A.—3,

44

any of them before they were placed in the conspicuous position they now hold, and were forwarded to me by your Excellency as part of important official documents. 6. I feel certain that when the enlightened statesmen who now hold office under your Lordship realize that such unworthy matter has found its way into the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Intercolonial Conference they will be much annoyed, feeling as they must that the importance given to such incorrect and irresponsible effusions must detract from the value of other better-digested measures, and depreciate the entire Blue Book in proportion. I have, &c, J. C. WILSON, Commodore.

Memorandum by His Excellency the Governor. The Governor transmits herewith to the Premier, for the information of the Cabinet, the copy of a letter recently addressed by Chief Justice Gorrie, Chief Judicial Commissioner under the Western Pacific Order in Council, 1877, to Her Majesty's High Commissioner, with a view to its communication through him to the different Governments which took part in the late Intercolonial Conference at Sydney, and copies of which have accordingly been forwarded by the High Commissioner to the Governors of those colonies, of which New Zealand is one. The Governor would suggest that this letter should be included among any papers on the subject of the Conference which may be laid before the Legislature. Arthur H. Gordon. Wellington, 19th April, 1881.

The Chief Judicial Commissioner Western Pacific, to the High Commissioner Sib,— Suva, Fiji, 18th March, 1881. I have the honor to state that I have by chance seen a copy of a bluebook of New South Wales, containing a report of the minutes of proceedings of an Intercolonial Conference held at Sydney in January last. 2. This Conference dealt with certain matters relating to the High Commission, and agreed to certain resolutions. 3. With the second of these, " That more effectual means should be devised " for the punishment of natives of the said islands for any crimes or offences " committed by them against British subjects," I most cordially concur, as it is a matter which both your Excellency and myself have urged upon the attention of the Imperial Government almost since the initiation of the High Commissioner's Court. 4. The third resolution is to the effect, " That in the case of capital convic- " tions by the High Commissioner's Court, appeal should be allowed to the " Supreme Court of some one of the Australian Colonies, to be selected by the " High Commissioner." 5. As this resolution necessarily affects most the Judicial Commissioners, I venture to offer the following observations upon it. 6. Any Judge who has to try a capital case would, I imagine, be only too glad to be relieved of some share of the dread responsibility of a sentence of death. 7. Especially must this feeling animate a Judge who is obliged, by the law he administers, and by the necessities of the case, to be the judge both of the facts and the law. 8. The Supreme Courts of the sister colonies have been, and are, presided over by singularly able men, of whose personal fitness to discharge any professional duties of however high or arduous a nature not a question can be raised. I have seldom read a better judgment than that given lately by the Chief Justice of New South Wales, in which he vindicated the right and duty of the Supreme Courts of Justice to keep themselves free and unfettered in the performance of their high functions, by punishing for contempt those who impugn the motives and malign the characters of the Judges.