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Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade, Whitehall, loth August, 1855. Sin, —With reference to your letter of the 6th Instant, I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, to transmit to you for distribution to the various Colonies, the accompanying copies of the printed Memorandum relating to Lighthouses and Light Vessels in the Colonies. My Lords have not before replied to the above-mentioned letter, as it appeared to them that it would be desirable, in transmitting the Memorandum in question to the Colonial Authorities, to call the attention of the Governors and other Officers to those provisions of The Merchant Shipping .Act Amendment Act, 1855," which relate to the collection of dues for the maintenance and erection of Colonial Lights. If Secretary Sir William Molesworth should think such a course expedient, the following are points which will, in my Lords opinion, require special attention. 1. That the object contemplated by the Imperial Legislature is to assist the Colonies in erecting and maintaining Lighthouses, by providing Funds for the purpose by means of Tolls levied on the ships which derive benefit from the Lights, whether those ships go to Ports in the Colony in which the Light is situate or not. 2. That the principle upon which the Tolls are to be fixed and collected is the same as that adopted in this country. 3. That provision is made for procuring advances for building, as well as an annual income for maintaining Lights. 4. '1 hat whilst no Colony can be required to levy a tax against its will, the money when paid must, of necessity (being levied in different Colonies, as well as in the United Kingdom) be under the control of the Imperial Government. 5. That it is not the wish or the intention of the Board of Trade, in administering any funds so levied, to interfere with the Local Authorities, who will still have the management of the Lights, except so far as may be necessary to insure proper accounts, and a proper expenditure of the public money. 6. That whenever any application is made for assistance towards erecting or maintaining a Light, the Governor of the Colony or Possession should send all the information in his power, as to the number and tonnage of Vessels passing or deriving benefit from the Light, and the ports and places to or from which they trade. In giving this information, attention should be paid to the particular circumstances of the case, so that the Imperial Government may be enabled, in fixing the Toll, to determine what the amount should be, and at what ports it will be desirable to collect it. As a general rule, it will probably be found most convenient to collect the dues at the Port of Departure of the ship, rather than at the Port of Arrival, where both ports are British Ports, but the application of this rule must depend upon the circumstances of each case. 7. Where a Light is to be erected or maintained in one Colony, and Tolls will have to be taken in other Colpnies, the communications from the first Colony should beso made as to enable Her Majesty's Government to communicate as early and as effectively as possible with the latter Colonies. I have, &c., (Signed) T. H. Farrkk. IL Merivale, Esq. See., <Sic., &c. Colonial Office. Memorandum fo accompany a Circular from, the Colonial Office to the Governors of Colonies, on the subject of Lighthouses required in the Colonies. When the authorities in a Colony are desirous of applying to the Mother Couutry for assistance in the construction of any Lighthouse or Light Vessel, application should be made to the Colonial Office, and a copy of the printed Form annexed, marked A, should be carefully filled up, with complete answers to all the questions, and sent with the application. The Colonial Authorities should at the same time name some person in London a? an Agent, who is to be the party responsible for all payments, and who will for that purpose give such orders d make such contracts as may be necessary/ and who will in so doing be guided by the advice