New Zealand, to the Agent-Geneeal, London. (No. 133.) Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 18th October, 1873. You are doubtless aware that at the Conference of Delegates from tho Australasian Colonies, held at Sydney in February last, a resolution was passed to the effect that it is desirable to prohibit for a period of two years the importation into any of these Colonies of stock from England, or other places outside of the Australasian group. This resolution has been acted up to by all the Colonies of Australia and by Tasmania; and a Bill to enable the Government to give effect to it in New Zealand was introduced into the House of Eepresentatives at the late Session of Parliament, but failed to pass. Another Bill was, however, introduced, and having passed both branches of the Legislature, is now law, entitled " The Diseased Cattle Act Amendment Act, 1873," which limits the ports in New Zealand in which cattle may bo landed to such as may be proclaimed by the Governor as open for the purpose, authorizes the placing of cattle, when landed, in quarantine, and empowers the Local Boards to destroy, without compensation, such cattle as may be found to be diseased on importation, or as may exhibit signs of disease whilst in quarantine. I enclose a copy of this Act,* and of the Gazette containing His Excellency's proclamation under the Sth section ; and I have to request that you will take such steps to make the provisions of the Act generally known to shippers and to probable exporters of stock to New Zealand, by advertisement in the Times and Field, and by such other means as may appear to you likely to effect the object of the Government. I have, &c, The Agent-General, 7, Westminster Chambers, London. Daniel Pollen. Enclosure. Ports at which Cattle may be Landed under the provisions of " The Diseased Cattle Act, 1873." James Feegusson, Governor. A Proclamation. WnEEEAS by the eighth section of " The Diseased Cattle Act Amendment Act, 1873," it is enacted that from and after tho passing of the said Act no cattle imported from any foreign district shall be landed at any port or place in the Colony of New Zealand, except at a port proclaimed to be a port where cattle may bo landed, and such cattle shall only be landed at such place in such port as the Local Cattle Board may from time to time appoint: And it is further enacted that the Governor may from time to time proclaim such ports within the Colony as he thinks fit to be ports at which cattle may bo landed, and from and after the publication of such proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette, cattle shall bo landed at such proclaimed port, and at no other port or place : Now know ye, that I, Sir James Fergusson, Baronet, tho Governor of the Colony of New Zealand aforesaid, in pursuance and exercise of the said power and authority, do hereby proclaim the ports set forth in the annexed Schedule as ports at which cattle may be landed, in accordance with the provisions of the said Act: And in further pursuance and exercise of the said power and authority, I do hereby declare that this proclamation shall come into force on the seventeenth day of October instant. . Given under the hand of His Excellency the Eight Honorable Sir James Fergusson, Baronet, a Member of Her Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of tho same ; and issued under the Seal of the said Colony, at Wellington, this sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three. (1.5.) Daniel Pollen. God save the Qtteen ! schedule. Auckland, Picton, New Plymouth, Lyttelton, Napier, Port Chalmers, Wellington, The Bluff Harbour. Nelson, , Hokitika. * Vide Statutes, 1873, No. 69.