B.—No. 5

I shall receive with great interest any communication from your Honor, conveying the opinion of the Provincial Council or your Honor's Government on the point last referred to. I have, &c, Alfred Domett. His Honor the Superintendent, Nelson.

PROVINCE OF CANTERBURY. No. 1. THE SUPERINTENDENT, CANTERBURY, TO THE HONOBABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, December 9th, 1862. Sir,— I have the honor to hand you herewith a Copy of an Ordinance passed by the Provincial Council of Canterbury, intituled the " Canterbury Loan Ordinance, 1862," and to request that you will move His Excellency the Governor to assent to the same. I have also the honor to hand you Copies of the Resolutions of the Council in reply to the Message with which I sent down the proposal for the Loan. I have to request that you will be good enough to lay these documents before His Excellency. I have, ifec, W. S. Moorhouse, Superintendent. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary.

Enclosure to No. 1. Provincial Council Chamber, 6th November, 1862. The Council desire to thank your Honor for the Message No. 1, transmitting the Canterbury Loan Bill. The Council, while concurring with your Honor in the expediency of borrowing for the purposes set forth in the Preamble of the Bill, are of opinion that it would not be expedient to disturb the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway Loan, and that it would be highly expedient to borrow for the purposes indicated in your Honor's Message Five hundred thousand pounds by a Substantive Bill. But the Council is of opinion that such monies ought to be appropriated solely to Immigration and such larger public works as require a larger outlay than can be appropriated from the current Land Fund. (True Copy) H. B. Quin, Clerk of Council, Canterbury. Provincial Council Chamber, 11th November, 1862. Resolved —That in the opinion of this Council the time has now arrived for constructing that portion of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway between Christchurch and Ferry Mead, and that a request be presented to His Honor the Superintendent to take immediate steps to carry out that ■work. (True Copy) H. B. Quin, Clerk of Council, Canterbury. Provincial Council Chamber, 18th November, 1862. The Council thank your Honor for your Message No. 2, recommending that an appropriation of Fifty thousand pounds be made for Railway works, and is of opinion that it is desirable that the sum of Fifty thousand pounds should be appropriated to the purchase of that amount of Debentures under the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway Loan Ordinance ; such Debentures to be sold hereafter, and the proceeds placed to the credit of Ordinary Revenue. (True Copy) H. B. Quin, Clerk of Council, Canterbury.

15

PROVINCIAL LOANS.