RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION ACT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5500, 12 November 1878, Page 2

RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION ACT.

The following is the text of the Act as finally passed by the General Assembly:— Be it enicted hy the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows The Short Title of this Act shall bo “ The Railways Construction Act, 1878.” This Act shall bo deemed Ito be a special Act authorising the construction or extension of all or any of the railways mentioned in the first schedule here'o, and any railway constructed under this Act shall be so constructed under and subject to the provisions of Parts 1., 11. 111., IV.. and VI. of “The Public Work" Act. 1878,” wdeb said parts, together with the provisions of any A t a lending the same, are hereby incorporated with this Act. The Governor may from time to time, in the name and on behalf of her Majesty, contract or enter into arrangements to the extent of the money which maybe appropriated from time to time by the General Assembly of New Zealand, with any person for the construction, extension, or maintenance, of all or any portion of the railway mentioned in the first sche nle, and for that purpose may do or cau-e to be done any of Min following things:—(l.) Cause such inquiries, reports, and surveys to be made; ami auuu »ua proceedings to be done and taken, as may be necessary to determine the best line and direction of such railway. (2 ) l'a*e, purchase, or agree to purchase any land necessary requisite (or the construction or extension of any such railway. Provided always that no contract shall be entered into for th* construction of any rallwa , or any portion thereof, unless—(l.) fn the case of each line to be constructed, plans and estimates shall be laid before the Governor In Council, with a certificate from the Chief Engineer that the route chosen for the railway is the b«»st available one. (2.) Such plans and estimates be approved by the Governor in Council. And it is hereby declared that, w.thin thirty days after the commencement of the then next se sion of Parliament, such plans and estira tes shall be laid before both Houses of ‘‘arllament, together with a copy of any contract which may have been entered into iu respect of the railway to which such plans and estimates refer. The Governor may purchase or agree to purchase or acquire from the native owners any lands deemed necessary for the construction or extension of any railway raent oned in the first schedule ; and every such purchase or acquisition, or agreement to purchase or acquire any such lands, shall be deemed fo ho a purchase or acquisition within the meaning of the Government Native Land Purchases Act 1877. The cost of construction, extension, or mai itenance of any of the lines of railway mentioned in the first schedule hereto, or of the purchase or acquisition of any land required for the same, shall bed frayed out of aucli moneys at credit of the Public Works Fund as shall from time to time bo .appropriated in that behalf by the General Assembly. The conatr ction of the branch line "f railway mentioned in the first schedule as “Main Line to Shag Point ” shall be contingent upon the cost thereof being defrayed by the “Shag Point Coal Company. Limited and such branch line, when constructed, shall he managed and worked upon such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon by the Minister for Public Works and the said company. Out of any Crown lands withdrawn from sale under the provisions of the Land Act, 1877, the Governor may from time to time s-t apart lands of special value for sale or disposal under the provisions of th • said Act: but no such sale or disposal* shall take place until after two months’ notice thereof has been gazetted. Notwithstanding anything contained in*the E losraero and Forsyth Ueclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust Act, 1870(hereinafter called “the said 'cc”), all moni«s now standing to the credit of the special account required o be kept by the sixteenth section of the said Act. or that may be standi g r-» the credit of the Public Trustee for the purposes of the said Act, shall be and the same are hereby transferred to the Public Account. The whole proceeds of the sale or disposal of the fifty thousand acres of land mentioned in tho said sixteenth section shall, together with all raoni-s transferred under tho last preceding section, be paid into a separate account in the Public Account. The land described in the second schedule hereto shall be and the same is hereby declared to be Crown lands of special value open for oale or disposal as other Cruvn lands of special value maybe sold or disposed of in the land district of Canterbury, but the proceeds of such sale or disposal shall be p Id into the separate account to be kept under the last preceding section. All moneys transferred, paid, or received under the provisions of sections eight, nine, and ten shall bo applied in the construction and maintenance of a line of railway to Little River, and thence to Akaroa. from tho main line from Amberloy to Waitaki, or from a branch of tho said line: and the Colonial Treasurer may from time to time cause all or any part of such moneys to be issued and appl ed accordingly. First Schedule —North Island—Wellington to Foxton by SVest Coast, Waitotara River to Upper Patea Crossing, Te Awamutu to New Plymouth, Masterton to Papatu(vla WoodvlUe), Waikato to tho Thames, branch lino to Hamilton. Heleusville to Kaukaoakapa Rive , Whangarei to Kamo; Middle Island.—Otago central—Dunedin to * Ibert Town (Lake Wanaka). Amberley to Brunnorton, Oroymmith to Hokitika, Canterbury interior main line—Oxford to Temaka, main line to Upper Asubur-. ton, Opawa branch extension, Waipahi to Heriofc Burn, Fdouda'o to Toitois, Otautau to Nightcaps, Cmtha to Gatlin’s River, Waimoa to Switzers, Lumsden to Mar-iroa, Palmerston to Waihemo, Camara to Livingston, main lino to Shag Point, Amberley to Cook Strait; line of railway to Little River, and thence to Akaroa, from the main lino from amberley to 'Waltakl. or from a branch of tho said tine.

Second Scuedule is a description of land reserved for the Little Elver railway.