A.—2

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is recognized governs the conditions of trade between all parts of His Majesty's dominions affords ground for distinguishing between the legislation of a foreign country and that of a portion of such dominions. The last sentence of the penultimate paragraph of the Solicitor-General's memorandum is as follows : " Nor am I able to see what unjust or mischievous result would be likely to follow from imposing on ail shipowners . . . the obligation imposed by section 300 of not inserting unjust and unreasonable exceptions in their bills of lading." The Solicitor-General here appears to assume that there is a consensus of opinion as to what clauses in bills of lading are unjust and unreasonable. It may be well, therefore, to point out that there is no such general agreement on this question, and that many shipowners both in this and other countries have always contended that such clauses as are referred to in section 300 are not unjust and unreasonable, having regard to the system under which the carriage of goods by sea is regulated. R.E.C., 20/12/10.

No. 116. New Zealand, No. 2. My Lord, — Downing Street, sth January, 1911. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the papers noted below on the subject of the money-order convention between New Zealand and France. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. The Officer administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Sir,— Paris, 28th December, 1910. With reference to my despatch, No. 134 (Treaty), of the 21st instant, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a note from the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, acknowledging the receipt of the French copy of the detailed regulations with annexures made under the convention for the exchange of money-orders between France and New Zealand, signed on the Ist December, 1909. It is stated in this note that the regulations in question cannot come into force on the Ist proximo, for, although the convention has received the assent of the Chamber of Deputies, it has not yet been approved by the Senate. I have, (fee, The Right Hon. Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P., &c. Francis Bertie. Monsieur Pichon to Sir F. Bertie. Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, — Paris, 27th December, 1910. J'ai I'honneur d'accuser reception a Votre Excellence de la lettre dv 21 decembre qu' accompagnait le toxte authentique dv Reglement de detail et d'ordre arrete a Paris le 15 decembre 1909, et a Wellington, le 25 mai, 1910, relativement a l'echange de mandats-poste entre la France et la Nouvelle Zelande. Je me suis empresse de xaire parvenir cc document a M. le Ministre dcs Travaux Publics, dcs Postes et dcs Telegraphes. Pour repondre au desir que m'exprime mon Collegue, je viens, d'ailleurs, de faire connaitre au Postmaster-General de Nouvelle Zelande, par l'intermediare dv Consul de France h Auckland, que cc reglement ne pourra pas s'appliquer a partir dv ler Janvier 1911, suivant l'intention que m'annoncait la Note de Votre Excellence dv 13 decembre courant; a la reception de cette Note, l'attention dv Parlement francais avait etc attiree de nouveau sur la Convention international signee le ler decembre 1909, au sujet dv service de mandats-poste entre la France et la Nouvelle Zelande. La Convention a etc recemment approuvee par la Chambre dcs Deputes, mais la sanction dv Srnat nest pas encore intervenue. &c, Pour le Ministre, GaYARRY,

Date. Description. 28th December, 1910* From H.M. Ambassador, Paris.