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No. 44. (No. 67.) My Loed, — Downing Street, 3rd November, J 897. I have the honour to request that you will inform your Ministers that Eear-Admiral Hugo L. Pearson has been appointed to succeed Eear-Admiral Cyprian A. G. Bridge as Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's ships and vessels on the Australian station. I have, &c, J. CHAMBEELAIN. Governor the Eight Hon. the Earl of Eanfurly, K.C.M.G., &c.

No. 45. (No. 68.) My Loed, — Downing Street, 4th November, 1897. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, copies of the documents noted below, respecting a proposal to supply military books and papers for the use of Volunteers in the colony under your government. I have, &c, EDWAED WINGFIELD, For the Secretary of State. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Sib,— War Office, London, S.W., 13th September, 1897. I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to acquaint you, for the information of Mr. Secretary Chamberlain, that an application has been received from the Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand, in his capacity as honorary chaplain to the Canterbury Battalion of Infantry Volunteers, for a grant of books and papers on military subjects, towards the formation of a technical library for the use of the corps. The Secretary of State does not consider it desirable that a precedent should be created by the granting of this request for the supply of military publications to individual corps in the colonies, but he is prepared to meet as far as possible the wish expressed in the correspondence that military information should be accessible to colonial Volunteers. If it could be arranged, therefore, that a supply should be made to some fairly central place in New Zealand where the books could be available for corps generally, orders will be given for the issue of a selected list of military publications in addition to the army orders and regulations which are already supplied to the colonial Government. I am to request that you will move Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to cause inquiry to be made of the Agent-General for New Zealand whether the proposal can be satisfactorily arranged. I have, &c, The Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. G. Lawson.

Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sib,— 23rd September, 1897. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of letter No. 19930, of the 20th September, covering copy of a communication from the War Office, relating to an application made by the Bishop of Christchurch for the grant of military books and papers for the purpose of creating a technical library in the colony for the use of colonial Volunteers. In reply, I desire to state that I am very sensible of the position in which the Secretary of State for War is placed with regard to the application, and of the readiness he has shown in seeking to meet the appeal so far as is in his power. I shall have pleasure in communicating the proposed arrangements for the transmission of supplies of military publications to a central part of the »

Date. Description of Document. 3th September, 1897 13rd September, 1897 ;3rd October, 1897 .... War Office to Colonial Office. Agent-Greneral to Colonial Office. War Office to Colonial Office. List of books.