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Volunteer Reserve, I have the honour to state, for the information of your Ministers, that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have decided that the restriction of the award of these medals to men who were on the Active List on the Ist January, 1908, is to be removed. The medals will therefore be awarded to any men living at the present time who satisfy the other conditions respecting length of service, &c. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

No. 73. New Zealand, No. 180. My Lord, — Downing Street, 24th September, 1909. With reference to your despatch No. 87, of the 23rd November Last, I have the honour to request you to inform your Ministers thai liis Majesty's Government would suggest thai it would Ik , most convenient for the proposed subsidiary Conference on Copyright to meet in London early in the spring <>t next year —say, in March or April next. I f your Ministers concur in this proposal, the exact date of assembling can be arranged by telegraph later. 2. I shall bo glad to be informed in due course of the name of the represen tative whom your Government desire to send to the proposed Conference. 3. Copies of the replies which have been received from the Governments of the various self-governing dominions to my despatches of the 2nd and 3rd September, proposing a subsidiary Conference, are enclosed for the information of your Ministers. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

No. 74. New Zealand, No. 181. My Lord, — Downing Street, 24th September, 1909. T have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, copies of the Army (Annual) Act, 1909. of the Imperial Parliament. 2. Your Ministers will observe the amendments introduced into the Army Act by sections 6, 8, 9, and 11 of the present Act. 3. The result of the alteration of the law by sections 6 and 11 of the Act is to remove any doubt as to the power of issuing to a Governor or a GovernorGeneral a warrant to convene Courts-martial under the Army Act in any case in which the command of any part of I [is Majesty's forces may have been conferred on him. The power in question has been conferred as experience in the case of Canada and Australia during the South African war has shown that it is convenient that it should exist with reference to troops raised in a dominion or colony (but not under the terms of a local Act) for service beyond the dominion or colony. 4. I now enclose the Warrant, which has accordingly been issued to the Governor , of New Zealand under the Sign-Manual. You will observe that the Warrant is directed to you not by name, but by the designation of your office, and T have to request that you will insure that it is handed over to your successor when you leave New Zealand. 5. Sections 8 and 9 of the Act effect the legislation necessary to secure the application of the Army Act to officers or men of local forces while undergoing training in England, and to make it clear that in applying the Army Act to local forces colonial legislation may vary the provisions of that Act in such manner as may be desired. I have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

A.-l, 1910 No. 42.