A.—2.

No. 15. New Zealand, No. 87. My Lord,— Downing Street, 27th April, 1909. I have the honour to request you to inform voin Ministers thai a Proclamation has been made by the Governor-General'of the Commonwealth of Australia, under the Customs Act, by which it is provided that the import;i tion into the Commonwealth of the plumage and skins of Qon-edible birds is prohibited in cases where the exportation thereof is prohibited in any country in which the particular birds are indigenous or have been acclimatised. •2. I shall be much obliged if you will be so good as to in form me of any cases in which the exportation of the plumage or skins of non-edible birds is prohibited by your Government. 1 have, &c., ' CEEWE. Governor, the Right Eon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

A..-1, I'JIH, No. 54.

No. 16. New Zealand, No. 88. My Lord,— Downing Street, 29th April, L 909. I have the honour to request that you will inform your Ministers that the Secretary of State for India has been requested by the Government of India to secure the acceptance by the Postal Administrations of the Empire of letters from the British Indian post-office situated in the French settlements in India if stamped like letters from ordinary British post-offices in India. 2. I have to explain that the post-offices in question have been established in many cases for over a century on French territory, and they are treated in India precisely like ordinary British post-offices. 3. The French Government has consented to letters from the post-offices in question being treated in the same way as letters from post-offices in British territory, on condition that similar treatment is extended to letters posted in French post-offices in the settlements in question. 4. His Majesty's Government have agreed, as far as the United Kingdom and Crown Colonies are concerned, to comply with the condition laid down by the French Government, to which they feel that no reasonable exception can be taken, and letters addressed to the United Kingdom and any Crown Colonies or protectorates will be accepted as fully stamped if stamped in the same manner as letters posted in British India, whether posted in the British post-offices in the French settlements or in the French post-offices there. 5. Your Ministers will probably see no objection in the special circumstances of the case to extending to the British and French post-offices in the French settlements the advantages already given to the other post-offices of the Empire. No doubt the number of letters affected will be extremely small, but His Majesty's Government would he glad to learn that your Government agree to the concession being made. I have, &c, ' CEEWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

A.-l, 1910, No. 22.

No. 17. New Zealand, No. 89. My Lord,— Downing Street, 29th April, 1909. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the papers noted below on the subject of the export of prison-made goods from the United States. I have, &c, CEEWE. The Officer administering the Government of New Zealand.

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