11

A.—2

3. Should the pharmacy law, if any, of the colony under your government not treat Irish pharmacists as equally entitled to recognition with British pharmacists, I shall be glad if, when any modification of it is under consideration, the claims of Irish pharmacists to equal privileges can be borne in mind. I have, &c, J. CHAMBEELAIN. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. V

No. 14. (No. 16.) My Loed, Downing Street, 6th April, 1900. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (No. 12) of the 13th February last, on the subject of the transport of the Third and Fourth New Zealand Contingents to South Africa, and to express the great gratification with which Her Majesty's Government have learnt of the patriotism and public spirit shown by the people of New Zealand in the matter. I have, &c, J. CHAMBEELAIN. Governor the Eight Hon. the Earl of Eanfurly, K.C.M.G., &c.

No. 15. (No. 17.) My Loed, Downing Street, 6th April, 1900. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (No. 5) of the 16th January, suggesting the establishment of a Court to which appeals can be carried from the High Court of the Cook Islands. I agree with you as to the desirability of providing a Court of Appeal, and I am of opinion that the appeal should lie to the Supreme Court of New Zealand. An Act passed in the Cook Islands will be sufficient to effect this purpose, whether a New Zealand Judge visits the Cook Islands or (a course which I should prefer) the trial of the case on appeal takes place in New Zealand. . Your question as to the prerogative of mercy is difficult to answer, except as regards cases tried before the Eesident in his capacity of Judicial Commissioner ; for such cases the prerogative is vested in the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific by section 80 of the Pacific Order in Council of 1893, of which a copy is enclosed. The best course will probably be to enable the Chief Justice of the Cook Islands, by an amendment of the High Court Act, to send any criminal cases for trial to the Commissioner's Court. When he possesses this power he should exercise it in all cases of importance, and it would then be possible to provide a satisfactory settlement of the difficulty by an amendment of the Pacific Order in Council, to the effect that in cases tried before the Judicial Commissioner the powers mentioned in clause 80 of the Order in Council shall be exercised by the Governor of New Zealand. It will probably be desirable to make a further amendment of the Order in Council in order to provide for an appeal to the Supreme Court of New_ Zealand from the judgments of the Judicial Commissioner in whose Court cases in which Europeans are concerned are tried. I shall be glad to learn whether your Ministers concur in these suggestions. I have, &c, J. CHAMBEELAIN. Governor the Eight Hon. the Earl of Eanfurly, K.C.M.G., &c.

A.-l, 1901, No. 2.

No. 16. Downing Street, 26th April, 1900. A despatch signifying that Her Majesty will not be advised to exercise her powers of disallowance with respect to the Acts of the New Zealand Legislature passed in the session of Parliament, 1899. [List of Acts published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 28th June, 1900.]