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"The Marriage, Divorce, and Registration Ordinance" (No. 4) was recommended by the Attorney-General to be reserved for the signification of His Majesty's pleasure thereon, in accordance with the usual procedure with Acts affecting the marriage laws of the colony ; but on the direction of the Governor steps are now being taken to pass an Order in Council introducing into Niue such portions of the New Zealand marriage and divorce law as will give effect to the imiin features of the Ordinance. As the administration of Niue has now been separated from that of Rarotonga, you will please forward youi Ordinances direct to me in future. In some cases you left the year blank in the heading and Short Title of the Ordinance, and in the Constitution Ordinance the date to which the members of the Council shall hold office was also omitted. These have been filled in here, but it will be better if you can forward the Ordinances complete in every respect, as the SolicitorGeneral iE of opinion that they should be assented to by the Governor as they Bland or r,ot at all, there being no power to alter them here. The Ordinance should bear the year in which it is passed, although it may not receive the Governor's assent until the following year. It is doubtful if we have any right here to alter an Ordinance, even to the extent of adding a date. I have, &c, The Resident Commissioner, Niue. C. H. Mills.

No. 164. Sib,— Epsom, Auckland, 29th March, 1904. Since you kindly granted me an interview last February I have received a copy of "The Niue Island Importation of Spirituous Liquor Ordinance, 1903." This Ordinance seems to meet most of the requirements of the island in this matter, except that since Niue has been governed from New Zealand intoxicating liquor has been imported to the island in large quantities, and placed in bond and sold by the importers to the foreign residents. The effect that this liquor has had on those people who have drunk to excess is an object-lesson to the Natives of Niue, who believe that if intoxicants are imported for sale it will be a source of dissipation and crime to the Natives, who up to recently have been a totally abstaining people. Hence the petition for total prohibition sent by the people of Niue to His Excellency Lord Ranfurly. I think that the chiefs and people of Niue do not oppose the importation of liquor by white residents for their private use, but what they object to is importation of liquor for sale on Niue. For, although the law prohibits the sale of liquor to the Natives they do obtain it, and it is difficult and perhaps impossible to convict offenders as the Natives are very reticent as to whom they receive the liquor from. I may add that when liquor is sold on isolated islands like Niue where resident whites have so much leisure, &c, it is a snare to many a young fellow who would not drink to excess if the liquor was not imported for sale. We have seen many sad cases of drunkenness during the past two or three years, and such cases were unknown until liquor was imported to Niue for sale. I shall be pleased to give any further information on Niue matters if required. I have, &c, R. H. Head. The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister of Trade and Customs, Wellington.

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No. 165. Sir, — Eastern Pacific, Rarotonga, 30th March, 1904. In reply to your letter of the 18th March, No. 13, I have'the honour to inform you that in the case of Atiu, Mauke, and Mitiaro the exports and circumstances of the islands are scarcely sufficient at present to justify the appointment of Resident Agents. For an Agent would be of but little use unless he were a capable man, and to obtain such a man would mean £150 per annum. I am, however, of opinion that Atiu will never be opened up for settlement by Europeans unless we do station an officer there, and though there is no hurry in this case it must be held in contemplation. I have, &c, W. E. Gudgeon, Resident Commissioner. The Hon. C. H. Mills, Minister for the Islands, Wellington.

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No. 166. Sib, — Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 30th March, 1904. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, No. 24, enclosing draft proclamations affecting the pearl-shell lagoons within the boundaries of New Zealand. In pursuance of your instructions, I attach hereto descriptions of the Penrhyu, Manihiki, and Aitutaki lagoons, in which I exclude all islands from the operations of the proclamation. The Islands of Suwarrow and Palmerston I have not dealt with, since I presume that the lagoons have been included in the leases executed in favour of the Masters family and the Pacific Trading

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