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No. 5. The Commissioner of Trade and Customs to W. Seed, Esq. Sib, — Department of Trade and Customs, Wellington, 23rd March, 1886. With a view to promoting commercial intercourse with Fiji, the Government have determined to open negotiations with that colony to arrange for a commercial treaty between it and New Zealand; such arrangement, of course, to be subject to the approval of the General Assembly. Mr. Moss, M.H.E., and yourself have been appointed to conduct these negotiations on-behalf of New Zealand, and you will be jointly accredited by His Excellency the Governor to the Administrator of the Government of Fiji. The Eev. Shirley Baker, Premier of Tonga, with whom a provisional agreement has been made for including that group in the proposed treaty, will accompany you to Fiji, and has promised to use his best exertions to promote this undertaking. The Government have every confidence in your ability to carry out the duty herein referred to with judgment and due regard to the interests of this colony, and it is not considered necessary, therefore, to fetter you with any detailed instructions; but it is to be understood that the lines laid down in the draft agreement with Tonga, copy of which, together with correspondence between the Premier of that group and myself, is enclosed, are to be adhered to, liberty being given for any recommendation for a deviation from, or modification of, that agreement which may be considered desirable to suit any special circumstances in relation to the commerce of Fiji. I have to request that you will make all necessary arrangements to enable you to leave Auckland for Fiji by the " Arawata " on the 4th proximo. I have, &c, William Seed, Esq., Secretary of Customs, Wellington. Julius Vogel.

No. 6. Memorandum from the Hon. Sir J. Yogel to His Excellency the Governor. The Commissioner of Trade and Customs has the honour to inform His Excellency, in accordance with a decision come to in Cabinet, that Ministers are anxious to increase and develop as far as possible commercial relations between this colony and Fiji and other contig .ous groups of islands in the Pacific. With this object they propose to send Mr. F. J. Moss, a member of the House of Eepresentatives, formerly a resident in Fiji, and Mr. W. Seed, the permanent head of the Customs Department, to Fiji, to endeavour on behalf of New Zealand to open negotiations with the Government of that colony, subject to the approval of the General Assembly of New Zealand, for the admission to each, on mutually favourable terms, of the staple articles of the two countries. The Rev. Shirley Baker, Premier of Tonga, has expressed himself desirous, on behalf of the Government of that group, of entering into similar arrangements, and he will accompany the representatives of New Zealand to Fiji. Ministers would feel obliged if His Excellency would be so good as to furnish Messrs. Moss and Seed with letters to the Officer Administering the Government of Fiji, explaining the object of their mission and accrediting them to the Government of that colony as official representatives from New Zealand for the purpose indicated above. Government Buildings, Wellington, 23rd March, 1886. Julius Vogel.

No. 7. The Governor, New Zealand, to the Officer Administeeing the Government, Fiji. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 23rd March, 1886. I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I have received a memorandum from my Besponsible Advisers—of which a copy is enclosed—representing a desire to enter into a commercial treaty with Fiji, and requesting mo to accredit to your Excellency the delegates named therein, who have been intrusted with the duty of endeavouring to arrange the necessary preliminaries for the proposed treaty. I beg, therefore, to commend the gentlemen referred to—Messrs. F. J. Moss and W. Seed—to your good offices; and I trust that you will be able favourably to entertain the proposals that they will, on behalf of this colony, submit for your consideration. I have, &c, Wm. F. D. Jervois. His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government of Fiji.

No. 8. The Commissioner of Trade and Customs to the Colonial Secretary, Fiji. Sib,— Wellington, New Zealand, 22nd March, 1886. The Government of New Zealand are most anxious to respond to the overtures which have been made from your colony to promote commercial intercourse with Fiji. The geographical position of that colony in relation to New Zealand, and the different character of the productions of each country, afford conditions highly favourable to a mutually-profitable trade being carried on between them ; yet up to the present time the trade has been very limited. The Government of this colony are of opinion that a reciprocity treaty might be entered into by the two colonies on terms which, without injuriously affecting the Customs revenue of either, would have the effect of rapidly increasing the trade between them.