SPEECH OF HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF WELLINGTON ON OPENING THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4404, 1 May 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPEECH OF HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT OF WELLINGTON ON OPENING THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Mn. Speakeb and Gentlemen of the Puotxncial Council, — It is satisfactory to me that I am able to inform you that the Financial "i ear, hcnnnin** on the Ist instant, opens with a balance at your bankers, to the credit ot the Provincial Account, amounting to £16,197 10s. This amount contrasts favourab y with the amount of the credit balance, viz., £BB4 Bs. 3d., with which the last Imancia Year commenced. ■ „ „ „ This balance is exclusive of the sum of £3,435 16s. 6d., which stood to t.ie further credit of the Provincial Account on the Ist instant. The amount or £3,435 16s. 6d. is comprised of nearly £3,000 deposited with the Provincial Government by certain Natives, at interest, and of £450-paid to your account by the -trust * and Loan Company. The Provincial Government has been prevented from either using the money or paying it back ; and for some time was also prevented from paying the interest due for its theoretical use. Since the amount referred to serves no practical purpose but that of being impounded for the benefit of your bankers, you will be asked to give an express authority to liberate it. The Ordinary Income of last year was estimated at £31,800 ; it realized £80,873 4s. 9d., leaving a deficiency difference between estimate and receipts of £926 15s. 3d. „ ■ . . The Territorial Receipts reach £81,455 3s. 3d., being an excess of receipts over estimate of £6,455 3s. 3d. This statement is exclusive of the sum of £9,672 10s., the amount of scrip exercised within the year in the purchase of land and cancelled, and does not disturb the calculation made for revenue purposes.^ _■ The Special Income fell short of our expectations by £9,354. It is well understood how this considerable discrepancy between estimate. and receipts was brought about. It is not necessary here to advert to the circumstances. . ■ Altogether, notwithstanding this disappointment in the amount of receipts under the h,ead°of Special Income, the total receipts for the year on]y fall short of the estimate by £3,825 12s. 6d. The estimated total income for the year 1874-75 was £122,726 18s. 9d.; the actual receipts amounts to .£118,901 6s. 3d. The whole, or nearly so, of the various works and undertakings authorized by you last Session have either been finished or are under contract, and I may add that most of them have been executed at moderate cost, considering the high price for labour and material, which has ruled during the past year. In conformity with a practice which I have been careful to adopt, and have endeavoured to extend, I present to you the following annual Reports, viz,:— A. Report of Crown Lands Commissioner. B. „ Chief Surveyor. C. „ Provincial Engineer. D. ~ Chairman of Education Board. E. „ Principal of Wellington College. F. ~ Provincial Surgeon and Architect to Hospital Trustees. G. „ Medical Officer of Asylum. H. „ Immigration Officer. J. „ Inspector of Police. K. „ Warden of Gaol. L. ~ Harbour Master. M. Correspondence relative to the selection of 80,000 acres of land by the General Government. . I am indebted to the courtesy of the Chairman of the Board of Education and the Principal of the Wellington College for furnishing me with Reports, which I have no official authority to require from them. Whilst all these Reports, without exception, contain valuable detailed information of the progress made during the past year in the departments and institutions to which they severally refer, and also furnish a collective view of the work accomplished within the year*, and, in a great measure, speak for themselves, nevertheless the subjects referred to in some of these Reports require special notice. ; The considerable amount realised by land sales within the year, referred to in the report of the Grown Lands Commissioner, is not the result of mere happy accident. The policy now adopted, so far as our circumstances will admit, in the administration of land selling, is to so render the estate of waste lands under our control fit for profitable occupation by previous survey and the laying off and forming of roads, as to make the purchase of land a less speculative and more attractive investment; and the expenditure so incurred, prior to sale, is found to be recouped by the enhanced prices realised at sale. The foundation of this policy was laid in 1864, when the Provincial Council passed on the Ist of July, a resolution “That none of the land w'hatever, within the Manawatu Blocks shall be offered for sale until; after it shall have been surveyed, marked off on the ground, mapped, and numbered, and main district lines of road similarly defined.” The old “rough and ready” system of getting rid of land is now sought to be replaced by a more careful and cultivated system. The introduction of the improved method has necessarily been slow and precarious; but during the last year it has been pursued with greater perseverance and success than in any previous year. I take this opportunity of expressing my obligations to the General Government for the prompt assistance rendered by.it in enabling the Provincial Government, during the recess, to reserve a considerable.area of land for future sale on the improved plan I have referred to. i : .;. ■ ' “ . _ You.are aware, probably, that the General Government selected Major Palmer to report on the surveys of New Zealand ; a copy of this report will be laid on the table. In that report you will find a very truthful statement of the past and present conditions of the various Survey Departments, and it clearly points out the causes which have led most of the departments to fall into such deplorable confusion as he depicts. With respect to'Wellington Major Palmer, states that, the system of surveying pursued is a sown? one, that in the course of ten years 1,099,00.0 acres have , been correctly mapped, and that all previous blunders have been, swept aside by a Trigonometrical Survey.. . . The contrast between , this statement, and those which he gives for the other Provinces in New Zealand, with ore exception (Otago) only, is very striking, and it shows that although the process of surveying lands has not been as rapid here as elsewhere, more pains have been taken to ensure accuracy in the works, and that the lands which, have been granted under this system, are< secured against the baneful effets of a complication of boundaries. . ~ . ...... ... ■ The principle cause of the success, in the surveys of this Province, is the trigonometrical basis upon which the sectional work is founded. In 1862, when the question of the desirability of executing a trigonometrical survey was , first mooted, there were many cavillers who disputed the efficacy of this mode of surveying for promoting any useful results, so that it was not until 1866, that this system was fairly commenced. From this date until its completion over the area of the Crown Lands of the i ro vince in 1871 the sectional works were either unavoidably retarded or of necessity prosecuted under circumstances which held out but slight prospects of attaining any moderate degree of accuracy in the works; but since the completion of the trig, survey, the final surveys of lands for Crown Grants have been pushed on with a vigor keeping pace with the most rapid surveys in New Zealand. The results are such-as to elicit from Major Palmer the very favorable statement of the condition of the Wellington SUrVe Although it cannot be expected that the survey of a new country should be commenced upon a system embodying highly scientific principles, (and, in e case o New Zealand, from Native opposition, the wooded nature of_ the country, and other natural impediments, this would have been altogether impracticable), still it is reasonable to suppose that so soon as these difficulties abated, steps would have been taken to improve the survey systems. Wellington alone, of all the Provinces where a makeshift system was necessarily first adopted, has at the first favorable opportunity taken this step by applying to its surveys the remedy now so urgently recommended for New Zealand generally, by Major Palmer, viz., Triangulation. . It is exceedingly fortunate that this change took place at the period before mentioned, viz., 1866, and before any largearea had become granted, or the ment of any large land sales ; as the result of the labors of the Survey Department shows that it has occupied ten years to survey correctly 1,099,000 acres. If this aica were now in arrears of survey, or worse still, incorrectly surveyed, and requiring revision, the highest professional skill, combined with a lavish expenditure, could scarcely be able to place the survey of such an area upon a proper footing. / _ ' The wisdom and forethought of the Provincial Government in sanctioning the i commencement of the trig, survey, notwithstanding the strong opposition to it at the time is highly commendable; and, had its example been followed by the other provinces 1 in New, Zealand, the cost of a re-survey of some 7,000,000 of acres—returned by Major ; Palmer as the area of incorrectly surveyed land in New Zealand, and which must obviously sooner or later, be undertaken—or, in other words, the saving of half-a-million of money would have been effected, , . I could not do otherwise, in common justice, than embrace this opportunity ot expressing my satisfaction at the recognition, tardy though it may be, of the high ' class professional services rendered by the Chief Surveyor of the Province, Mr. Jackson. That satisfaction is enhanced by thereflection that his reputation has been gradually built up amidst great difficulties and opposition from the date ol his introduction by myself to the Provincial service thirteen years ago; and also by the further reflection that it affords a proof, resting on independent testimony, ot the success which has resulted from Provincial administration. . , , A large amount of valuable work has been done in the Provincial Engineers Department. Through communication will be established between the Hutt and Pahautanui when the present, line now under contract is finished. A considerable amount of work has been performed during the year on the line from Mungaroa to Waikanae; which was explored and partly graded last year. I attach great importance to this line, which will open up communication between Wellington ana the West Coast, when the land north of Waikanae is purchased, and which will, i

believe, be made a line of railway in the future. There are no serious engineering difficulties, as I am informed, to prevent the construction of a line in that direction. A very considerable amount of work has been done in exploring and laying off roads in the north-eastern part of the Province';' and the privations and difficulties to which some of your Engineers have been exposed in carrying out this work, and others, have been far greater than you might'imagine, and merit recognition. ''. " : I may here suggest that it would, in my opinion, be very desirable that in future, reports should be sent in by the various, Highway Boards ; so that you may have presented to you the results of the expenditure of the considerable sums arising from rates and grants-in-aid which are at. the disposal of those Boards. .. The report with which the Chairman of the Board of Education has favored me bears evidence of the careful, attention which is being bestowed by that Board on the work which its members have voluntarily undertaken. As I anticipate that the Board will have at its disposal during the present year a sum not less that £IB,OOO, there is every probability that increased results will be reported next year. The report which I have received from the Principal of the Wellington College is interesting, not only from the fact that the new College Buildings have, been opened since Hast had the honor of addressing ,yoii, but also from the clear manner in which that report explains the intimate connection which, according to the liberal educational system now established, subsists between the Wellington College and the University of New Zealand on the one hand, and the Primary Schools of the Province on the other.- The. Principal, in his report, explains how " a boy of .- the requisite ability, from whatever part of the Province or from whatever;rank,:of life he may come, may obtain as high an education as-the. Colony can offer almost entirely free of all charge." You have always acted with great liberality in your votes towards this Institution, considering the means at your disposal, and it must, I am sure, be a satisfaction to you to reflect that you have materially contributed towards the establishment of an institution, the full benefits of which will be more recognised perhaps hereafter than at the present time. . • : . By favor of the Trustees of the Wellington Hospital I am enabled to present a report from the architect for- the new Hospital Buildings which they purpose to erect. -I understand that the plans and elevations will be exhibited for your inspection. The Trustees have been good-enough .to consult me from time to" time on the subject, and I desire to express my ;entire approval of the proposed design. If they are able to accomplish their, object, you .will possess: in this : Provinco Hospital buildings constructed according to the most approved system, and capable of being extended according to the growing wants of the community., A new Hospital, has become a necessity, and the Trustees cannotj if I may- venture to offer advice, do better than dispose of so much of their estate as will put:them in sufficient funds to defray the very considerable cost of buildings such as< those proposed. ._ , ' You will read the Report on Immigration with interest. The total of 5160 immigrants for this Province has been distributed almost on arrival. By pursuing the system of general distribution, there have scarcely been any immigrants left, for any length of time, in the various dep6ts. throughout the Province ; and the calculations of the Provincial Government as to the capacity of absorption of immigrants in this Province have been fully verified. The population of the Province according to the census on the Ist March, 1874, was 29,790.- It may, I am informed, be estimated that on 31st. March, 1875, it amounted to 37,203 showing an increase from all sources of nearly 25 per cent, during the past thirteen months. The best testimony to the general suitability of the immigrants consists in their ready absorption.The police force continues to be efficiently handled ; the management of the Asylum is satisfactory ; the Warden of the Wellington Gaol has had great difficulties to contend with hitherto from the want of sufficient room; but I am glad to be enabled to state that these difficulties are in course of removal by the additions which are now in course of being made, and the further additions which you will be asked to sanction. The Harbour Master is diligent in meeting the increased requirements of this Province", and exercises a careful control over the outports and ferries. I have to inform you that the Provincial Government have entered into an i agreement with the Wellington .City authorities, for the cession to them of a certain portion of the foreshore in the harbour of Port Nicholson, held under grant from the Crown by the Superintendent of the Province, It is proposed.to cede, on cei-tain conditions set forth by. deed, the.foreshore referred to for.the sum of £30,000. lhis agreement is subject to your ratification, and I recommend it for your acceptance. I°believe ,the proposal ;t'o be; a favourable one.forthe City,, and, at the same time, not unfair towards.the Province. •• ■;- ■ .'. i-t.tr In connection with thissubject I may mention that during the recess the nghtot the Superintendent to sell the foreshore was questioned ; and also, the existence of a sufficient appropriation to enable the Superintendent to pay the contractors for the reclamation, which he was authorized to contract for,: was denied,- Not only, were legal opinions taken oh these questions at Wellington, but the opinions of gentlemen of high standing in their profession at Dunedih have also been taken. All their opinions will be laid before you, and you will be able to form your own conclusions on the points raised. . , Papers will also be presented to you .relative to a conditional agreement entered into by the Provincial Government with Mr. Moynahan for the construction and maintenance, for a term of three years, of a- steam-tug for harbour use. The terms are, in my opinion, very favourable ; and the want of a suitable steam-tug has now for a long time operated as a,drawback to the "commerce of this port. Your consent to this agreement is recommended. ■—- You will have done much to.improve the business part of the City of Wellington, and the water frontage of the harbour, when the reclamation of the foreshore to which I have referred is completed. You have already added greatly to the accommodation of shipping by the erection of a Patent Slip, to which you. continue to contribute largely out of Provincial revenue; and the proposal respecting a.steam- tug will, if carried out, still further facilitate the commerce of the port; and I hope the day is not distant when steps will be taken to-construct a Dry. Dock, although I am not prepared to make any specific proposal respecting such an undertaking on this; occasion. .■■ * You must not, however, confine your vieWs .merely to the requirements ot the harbour itself, but also have!;regard to the communications with the interior, if you intend to derive the full advantage which the magnificent port you possess is capable of conferring.on you. • . . I should: not be discharging my duty to the-Province if I did not invite your earnest attention to this subject. The southern half of the North Inland contains country in any other part of New-Zealand, and its trad© is destined to concentrate in Port Nicholson. . This destiny will be accomplished sooner or later, accordingly as the v efforts of the people are exerted in a right_ direction or. otherwise. Now, nothing can be more unsatisfactory than, the manner in which ypu are at present hemmed in" and .cut off from the. interior for want of facility, of: communication. I have had.a lithographed:map prepared, which will be appended to, and circulated with, the printed copy of my speech; a reference to it will illustrate my remarks.. It represents the adjacent Provinces of Wellington and Hawke's Bay. From A to B, a distance of from thirty to thirty-five miles, a road has been laid off by the General Government, and partly formed out of the sum of £400,000 voted by the General Government for the construction of rOads in the North Island. This road extends from the edge of the tract of country commonlyknown as the Seventy-Mile Bush, and passes through the southern portion of that country to a point near the Manawatu Gorge, where it joins the road leading from Napier to the Gorge itself. I believe that I am correct in stating that this important main line is left entirely unfinished; that it is a struggle for travellers on horseback to get along it; that it is impracticable for wheeled vehicles ; and that the General Government has'declined at present to proceed with the metalling.' From C, to D, a distance of from sixty to sixty-five miles, a metalled road has been constructed by the General Government, and finished in such a manner that for some months past a mail and passenger coach has been able to run regularly through to the West Coast from.Napier.on the East Coast. This metalled road has been through.?the northern portion of the same Seventy-Mile Bush district, and out of the same fund as the road leading from the neighbourhood of Masterton, through the southern • portion of the Seventy-Mile Bush district, which has been left in the state I have described. -In other words, the harbour of Hawke's Bay has had its trunk line of communication with the interior established up to the south-western boundary" of the Province (situated at the Manawatu Gorge), out of Colonial funds, by the General Government, during the last four years; whilst Port Nicholson is left without practical,through communication alono- the'line from Masterton to this same important mountain pass, through which a considerable portion of the traffic between the Bast and West Coasts must pass, viz., the Manawatu Gorge. The same Government which constructed one line might have constructed the other; a sum of £400,000 was voted and made chargeable, on the Colony as a whole, for works of precisely the same character, inasmuch as the two lines converge to the one point, viz., the pass in the Manawatu; whereof one, viz., that leading from Napier, has been completed by the General Government at the cost of the Colony; whilst the other, viz., that leading from Wellington, is left unfinished. Even admitting that it was the case that the fund of £400,000 was insufficient for the completion of the latter line, no one can doubt that if the Government had proposed to supplement the vote it would have readily obtained Parliamentary sanction. I now ask your attention. .to the progress made in connecting the Harbour of Wellington by railway communication with the interior. There are seven and a half miles leading from the port of Wellington,-along.the Wellington and Masterton line of railway, now open for traffic, viz., from EtoF, as shewn on the map; whilst, from the Port of Napier, eighteen miles of railway leading into the country are already open for traffic viz. from' G to H.; being a distance nearly two; and a half times greater in the latter'case'than in the former. You will quite understand that I make no complaint regarding the progress, effected in the construction of either metalled roads, or railways in the Province of Hawke's Bay. I wish both of these means of communication had been even- more largely extended there within the time, if that had ; been , possible • and I offer no theory to account forthe ; conljrast'.between. the progress .made in this and the adjacent Provinces under Colonial administration. But the difference

is very great indeed, and the question forces itself upon attention, whether equal exertion has been used to push forward the works in the one case as in the other . It is a question of the expenditure of money borrowed by the Colony, towards the payment of the interest due on which borrowed capital, the Province of Wellington contributes largely. If we can believe that the Colony will be able to borrow a few millions every second or third year ; then I admit that the ratio of progress in parts of the country in railway extension will resolve itself merely into a question of waiting ; and although a slow pace in some parts of the country will be a drawback to those particular parts, in the meantime, (whilst a rapid progress is being made in other parts), yet, after all, it will, in the event supposed, be only a question of delay comparatively of limited duration. But, ‘f it so happen that money in the future may not be obtained with the same facility, or in equal bulk as in the past; then, in that case, the question of ratio of progress of railway-communication in different parts of the country becomes a very serious one. I should occupy too much time, if I were to pursue this question of the relative progress of railway construction in other parts of New Zealand ; I believe however that the contrasts would be found still more striking. I have done rby duty in calling your attention to the subject; as one vitally concerning the equable progress of the Colony at large, and of this part of the Colony in particular, with whose interests you are charged. After all the boast about a grand Colonial Policy, it is to be hoped that it is not intended that the Public Works Scheme of 1870, shall be administered in a mere narrow local spirit; and those who were among its firm supporters at the beginning will not be driven to the conclusion that a parody on the great constitutional maxim “that expenditure ought strictly to conform to votes” has been practised upon them. • . 1 I now invite you to consider the' position of this Province with regard to the acquisition of Native territory for occupation and settlement. From Jto K, extending along the north shore of Cook’s Straits, from Waikanae to the left bank of the Manawatu river, is a strip of country upwards of thirty miles in length and containing about 400,000 acres, occupied by a scanty and diminishing number of Natives and a sprinkling of Europeans. There are no regular roads and no bridges along this tract of rich neglected wilderness. Produce cannot be conveyed through it .to your port, and the difficulty of travelling (but for the maintenance of ferries by the Provincial Government), would be little less than it was thirty years ago. The Native title to this territory is not yet extinguished. I have done my utmost during the last 'four years to urge the importance’of completing this purchase. A considerable sum of money has been placed at the disposal of the. General Government for the purchase of Native land in.this- Province ; were this district in the possession, of the Provincial Government, surveys would be made, townships formed, roads and bridges constructed, and a considerable population located, within the next two or three years; and the intercourse with Wanganui and.the West Coast would be materially improved. Instead of being hemmed in on the west side, the Port of Wellington would have free and easy access with the interior in that direction. I last year- referred in my speech to the acquisition of a very important block of 62,000 acres situated on the south side of the Manawatu Gorge. A definite statement was then made: we are to-day in the same position as we were a year ago. I have only not referred to other blocks of Native land in the interior which are of large extent, almost untenanted by human beings and of great future importance to the peopling of this part of the Colony, because I consider the acquisition of the blocks at your threshold, to which I have specially referred, to be of greater immediate urgency. I have thus placed the subject of the state of the communications between the Port of Wellington and the interior plainly before you ; because I am of opinion that it is of vital importance to the maintenance and consolidation of your prosperity that no more time should be lost in removing, the obstructions to which I have referred to your inland communications with the East and West Coasts. I have directed your attention to the results of the administration of the Public Works Policy of 1870, so far as this part of the Colony is concerned. If it be urged that, in the due course of development of administration, the inequalities noticed will be redressed; then—we may expect that a very good time indeed awaits us in this part of the Colony. In the meantime, we are pursuing the usual course of business adopted for the protection of neglected interests; wo protest, and point out plainly the state of affairs, and await results. I have rendered you as full and faithful an account as I am able, of the state of the Province during the past year ; and now ask your attention to the proposals for the future, which will be submitted for your consideration. The Bills which will be introduced are few in number, and chiefly of a practical character ; and, with the exception of the.Bill authorising the Superintendent to sell certain lands in course of reclamation to the Corporation of the City of Wellington, to which I have already referred, do not involve any principle requiring comment or explanation from me. They are as follows, viz.:— 1. “ The Wellington Harbour Reserves Sale Act, 1875.” 2. “ The Wellington Land Sale Act, 1875.” 3. “ The Local Districts Impounding Act, 1875.” '• 4. “ The Wanganui Reserves Management Act 1874 Amendment Act, 1875.” 5 “ The Municipal Corporations Waterworks Act (Wellington) Adoption Act, 1875.” 6. “ The Wellington Church of England Site Sale Act, 1875.” 7. “ The Sandon Public Park Management Act, 1875.” . ; The estimates of income and expenditure for the year 1875-76, will be presented to you without-delay. I may state in regard to these estimates, that I place the receipts from oi’dinary,income at £32,750. The Territorial Receipts are estimated to realise £120,000. In this latter sum is included £30,000, the proceeds of the sale of the foreshore proposed to be made to the Corporation of, the City of Wellington. Under the head of Special Income, the amount of £74,750 is expected to be received; £74,550 of this amount being receivable from the Trust and Loan Company, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of reclamation, for which I was authorised to contract. ’ This sum is already ear-marked for a special object, and is only introduced; in order that a specific appropriation may be-made, which it is contended, (as I think, in error,) does not at present legally exist. After therefore, excluding this last amount, and including. the credit balances, (to which I referred at the commencement of _my speech): yiz., £16,197 10s., and £3,435 16s. 6d., there will remain, if my calculations are realised, the sum of £172,383 6s. 6d. for you to appropriate for the seryice of the year: 1875-76, It may perhaps be doubted whether the estimate of £90,000 will be realised from the sales of land within the year. I think, however, that there is a fair prospect of reaching the amount estimated, although it is’certainly considerable. And it is encouraging to recollect that the sales of land last year realised, in cash and scrip, £91127 13s. 3d. But the prospect of realisation will undoubtedly be much improved,if the Native title should be speedily extinguished over the blocks to which I have already referred. We shall also be materially assisted in attaining our object, if. we. are enabled to release the 160,000 acres of the Provincial Estate, which are now tied up and held as security for a proposed advance of £66,000. You will be asked to vote the sums necessary to enable me to repay the advances available to be made , under “ The Provincial Public Works Advances Act, 1874.” If you sanction the proposal, and the General Government consents, a considerable estate of 160,000 acres will revert to you, which is at present indefinitely tied up. I refer you to the correspondence in Appendix M. You are aware that by the Act referred to, the General Government was to hold security for the repayment of the advances it was authorized to make, to the extent of £66,000, over 80,000 acres of land, which it was to have the right to select Out of 160,000 acres, in blocks of 20,000 acres each. The General Government decided to retain =625,000 for cost of survey, and £IO,OOO for district roads, which I may observe would be quite useless unless the main trunk line, to which I have referred as being left in an unfinished state, were completed; thus leaving only £31,000 to be expended on certain public works. It will, I believe, be a Ion" tune before the several selections of 20,000 acres can be definitely fixed; undoubtedly, a considerable amount of money will be wasted in fruitless survey; and I strongly recommend you to concur in the proposal which I have made, to repay so much°of the authorised advance as has already been received by the Province, and to re-enter upon your land and convert the estate to useful purposes. . ; In the estimate of expenditure you will find the following increases, viz ■ Salaries increased .... ... ••• •••• £496 6 0 Increase of staff in the. following establishments, viz :

Police ... .... .... ••• •••') Hospital .... ... ... ••• ( £ll4l 18 0 Wellington Harbour ... ••• \ Rangitikei Pilot .. .... Increase of cost of maintenance for the following services, viz - Mount View Asylum .... ... •••‘I Gaols at Wellington and Wanganui ... ilobd U U Charitable Aid ... ... ... •••-* . ... . Having regard to the growth of the departmental work and of the different establishments 'referred to, I think that you will consider that the increases proposed are reasonable. , •• , r j • There is an item for exploration of £IOOO, in reference to which I desire to explain to you ithe views of the Government. There is a large tract of country, extending over the ranges to the West of the Wairarapa plains, which is of a generally broken and wooded character. Partial efforts have, from time to time, been made to explore it’ and it is thought that the time has now arrived when we should endeavour, it possible, to obtain a more accurate knowledge respecting it. It is moreover believed that suitable forest reserves, of limited extent, might be selected in one or more localities within the tract of country indicated. I hope the Government will receive vour co-operation in carrying out this object. " . L „„ 0 ... , The total ordinary expenditure is placed at £40,689 135., as against *3B,odd for the last year.

The total amount proposed to be expended on Public Works and Undertakings, (exclusive of the £75,000 for reclamation,) is £152,942 7s, 2d., as against last year’s vote of £98,499 11s. lOd. Comparing the total estimated income with the total proposed expenditure, there would be a deficiency to make up of rather more than £21,000, provided the entire sums voted for all the services were expended. But this is not likely to occur. If, however, some of the items voted should come in course of payment, such as the rewards for the discovery of Gold and Coal, the stimulus imparted by these discoveries would tend to increase the income in a greater ratio than the expenditure. In any case, the legal overdraft to which'>ve are entitled, and for which we have made provision, would be more than sufficient to bridge the difference to which I have referred between estimated income and expenditure. . ■ You may rely, however, on our being: cai’eful not to enter upon new works until we see a reasonable prospect of revenue coming in. I now dechu-e this Council to be opened for the despatch of business. WILLIAM FITZHEIIBERT, Superintendent. N.B. The Returns referred to in the Report of the Immigration Officer, one of the Schedule)) in the Provincial Engineer’s Report, and one of those in the Report of the Medical Officer to the Lunatic Asylum have been unavoidably omitted because of want of space, but they will appear in the Gazette copy of the speech.