PAPERS RELATIVE TO PAYMENT OF £6,031 18S. 9D. FOR DUNEDIN DISPUTED RESERVES.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1868 Session I, D-15

D.—No. 15,

PAPERS RELATIVE TO PAYMENT OF £6,031 18S. 9D. FOR DUNEDIN DISPUTED RESERVES.

{Return to an Order of the House of Representatives, dated the 22nd day of July, 1868.)

That there be laid upon the Table of this House —" A copy of the Treasurer's Requisition on the Comptroller as countersigned by the Comptroller, and also of the Comptroller's Order under which the payment was made of the sum of £6,031 18s. 9d., which appears in the Public Accounts for the quarter ended the 30th September, 1867, under the head of ' Dunedin Disputed Reserves;' together with copies of queries, if any, addressed by the Comptroller to the Colonial Treasurer, and of the replies given by the Colonial Treasurer in respect of this item."

{Mr. Rolleston.)

WELLINGTON.

1868.

D.—No. 15,

PAPERS RELATIVE TO PAYMENT OF £6,031185. 9d. FOR DUNEDIN DISPUTED RESERVES.

No. 1. No requisition was made upon the Comptroller in respect of the £6,031 18s. 9d. paid for tho Dunedin Disputed Eeserves. The money had been placed in deposit with the Bank of New Zealand by the Colonial Treasurer, and was withdrawn from such deposit when required for payment. This was before the coming into operation of " The Public Eevenues Act, 1867." The amount appears in the published Accounts under the heading " Trust Eund," because, although the Public Eevenues Act was not in existence at the time of the payment, the operation of the Act was made retrospective, and therefore the accounts of a large portion of the year have had to be reconstructed in accordance with its provisions. Annexed are copies of the voucher and guarantee under which the money was paid. J. Woodwaed, Treasury, 28th July, 1868. Assistant Treasurer.

Enclosure in No. 1. (Authority 3152, 1867.) Voucher No. 4234, 1868. The New Zealand Goyebnment Dr. to Sitpeeintendent of Otago. Balance to credit on account of Dunedin Disputed Eeserves, 24th September, 1867, £6,031 18s. 9d. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the foregoing account is true and correct in every particular. (Signed) J. Woodwaed. To be charged to Deposits, Dunedin Disputed Eeserves. J. W., Under Secretary. Eeceived on the 24th September, 1867, from the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, the sum of £6,031 18s. 9d. sterling, in full payment of the above account. (Signed) James Macandeew. (Cheque No. 3890.)

Enclosure 2 in No. 1. Sic,— Wellington, 24th September, 1867. Eeferring to your letter of the 24th July, 1867, I beg to state that, if the accumulated rents of the Princes Street Eeserve, now in the Colonial Treasury, be paid into tho Provincial Treasury or to the " Provincial Account " of the Province of Otago at the Bank of New Zealand, and the Crown Grant under which I hold the reserve be at any time hereafter declared invalid, as to the whole of or any part of the land, in any court of competent jurisdiction or by the Legislature, or tho right of any portion of tho Native race, or of any persons other than the Superintendent of Otago, be established or declared by the Legislature or by any Court of competent jurisdiction to the said accumulated rents, I, as Superintendent of Otago, and on behalf of the Province, undertake that a sum of money equal to the sum paid into the Provincial Treasury or to the " Provincial Account," as the case may be, or such part of it as may have accrued as rents of such part of the land as shall be declared or decided to be not bound by such grant, or to be legally held thereunder, shall be repaid by the Province into the Colonial Treasury whenever the Colonial Treasurer requires it. I also undertake, on the part of the Province, to guarantee the Crown and Government of New Zealand against all claims which may bo made against the Crown or such Government in consequence of the above-mentioned rents being paid over to the Province. I have, &c, James Macandeew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 2. Mr. Rattan.} —It appears that £24,000 was paid at the request of the Comptroller into the Public Trust Eund after the Public Eevenues Act was passed. How was this amount made up? Has this sum or any portion of it been paid out ? If so, state under what authority. Are you aware whether any requisition was sent from the Treasury to the Comptroller for the sum of £6,031 18s. 9d. Dunedin Disputed Eeservcs ?

D.—No. 15.

4

COPY OF TREASURER'S REQUISITION, &c.

The sum of £24,431 2s. 2d. referred to by the Committee was made up as follows: — £ s. D. Intestate Estates ... ... ... ... 15,667 15 8 Eeal Estates Administration ... ... ... 1,047 16 8 Supreme Court Account ... ... ... 385 10 8 Trustees Belief Act ... ... ... ... 225 7 9 Estates of Deceased Soldiers ... ... ... 904 10 5 Native Eeserves, Wellington ... ... ... 168 2 5 Dunedin Disputed Eeserves ... ... ... 6,031 18 9 £24,431 2 2 Out of this amount the sum of £6,031 18 9d. was withdrawn from deposit and paid into the Public Account on the 3rd September, 1867. The Public Eevenues Act was passed on the 10th October ; only the balance, therefore, of the amount first mentioned was paid into the Public Trust Eund after the passing of tho Act. This balance, amounting to £18,399 3s. 5d., was withdrawn from deposit and paid into the Public Trust Fund on the 3rd January, 1868. The sum of £6,031 18s. 9d. was paid out of the Public Account on the 24th September, 1867. The authority quoted on the voucher for this payment refers to the written direction of the Colonial Treasurer. Other sums comprised in the amount referred to (£24,431 2s. 2d.) have been paid out since that date, but it would take some time to prepare an exact statement of them. A requisition for the sum of £6,031 18s. 9d. was made on tho Comptroller when the amount was originally withdrawn from the Public Account for investment. I have also seen a requisition, prepared in January or February, to cover issues of money from the Public Account prior to the 31st December, in which this sum was included, but was disallowed by the Comptroller. lam not aware whether anyother requisition for this sum was made on the Comptroller, this branch of the Treasury business not being in my charge. C. T. Batkin, Treasury, Wellington, 20th August, 1868. Accountant to the Treasury.