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No. 26. (Circular.) Sir,— Downing Street, 11th July, 1887. I have the honour to transmit to you, for communication to your Government, a copy of a letter from the Foreign Office, enclosing a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Noumea, with its enclosures, respecting his action on the occasion of the application made to him by two French liberes for permission to go to Sydney before leaving New Caledonia for the three years during which, in consequence of good conduct, they had received permission to absent themselves, together with a copy of the reply which I caused to be returned to the Foreign Office letter. I think it right to place you in possession of this correspondence, as the prohibition to set foot in British colonies, in the circumstances described, may be unknown in the colony under your Government. I have, &c, H. T. HOLLAND. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosures. Sib,— Foreign Office, 28th May, 1887. I am directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to transmit to you herewith a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Noumea, relating to the prohibition to French liberes from Noumea from' setting foot on any British possession, and I am to request that, in laying this letter before Secretary Sir H. Holland, you will move him to favour his Lordship with his observations upon the subject. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. T. V. Listee.

My Loed, — Noumea, 22nd March, 1887. I was lately much surprised at being requested by two Frenchmen to give them permission to go to Sydney. On informing them that any one free to leave this colony could go thither, they stated that they were liberes, and, though allowed to leave this place for a residence in America, they were prohibited from setting foot in any English possession, in proof of which they produced an autorisation de depart, of which I enclose a copy (marked B). 2. Not having heard from your Lordship of any arrangement of this kind being made with the French Government, I was not a little astonished at the proviso which I have underlined in red. 3. I hardly knew how to act. The men said the Acting-Director of the Penitentiaire had referred them to me to give the permission, if I saw fit. I knew that almost their only chance of carrying out their permission was to take ship from Sydney, and eventually I indorsed their papers that they proceeded to Sydney to embark for California, not for residence. I, of course, intended to communicate with the Sydney authorities respecting them. 4. As soon as possible I waited on the Acting-Director to get a clear understanding of the matter. The result your Lordship will find detailed in the letter I have addressed to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, of which I annex a copy herewith, as I think your Lordship should be acquainted with the position of affairs. 5. I would ask for your Lordship's instructions respecting the levying of any fees on these permits. If any fee is to be taken, should it be under No. 67, 68, or 73 of the table ? If under No. 67, I would suggest that a supply of printed forms, on stamped paper, may be forwarded. If the indorsement is simply made as a visa, on the back of the autorisation, a simple 2s. stamp would suffice. I did not charge any fees in this instance, not knowing whether I had any right to act, or if my act would be efficacious. I have, &c, The Most Noble the Marquis of Salisbury. E. L. Layaed.

NoUVELLE-CaLI-JDONIE ET DiiPENDANCES. —AdMINISTEATION PfiNITENTIAIEE. Form of Autorisation da Depart. Le Gouvorneur de la Nouvelle-Cale'donie et Dependances, —vu l'Article 6, § 3, et I'Article 8 de la Loi dv 30 Mai, 1854 ; yules depeches Ministerielles dcs 17 Juillet, 1884, No. 527, et 30 Juin, 1885, No. 466—sur le proposition dv Directeur de I'Administration Penitentiaire, decide : Article l er. Le libere dcs travaux forces est autorise a quitter la colonie pdnitentiaire pour aller a . II lvi est interdit de se rendre en France et dans anemia colonie ou possession Franqaise ou Anglaise. Art. 2. Cette autorisation, valable pour trois ann6es, est subordonnee au versement par l'impetrant, a la Caisse d'Epargne Penitentiaire, de la somme de 800fr., present par la depeche Ministerielle dv 8 Avril, 1880, No. 277. Art. 3. Le Directeur de I'Administration Penitentiaire est charge de l'execution de la presente decision, gui sera enregistree et communiquee partout oii besom sera. Par le Gouverneur, Le Directeur de rAdministration Penitentiaire, Noumea, le 18 .