A.—2.

No. 101. Dominions.—Circular. Sir, — Downing Street, 6th December, 1909. In continuation of my circular despatch of the 30th October, 1908, 1 have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, copies of the Proces verbaux of the sittings of the Permanent Sugar Commission held during the twelve months from the Ist September, 1908, to the 31st August, 1909. I have, &c, CREWE. The Officer administering the Government of New Zealand.

No. 102. New Zealand, No. 213. My Lord, — Downing Street, 7th December, 1909. In continuation of my despatch No. 105, of the 21st May last, 1 have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the enclosed copy of an appendix to the report of the proceedings at the International Conference on Electrical Units and Standards. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

No. 103. New Zealand, No. 215. My Lord, — Downing Street, 9th December, 1909. With reference to my despatch No. 19, of the 25th January last, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the enclosed copy of an Order of His Majesty in Council, dated the 22nd November, providing for the recognition in this country of the load-line certificates issued to French ships by the French authorities under the French regulations of the 21st September last. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

Enclosure. New Zealand, 215. Extract from the "London Gazette" of Friday. 2Rth November, 1909. At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 22nd day of November, 1909. Present: The Kino's Most Excellent Majesty in Councit,. Whereas by section four hundred and forty-five of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, it is enacted that where the Board of Trade certify that the laws and regulations for the time being in force in any foreign country, and relating to overloading and improper loading, are equall} : effective with the provisions of that Act relating thereto, His Majesty in Council may direct that, on proof of a ship of that country having complied with those laws and regulations, she shall not when in a port of the United Kingdom be liable to detention for non-compliance with the said provisions of that Act, nor shall there arise any liability to any fine or penalty which would otherwise arise for non-compliance with those provisions: And whereas by section one of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1906, provision, us is more particularly therein mentioned, is made for applying to foreign ships when in ports in the United Kingdom certain sections of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, which relate to load-line, without prejudice to any direction of His Majesty in Council given under the said section four hundred and forty-five of the last-mentioned Act: And whereas the Board of Trade have certified that certain statutory regulations which have been approved by the French Government relating to overloading, so far as regards the assignment of load-lines to French ships, on and after the twenty-first September, one thousand nine

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