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worthy of being acknowledged in a special manner. They would therefore respectfully ask His Excellency to bring the matter under the notice of Her Majesty's Government, through the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in the hope that Her Majesty's Government will permit a communication to be made to the Government of the United States of the thanks of the Colony of New Zealand for the generous and valuable gift of a million salmon ova to the colony. G. S. Wiiitmore, Wellington, Ist February, 1878. (in the absence of the Premier.)

No. 10. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby to the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. (No. 11.) Government House, Auckland, My Lord,—- New Zealand, 28th Eebruary, 1878. With reference to your Lordship's circular despatch dated 20th October last, as to the appointment of Assessors under section 7 of "The Merchant Shipping Act, 1870," I have now the honor to enclose to your Lordship copy of a memorandum which I have received from my Government on that subject. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. NORMANBY.

Enclosure in No. 10. Memorandum for Plis Excellency. With reference to Lord Carnarvon's circular of 20th October, 1877, covering a letter from the Board of Trade, dated Bth October, as to the appointment of Assessors under section 7 of "The Merchant Shipping Act, 1876," Ministers have the honor respectfully to advise that His Excellency's reply be to the effect that it is not considered necessary at present to nominate any persons as Assessors on behalf of this colony. 2. The provisions of the Act of 1876 are intended to protect the interests of the owners of ships detained at any port in the United Kingdom to be surveyed because of alleged unseaworthiness; and but very few New Zealand-owned vessels can be liable to such detention, seeing that only a few trade to the United Kingdom. 3. The circular of Bth September, mentioned by Lord Carnarvon, appears not to have been forwarded to Ministers. G. S. Wiiitmore, Wellington, Bth February, 1878. (in the absence of the Premier.)

No. 11. Copy of a DESPATCH from Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby to the Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon. (No. 13.) Government House, Auckland, My Lord,— New Zealand, 27th March, 1878. I have the honor to inform your Lordship that, in consequence of an invitation which I received to open a new road in the Thames District, the Colonial Government steamer " Ilinemoa " not being available at the time, I proceeded in IT.M.S. " Nymphe " to Grahamstown, on the 20th instant. 2. The road in question is one of considerable importance, not only on account of its opening out a communication with the Ohinemuri Gold Eields and some good agricultural country at the back, and ultimately to the Waikato, but also as an evidence of the change of feeling which has lately taken place among the Natives of that district. The road has long been a matter of dispute between the Natives and the white population. A portion of the land over which the road has to pass was, about fifty years ago, the scene of a great Maori battle, where between 1,500 and 2,000 men are said to have been killed. The place was tapued, and was considered so sacred that no persuasion would, until very lately, induce the Natives either to sell the land or to permit the road to pass through it. 3. About the commencement of this year, however, the County Council, who took a deep interest in the matter, succeeded in overcoming this opposition, and the negotiations were brought to a successful termination.