7

A.—6,

Enclosures. Tho Hon. the Colonial Seceetabt, New South "Wales, to the Hon. the Chief Secbetabt, Victoria. Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, 22nd July, 1873. I have the honor to enclose, for the information of your Government, a copy of a proclamation which has been issued by the Government of this Colony, prohibiting the introduction into New South Wales of any stock, fodder, or fittings from New Zealand, until such time as the New Zealand Government shall have taken the requisite steps, in accordance with the decision of the late Intercolonial Conference, to guard against tho introduction of rinderpest or foot-and-mouth disease into that Colony. 2. I have the honor to request that you will inform me whether a similar proclamation has been or will be issued by your Government. I have, &c, The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria. Henet Pabkes. The Hon. the Chief Seceetaet, Victoria, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, New South Wales. Sib,— Chief Secretary's Office, Melbourne, 2nd August, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo, inquiring whether this Government proposes to interdict the importation of cattle, &c, from New Zealand until that Colony has taken steps to prohibit the introduction of stock from Europe. Considering that the resolution passed by the Conference evidently contemplated placing a prohibition on the importation of cattle from places beyond the Australasian group of Colonies, it appears to this Government that it would bo giving to the resolution a meaning somewhat different from that it was intended to bear, to apply it now to New Zealand in the sense that you propose. In conformity with this view, this Government does not intend to issue a proclamation against the importation of stock from New Zealand. No suspicion exists that either foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, or any other cattle plague exists in that Colony; and the Government of Victoria cannot lose sight of the fact that in a recent letter from Wellington, the Colonial Secretary, in expressing his regret that his Government possessed no legal power to co-operate with the other Colonies, as he was most anxious to do, at the same time stated that it was his intention to submit a Bill to Parliament, as soon as possible, to confer upon the Government the necessary authority. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New South Wales. J. G. Pbancis. The Hon. the Chief Seceetaet, Victoria, to the Hon. the Colonial Secbetabt, New Zealand (No. 3,876.) Sib,— Chief Secretary's Office, Melbourne, 7th August, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram, dated 25th ultimo, announcing that the Bill to prohibit the importation of stock had been rejected by the House of Eepresentatives. I informed you by letter dated 2nd instant that this Government had declined to issue a proclamation to prohibit the importation of stock from New Zealand, pending the passing of your Act, and I shall now be glad to have some suggestion from your Government for our guidance. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, New Zealand. J. G. Peancis. Tho Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, New Zealand, to the Hon. the Chief Seceetabt, Victoria. Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 13th October, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 3,798, of date August 2nd ultimo, covering copy of correspondence with the Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, on the subject of prohibiting the importation of stock from this Colony until such time " as the New Zealand Government shall have taken the requisite steps, in accordance with the decision of the late Intercolonial Conference, to guard against the introduction of rinderpest or foot-and-mouth disease," and to thank you for the consideration for the interest of this Colony shown by your Government in this matter. Mr. Vogel's telegram of date 25th July, the receipt of which was acknowledged in your letter No. 3,876, of date 7th August, informed you that the Bill introduced by the Government, with a view to the carrying out of the arrangement entered into at the Conference, had been rejected by the House of Eepresentatives. I enclose for your information a copy of that Bill, also a copy of the report of a Select Committee of the House of Representatives to whom the question of prohibition of importation of stock was referred, and of " The Diseased Cattle Act Amendment Act, 1873,"* subsequently passed by the Assembly. As the existence of rinderpest or of foot-and-mouth disease is unknown in New Zealand, I venture to express a hope that, seeing the precautions that have been taken to prevent the introduction of disease, your Government will not now think it necessary to prohibit tho importation of stock from this Colony into Victoria. I have, &c, The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria. Daniel Pollen. * Vide Statutes, 1873, No. 69.