On behalf of the Federation for the Abolition of the State Regulation of Vice we beg to tender to you an expression of our gratitude and admiration for the fearless and outspoken declaration which you, as Prime Minister of New Zealand, made at Christchurch on the 7th of February, that the Government would insist next session on "the removal of an objectionable and shameful statute"—the Contagious Diseases Act. We congratulate the Government and our fellow-citizens in New Zealand upon this declaration. During the many years that it has been our painful duty to study the effects of similar Acts and regulations we have become more and more convinced that they are an absolute failure from a sanitary point of view, and are actually an incentive to vice, and therefore ultimately lead toan increase of disease. In addition, they violate the highest constitutional principles, and are an outrage on the moral law.

It is therefore with no small satisfaction that we learn that, under your enlightened leadership, New Zealand will emancipate herself from the shame of such legislation, and will take her stand beside Great Britain on this great subject.

We rejoice, also, to know that your Government will insist on raising the age of consent, as we are well aware that by such an amendment of the law many young girls may be saved from ruin.

Our Federation represents a large number of societies and individuals all working for the same object, and in their name we again offer you our cordial congratulations and our good wishes for the success of your noble work. We have, &c.,