THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 655

G. F. BOWEN, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the power and autho-
rity in this behalf enabling me, I, Sir George
Ferguson Bowen, the Governor of the Colony of
New Zealand, do hereby fix and appoint that a Sitting
of the District Court of the Otago Gold Fields,
additional to those already appointed, shall be held
as follows:—

In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Naseby, on
the second Wednesday in March next.
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Clyde, on
the Monday next after the second Wednesday
in March next;
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Queenstown,
on the Monday second after the second Wednes-
day in March next.
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Lawrence,
on the second Tuesday in April next.

Issued this twenty-second day of December,
one thousand eight hundred and seventy.
W. GISBORNE.

of the Officers in the British Possessions abroad in
sending home distressed Seamen.
Copies of the new form are enclosed.
The new form should in future be used exclusively.
All old Forms CC. 14 should be destroyed.
The new form affects the Instructions to Officers
in the British Possessions abroad upon two points :

1. Sending distressed Seamen home.
2. Balance of wages of distressed Seamen.

With regard to the actual conveyance home of
distressed Seamen, it is only necessary for the Officer
to note that the rate of conveyance for ordinary
Seamen is raised from 1s. a day to 1s. 6d.; but that
the rate for Masters will remain at 2s. a day.

With regard, however, to the settlement of the
cash balances of wages due to Seamen who are sent
home by the Officer, the new form introduces an
entirely new arrangement.

Hitherto, when a Seaman was sent home the balance
of wages due to him has, after deducting 1s. a day
for the average length of the passage, been paid to
him by the Officer.

This system has led practically to much incon-
venience. Where the sum deducted was less than
the actual amount paid for the passage, the Board of
Trade have not been able to recover the balance from
the Seamen; and where it has been less, they have
not been able to pay the balance to the Seamen.

In future, therefore, the balance is not to be paid
to the Seaman, but is to be kept by the Officer, and
credited in his account to the Board of Trade.

In order, however, that no delay may occur in
settling with Seamen who have balances due to them,
and to prevent any doubt as to the claims of Seamen
to such balances, columns are provided in the new
form, in which the Officer should give all the infor-
mation necessary to enable the Superintendent of the
Mercantile Marine Office at the port at which a man
is landed to decide at once the balance (if any) due
to him, and to settle with him on the spot.

When the wages are paid by bill, the Instructions
contained in Circular 42 should still be observed; but
when Seamen whose wages have been paid by bill
are sent home under a Colonial Order, the same
particulars should be given on Form CC. 14 as in
cases where the wages are paid in cash.

The information required, and the deductions to be
made, will of course vary according to the circum-
stances under which the Seamen became distressed.

When the cause of the Seamen's distress is ship-
wreck, no amount is to be entered on Form C. 16 as
chargeable to his wages.

When the Owners are not liable to repay the
expenses, or any of them, incurred in respect of the
Seaman, and the cause of the Seaman's distress is not
shipwreck, his wages are chargeable with all expenses.

When the Owners are liable to repay his expenses,
or any of them, the wages are only chargeable with
such expenses as are not payable by Owners, viz. :—

1. When left behind illegally, with Medical
   Expenses.
2. When injured in the service of the ship,
   with Clothing Expenses.
3. When both left behind illegally and injured
   in the service of the ship, with no
   expenses.

In this third case, therefore, a Seaman is to be
treated precisely as though he were shipwrecked.

LIABILITY OF SHIPOWNERS.

It may be convenient here to state in a few words,
the instructions and law on the subject of liability of
Shipowners to repay expenses incurred abroad in
respect of distressed British Seamen.

Owners are liable to repay expenses.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 21st December, 1870.

THE following Despatches, with Enclosures, from
the Secretary of State for the Colonies, are
published for general information.
W. GISBORNE.

Downing Street, 31st August, 1870.

SIR,—I have to acknowledge your Despatch No. 78,
of 2nd July, enclosing a letter addressed to the
Queen by Parakaia Te Pouepa, of the Ngatiraukawa
Tribe.

I request that you will inform Parakaia Te Pouepa
that his prayer has been laid before the Queen, but
that Her Majesty is unable to interfere in a matter
which rests entirely with the local Government, and
which, moreover, has been decided upon by a com-
petent tribunal, after a careful and laborious exami-
nation into the facts of the case.

I have, &c.,
KIMBERLEY.

Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G.,
&c., &c., &c.

[CIRCULAR.]

Downing Street, 1st August, 1870.

SIR,—I transmit to you, for your information and
guidance, copies of a Circular which has been drawn
up by the Board of Trade, regarding the conveyance
home of distressed British Seamen, and other matters
relating thereto.

I also enclose thirty-six copies of the new Form
CC. 14, which is referred to in that Circular, and I
have to instruct you to cause these documents to be
distributed amongst those Officers under your
Government whose duty it will be to give effect to
the instructions which they embody.

I have, &c.,
KIMBERLEY.

The Officer Administering
the Government of New Zealand.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFICERS IN THE BRITISH
POSSESSIONS ABROAD.

SENDING DISTRESSED SEAMEN HOME.—BALANCE OF
WAGES OF DISTRESSED BRITISH SEAMEN.—
LIABILITY OF SHIPOWNERS.—DISTRESSED SEA-
MEN SENT HOME.

A new Form CC. 14 has been prepared for the use