Jan. 17.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 155

EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO.

LANGSAR BAY.—PASIR PUTI.—A fl. white lt. every 3 secs.—fl. 1 sec., ecl. 2 secs—is to be exh. from a white iron-frame lt.-h. 65 ft. high, in 4° 32½′ N., 97° 59′ E., on Pasir Puti. Also lt.-buoys are to be est. in the entr. to Langsar River. Nov.

ONE-FM. BANK LT.—The alteration of this lt. (2° 53′ N., 101° E.) from rev. to a group-fl. white lt., showing groups of 4 fls. every 15 secs., will not be completed before the close of 1907. Nov.

SINGAPORE STRAIT.

The limits of the sector within which Raffles lt. (1° 10′ N., 103° 44½′ E.) is obsc. are at present uncertain. Nov.

CHINA SEA.

HONG KONG APPROACH.—FO TAU MUN PASS.—A patch of rks., carrying 2 fms. at L.W., exists on the nrn. side of the Fo tau mun Pass, with the rk. (30 ft. high) off Fo tau Pt. (22° 15¾′ N., 114° 18′ E.) N. 80° E., 1⅞ cables, and the ern. pt. of Lamtong Isl. S. 11° E. There is a depth of 3 fms. close srd. of these rks. Nov.

NEW ZEALAND.

ADMIRALTY CHARTS that have received large corrections :—
No. 2726. New Zealand, North Isl., W., Manukau Harb. March.
No. 1423. New Zealand, North Isl., Port Nicholson. Sept.
No. 2532. New Zealand, South Isl., Sheet ix, Banks Penin. to Otago. Sept.
No. 2529. New Zealand, South Isl., Sheet viii, Cape Campbell to Banks Penin. Sept.

PACIFIC OCEAN.

FLOATING DERELICT.—On 8th Oct., the s.s. “Port Stephens,” in 49° 21′ S., 164° 48′ E. Nov.

NORTH AMERICA.

West Coast.

SAN FRANCISCO LT.-V.—Lt.-v. No. 70 (27° 45′ N., 122° 41′ W.) now shows the regular occ. elec. lts. instead of the temp. F. white oil lts. Nov.*

Colonial Certificates of Competency.

Marine Department,
Wellington, 12th January, 1907.

THE following despatch, received from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and its enclosure, are published for general information.

J. A. MILLAR.

(Circular.)
Downing Street, 10th November, 1906.

SIR,—With reference to Lord Knutsford’s Circular despatch of the 31st of August, 1891, and to Mr. Lyttelton’s Circular despatch of the 7th of February, 1905, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Government, two copies of an Order of the King in Council issued under “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” amending the Order in Council of the 9th of May, 1891, issued in pursuance of “The Merchant Shipping (Colonial) Act, 1869,” with regard to the Colonial authorities competent to grant Certificates of Competency to persons intending to act as Masters, Mates, or Engineers on board British ships.

I have, &c.,
ELGIN.

The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 22nd day of October, 1906.

Present :

THE KING’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
PRIME MINISTER, LORD PRESIDENT, LORD PRIVY SEAL, LORD CHAMBERLAIN, LORD SUFFIELD.

WHEREAS by “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” it is (amongst other things) enacted that where the Legislature of any British Possession provides for the examination of and grant of Certificates of Competency to persons intending to act as Masters, Mates, or Engineers on board British ships, and the Board of Trade report to His Majesty that they are satisfied that the examinations are so conducted as to be equally efficient with the examinations for the same purpose in the United Kingdom under “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” and that the Certificates are granted on such principles as to show the like qualifications and competency as those granted under the said Act, and are liable to be forfeited for the like reasons and in the like manner, His Majesty may, by Order in Council,—

(1.) Declare that the said Certificates shall be of the same force as if they had been granted under the said Act ;

(2.) Declare that all or any of the provisions of the said Act which relate to Certificates of Competency granted under that Act shall apply to the Certificates referred to in the said Order ;

(3.) Impose such conditions and make such regulations with respect to the said Certificates and to the use, issue, delivery, cancellation, and suspension thereof as His Majesty may think fit, and impose penalties not exceeding fifty pounds for the breach of those conditions and regulations :

And that upon the publication in the London Gazette of any such Order in Council as last aforesaid the Order shall, as from the date of the publication or any later date mentioned in the Order, take effect as if it were enacted by Parliament :

And whereas at the coming into operation of the said “Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” there were in force the Orders in Council of the 9th day of May, 1891, and the 23rd day of November, 1893, hereinafter mentioned, being Orders in Council made under enactments repealed by the said “Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” and it was provided by the said “Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” that Orders in Council so made should remain in force as if made or granted under the said “Merchant Shipping Act, 1894” :

And whereas by “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” it is further provided that His Majesty may, by Order in Council, revoke, alter, or add to any Order in Council made under the Merchant Shipping Acts :

And whereas by the said Order in Council of the 9th day of May, 1891, it was declared, inter alia, that Colonial Certificates of Competency granted by certain Authorities therein named and described in the case of the several British Possessions therein mentioned to persons intending to act as therein mentioned on board British ships should be of the same force as if they had been granted under the Acts relating to merchant shipping :

And whereas by the said Order last mentioned the regulations set out in the Schedule A thereto with respect to the said Colonial Certificates of Competency were imposed and made, and it was declared that the regulations set out in the said Schedule A thereto should apply to all Colonial Certificates of Competency that might theretofore have been or should thereafter be granted :

And whereas by the said Order in Council of the 23rd day of November, 1893, it was declared that Colonial Certificates of Competency granted by the Marine Board of Victoria from and after the 21st day of December, 1888, as therein mentioned should be of the same force as if they had been granted under the Acts relating to merchant shipping, and should be subject to the same conditions and regulations as are set out in Schedule A to the said Order in Council of the 9th day of May, 1891 :

And whereas by the provisions of “The Navigation (Amendment) Act, 1899,” passed by the Legislature of New South Wales, and by the provisions of “The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1903,” passed by the Legislature of New Zealand, certain changes were made in the Authorities authorised by the said Legislatures respectively to grant Colonial Certificates of Competency in those possessions respectively, and other similar changes may be made by the Legislature of the British Possessions referred to in the said Orders in Council with regard to the Authorities authorised to grant such Certificates in such several Possessions :

And whereas it has been made to appear to His Majesty that it is expedient that the said Orders in Council should be so altered as to apply to Certificates of Competency granted by the proper Authority for the time being in the British Possessions mentioned in the said Orders in Council :

Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of His Privy Council, is hereby pleased,—

To declare that the Colonial Certificates of Competency granted or to be hereafter granted by the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Administrator, Head of the Government, Minister, Board, Body, or Corporation of or in any British Possession mentioned in the said Orders in Council for the time being authorised by the Legislature or Legislative Authority of such Possession to grant Colonial Certificates of Competency (hereinafter called “the proper authority”), from and after the respective dates in the case of the several Possessions with reference to the several kinds of Certificate in the said Orders in Council mentioned, shall be of the same force as if they had been granted under “The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894,” and shall be subject to the same conditions and regulations as are set out in Schedule A to the said Order in Council of the 9th day of May, 1891, and the said Orders in Council shall be read and construed as if the proper authority had been originally mentioned therein in the case of each such Possession in lieu of the Authority in each case actually named and described therein.

A. W. FITZROY.