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I am not aware of any objection to this appointment, and have accordingly recognised M. Bachoue provisionally in that capacity, pending the arrival of the Exe'^uator. I have, &c, _ The Eight Hon. Lord Knutsford, &c. ONSLOW.

No. 47. (No. 18.) My Lord, — Government House, Auckland, 24th March, 1890. I have the honour to enclose the copy of a letter, with the accompanying plan and report, which I have received from Mr. A. E. Guinness, the member for Greymouth, pointing out the natural advantages of Point Elizabeth as a coaling-station and harbour. I have the honour to request that your Lordship will bring the letter and documents under the notice of the Lords of the Admiralty. I have, &c, The Eight Hon. Lord Knutsford, &c. ONSLOW.

' No. 48. (No. 19.) My Lord, — Government House, Auckland, 31st March, 1890. With reference to your Lordship's circular despatch of the 4th January last, relating to life-saving appliances, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that regulations under " The Shipping and Seamen's Act, 1877 " (copies of which are forwarded herewith), have been made in this colony to the same effect as the rules made by the Board of Trade under " The Merchant Shipping (Life-saving Appliances) Act, 1888," 51 and 52 Viet., c. 24, and that these regulations are to come into force on the Ist September next. With reference to the second paragraph of your Lordship's despatch, I would point out that the rules in Class IV., Divisions A, B, and C, and Classes V. and VI. of the Board of Trade Eules do not appear to be applicable except to the United Kingdom, but the New Zealand Act above referred to contains exactly similar provisions. I have, &c. The Eight Hon. Lord Knutsford, &o. ONSLOW.

No. 49. (No. 24.) My Loed,— Wellington, 17th May, 1890. In compliance with the terms of your Lordship's circular despatch of 14th August, 1889, and your further circular of 12th March, 1890, I have the honour to refer your Lordship to my predecessor's Despatch No. 33, of 7th April, 1888, with which Sir William Jervois forwarded a copy of " The Licensing Act Amendment Act, 1882," and in which he informs your Lordship that a copy of the Licensing Act of 1881 was forwarded to you by Sir James Prendergast with his Despatch No. 61, of 3rd October, 1881. 2. Your Lordship will observe that under the Acts referred to power to grant licenses is vested in an elective body elected by the ratepayers of the respective districts, hitherto annually, but in future for a term of three years. 3. The Licensing Act also provides for the taking of a poll every third year to decide whether the number of licenses may or may not be increased. The annexed return (H.-37, of 1882) gives particulars of the number of votes recorded at the elections and local-option polls in that year. No further statistics are available, but there is no reason to suppose that there has been any appreciable increase in the number of voters in later years. 4. With reference-sto the special points upon which Lord Wemyss dwelt in his speech, and upon which he seeks for information, I have to inform your Lordship that there is no power given to the ratepayers in New Zealand to declare for absolute prohibition, and they merely vote for or against an increase