B.—No. 5

No. 2. THE HONORABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, CANTERBURY. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, Sir, — 23rd December, 1862. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's Letter of the 9 th instant, enclosing a Copy of an Ordinance passed by the Provincial Council of Canterbury, and entitled the "Canterbury Loan Ordinance, 18G2." Referring to the interview your Honor had yesterday with the Members of the Executive Government, I have the honor to inform you that for the reasons and under the circumstances stated by your Honor on that occasion, His Excellency will be advised to give his assent to the Ordinance in question. I have, <fec, His Honor the Superintendent, Canterbury. Alfked Domett.

No. 3. THE HONORABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, CANTERBURY. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, Sir, — 5th January, 1863. With reference to my Letter to your Honor of the 23rd ultimo, respecting the "Canterbury Loan Ordinance, 1862," I have now tlie honor to inform you that His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to assent to that Ordinance, a Copy of which I herewith return to your Honor. I have, (fee, His Honor the Superintendent, Canterbury. Alfred Domett.

No. 4. THE SUPERINTENDENT, CANTERBURY, TO THE HONOEABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, Canterbury, N.Z., Sir,— 14th January, 1863. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of the number and date quoted in the margin, forwarding a Copy of the " Canterbury Loan Ordinance, 1862," to which His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to assent. I have, &c, W. S. Moorhouse, The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, Auckland. Superintendent.

No. 19.

No. 5. COPY OF DESPATCH FROM GOVERNOR SIR GEORGE GREY, K.C.B., TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE, E.G. Auckland, New Zealand, My Lord Duke, — Government House, February 20th, 1863. I have the honor to enclose for Your Grace's information, the copy of an Ordinance passed by the Provincial Council of the Province of Canterbury, to which I have given my assent. 2. This Ordinance is entitled the ' Canterbury Loan Ordinance, 1862,' and authorizes the raising of a loan of Five Hundred Thousand Pounds, for the purposes of Immigration to the Province of Canterbury, the construction of Railways, wharves, bridges, &c. My Responsible Advisers recommended me to give my assent to this Ordinance for the reasons which they have set forth at length in the enclosed Memorandum. 3. The Province of Canterbury continues to make remarkable advances in wealth and population ; its soil is very fertile, and the complete settlement of the Native Question in these Islands depends entirely upon the number of the European population inhabiting them. It appeared to me therefore, that Your Grace would have thought it a wrong act upon my part to have refused my assent to a Law which will so largely assist in the development of the resources of so important a part of New Zealand as Canterbury is. 4. I beg to direct Your Grace's attention to the fact stated in the Memorandum of my Responsible Advisers, that the Provincial Revenue of the Province of Canterbury already exceeds a quarter of a million per annum. I have, &c, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G. G. Grey.

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