THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 853

Fixing Sittings for District Court, Otago Gold
Fields.

G. F. BOWEN, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the power and
authority in this behalf enabling me, I, Sir
George Ferguson Bowen, the Governor of the
Colony of New Zealand, do hereby fix and appoint
that sittings of the District Court of the Otago
Gold Fields, during the months of January and
February next, shall be held as follows:-
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Naseby
on the second Wednesday in January next.
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Clyde on
the Monday next after the second Wednesday
in January next.
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Queens-
town on the Monday second after the second
Wednesday in January next.
In the Resident Magistrate's Court at Lawrence
on the second Tuesday in February next.
Provided that in case any of the days so fixed as
aforesaid shall happen to be a holiday, then the
Court appointed for that day shall be holden on the
first day thereafter, not being a holiday.
Issued this sixteenth day of November, one
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
JOHN HALL.

Despatch from Secretary of State enclosing
"Merchant Shipping Act, 1872."

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 20th November, 1872.

THE following Despatch, with enclosure, from the
Right Honorable the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, are published for general information.
JOHN HALL.

CIRCULAR.
Downing Street, 7th September, 1872.

SIR, —I transmit to you, for information in the
Colony under your Government, a copy of the
Merchant Shipping and Passengers Acts Amendment
Act, which transfers to the Board of Trade all powers
and duties vested in the Emigration Commissioners
by "The Passengers Act, 1855," and "The Passen-
gers Act Amendment Act, 1863," and the powers
conferred on one of Her Majesty's Principal Secre-
taries of State by the 13th section of "The Passengers
Act Amendment Act, 1863." The 6th section of the
Act extends the penalties for offences connected with
applications for assistance in emigration.

I have, &c.,
KIMBERLEY.

The Officer Administering
the Government of New Zealand.

CHAPTER 73.

An Act to amend the Merchant Shipping Acts and the
Passenger Acts. [10th August, 1872.]

WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the Merchant
Shipping Acts and the Passengers Acts:

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent
Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this
present Parliament assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:-

Preliminary.

1. This Act may be cited as "The Merchant Ship-
   ping Act, 1872."

2. This Act shall come into operation on the first
   day of January, one thousand eight hundred and
   seventy-three.

Measurement of Ships.

3. The twenty-third, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth,

and twenty-ninth sections of "The Merchant Ship-
ping Act, 1854," the fourteenth section of "The
Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1855," and
the fourth section of "The Merchant Shipping Act,
1871," shall be read and construed as if the Board of
sioners of Customs.

Registry.

4. The forty-sixth, fifty-fourth, ninety-second, and
   ninety-fourth sections of "The Merchant Shipping
   Act, 1854," shall be read and construed as if the
   Registrar-General of Seamen were therein named,
   instead of the Commissioners of Customs, and the
   returns required to be transmitted by the said ninety-
   fourth section of "The Merchant Shipping Act,
   1854," shall be transmitted to the Registrar-General
   of Seamen, and not to the Custom House in London;
   and the Registrar-General of Seamen shall be called
   the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen.

Passenger Ships.

5. The sixth and seventh sections of "The Passen-
   gers Act, 1855," except so much of the latter section
   as provides for the immunity of emigration officers,
   shall be repealed, and all powers and duties vested in
   or imposed on the Emigration Commissioners by
   "The Passengers Act, 1855," and "The Passengers
   Act Amendment Act, 1863," shall be transferred to
   and imposed on the Board of Trade.

In the construction and for the purposes of the
said Acts, the name of the Board of Trade shall be
deemed to be substituted for the name of the Emigra-
tion Commissioners; and anything which might, if
this Act had not passed, have been done by the
Emigration Commissioners, whether acting indepen-
dently or under the sanction or authority of one of
Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, may be
done by the Board of Trade independently of such
sanction or authority.

6. The provisions contained in the eighty-third
   section of "The Passengers Act, 1855," shall extend
   to any forms of application or other papers issued by
   or under the authority of one of Her Majesty's
   Principal Secretaries of State, for the use of persons
   desirous of emigrating by his assistance, and to any
   certificate, document, or statement adduced in sup-
   port of any application to such Secretary for such
   assistance.

7. The powers conferred by the thirteenth section
   of "The Passengers Act Amendment Act, 1863," on
   one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State,
   shall be transferred to the Board of Trade.

Annual Survey of Passenger Steamers.

8. The three hundred and fourth section of "The
   Merchant Shipping Act, 1854," shall be repealed, and
   every passenger steamer shall be surveyed once at
   the least in every year in the manner mentioned in
   the fourth part of that Act. The fees to be charged
   for certificates issued in respect of such survey shall
   not exceed for a yearly certificate twice the sum
   named in the Table marked T in the Schedule to the
   said Act, as chargeable for a six months' certificate.

Pilotage.

9. Notwithstanding anything in the three hundred
   and fifty-eighth section of "The Merchant Shipping
   Act, 1854," the Trinity House may, by by-law made
   with the sanction of Her Majesty in Council, repeal
   or relax the provisions of that section within the
   whole or any part of their district, so far as to allow
   any pilot or class of pilots under their jurisdiction to
   demand or receive and any master to offer or pay any
   rate less than the rate for the time being demandable
   by law.

10. Whereas in pursuance of "The Pilotage Law