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enclosures, which have been received from the Foreign Office, the Board of Trade, and the Board of Agriculture on the subject. I have, &c, KNUTSFOED. Governor the Eight Hon. the Earl of Onslow, GhC.M.G., &c.

Enclosure No. 1. FoKBiGN Office to Colonial Office. Sir,— Foreign Office, -4th September, 1890. In reply to your letter of the 21st ultimo, I am directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the accompanying memorandum, as marked in the margin, on the method adopted in France of marking meat imported into that country. This information was asked for by the Governor of New Zealand. I am, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. T. H. Sanderson.

Sub-Enclosure. Paris, 29th August, 1890. All meat imported by land or sea is marked with a red or blue stamp at the Customhouse of entry by agents of the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. The stamp is the guarantee of its fitness for consumption, and is not intended to enable the public to discriminate between Home and foreign meat, though it may help them to do so if the stamp is not removed; but, the object in affixing it being purely sanitary, there is no penalty for removing it, as, when the meat is admitted into a town for consumption, the stamp has already served its purpose in proving to the Octroi authorities that the meat is fit for food. It is thought at the Ministry for Agriculture that very little, if any, meat finds its way into the ■country unexamined by the veterinary authorities. The Veterinary Agent stamps every joint separately, if he thinks it necessary : this point is left to his discretion. There is no mode in practice in France of marking meat with a view to identifying the country of its origin.

Enclosure No. 2. The Boaed of Trade to the Colonial Office. "Sir, — Board of Trade (Eailway Department), London, S.W., 13th September, 1890. Eeferring to your communication of the 21st ultimo, in respect of the request of the Government of New Zealand to be supplied with information as regards the modes of marking meat for the purpose of identifying the country of its origin, I am directed by the Board of Trade to enclose herewith, for the information of Lord Knutsford, a copy of a memorandum that has been drawn up in the Commercial Department of this office, together with copy of a letter that this Board has received from the Board of Customs in this matter. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. B. Giffen.

Bub-Enclosure 1. Memorandum respecting the French Laws and Eegulations as to the Importation of Meat. Commercial Department, Board of Trade, 28th August, 1890. The French law of March, 1887, which increased the import duties leviable upon live animals and fresh meat, also provided for the establishment of a sanitary inspection at the frontier of all meat killed before entry into France, and that a supplementary tax should be payable by the importer for this service. A further law was passed in. May, 1888, of which the principal provisions were : That importations of fresh meat were only to be permitted through certain Customhouses, to be specified by decree of the President of the Eepublic; that beef and pork could only be imported in the entire •carcase, whole, or cut up in corresponding parts ; that the lung was to be left adhering to such parts, and that no scraping of the walls of abdomen or chest was to be allowed. Sirloins and fillets of beef were excepted from this regulation. The tax da visitc to be levied on account of the inspection was also fixed at one franc per 100 kilos or smaller parcel. Copies of two French Customhouse circulars bearing upon this matter are sent herewith, and it is requested that they may be returned to the Board of Trade as soon as possible.

Sub-Enclosure 2. Sib, — Customhouse, London, 9th September, 1890. I am directed by the Board of Customs to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Giffen's letter •of the 2nd instant, K8665, on the subject of a request of the Governor of New Zealand for information respecting the modes of marking meat for the purpose of identifying the country of its origin, and I am to state, in reply, that the law does not require meat to be marked upon importation into this country. I am, &c, The Assistant-Secretary, Eailway Department, John Courroux. Board of Trade.