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37500/1909. Sik,— Downing Street, 19th November, 1909. 1 am directed by the Earl of Crewe to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th instant, (41490/09), enclosing copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Ambassador at Paris relativ* to the proposed Money-order Convention between France and New Zealand. 2. Lord Crewe concurs in Sir E. Grey's proposal to approve Sir F. Bertie's action in proceeding to the signature of the Convention. I have, &C., The Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office. C. P. Lucas.

No. 9ti. New Zealand, No. 207. Mγ Lord, Downing Street, 26th November, 1909. 1 have the honour to transmit to Your Lordship, for the information of your Ministers, three printed copies of the List of Treaty Ports, Ports of Call, and Places open to Foreign Trade in the Far East, as revised by His Majesty's Legations at Peking and Tokio, October, 1909. T have, &c, CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

No. 97. New Zealand, No. 208. My Lord, — Downing Street, 26th November, 1909. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the accompanying copy of an Act which has been passed by the Imperial Parliament amending the Colonial Naval Defence Act, 1865, in certain particulars, together with a copy of an explanatory memorandum, which was prefixed to the Bill when submitted to Parliament. I have, &c. ± CREWE. Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c.

No. 98. New Zealand, No. 209. My Lord, — Downing Street, 26th November, 1909. I have the honour to state, for the information of your Ministers, that the Army Council propose to enter into an agreement with the Coventry Ordnance Works (Limited) for the purchase, at open tender, of the 45 in. Q.F. howitzer equipment recently approved for Royaf Field Artillery. 2. The terms of the proposed agreement are as follows :— (1.) A general indemnity to be given by the company to cover the use by His Majesty's Government, including the Governments of India and the colonies, of the patents claimed to be involved in the manufacture of the equipment. (2.) The payment of £50 per howitzer as royalty, subject to the abovementioned indemnity. (3.) The date of expiry of Patent No. 2504 of 1903 to determine the payment of royalty in connection with the equipment. 3. Your Ministers will understand that the effect of the agreement so far as (1) is concerned is to enable the Governments of other parts of His Majesty's dominions to purchase the equipment, if they so desire, on the same terms as the Government of this country. The Army Council would desire that any orders should be placed through the War Office. I have, &c, CREWE Governor, the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0.. &c.