B.—No. 3.

No. 29. THE C )LONIAt, SECRETARY TO TUE SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTHL\NI>. Culouia] Secretary's r'ffic<', Auckland, 20th February, 1864. Sir,— I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's let'er of the 6th instant, requ 's<ing that the Ordinaneei named in the margin, i)a<scd by tlie Provincial Council of V>uthlun 1, ami Forwarded for the Governor's pleasure thereon, on the lt'th, 19th, aud 22ud October, respectively, may be returned if His Excellency's assenr, lias been ahtained thereto. I return to you the two following; Ordinances:— " Oreti Railway Ordinance, 1863," and " Appropriation Ordinance, No. 2, 1863 "duly assented to. I regret that these (.'idinances hav^ nteviously been over'o >ktd, bin as ihe assent has been given to these Bills within the three mouths after they have been received by the Governor, for the signification of His Excellency's pleasure thereon, I trust that no inconvenience will have ensued by liiis delay. The third named Ordinance. "Oreti Railway Ordinance, 1863," has, I perceive, a title which is *a exact repetition of the one first named, and I would have presumed th.it its mention was a clerical error were it not that in your letter three dates aie mentioned as those on which Hie three specified Ordinances were forwarded. If among the Ordinances sent ah>ut that time by your Honor any other Ordinance has been overlooked, which s'ioulJ have been assented to, I will advise His Excellency at once to assent to it, bsfore the time within which such assent can be given has elapsed. I have, &c, William Fox. His Honor the Superintendent, bouthland, • ——^— ——

No. 30. THE SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTHLAND, TO TUE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Southland, 14th March, 18^4. SlK,— I have the hnnnr to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo. The s'<?f"h plan of the lands proposed to be given in security of the Loans raised under ihe Ruthority of the Billi passed in this session of the Provincial Council were not ready when the Loan Hill for £12(',OO I wai nent to you ; they are now enclosed. As that bill showed the existing-liabilities an ounted on the lOih of Februaiy to £98,000, and various other contracts in progress on rosds aud other public works rtndered it necessary to borrow a larger sum than thnt amount—the whole or Dearly so of the amount of the loan being virtually expended : under these circumstances the Provincial Government docs not st» its way to any course other tnan that of raising this particular loan, in order to maintain the credit of the Province. Fortunately the extent of good land in the Province affords an ample security. The ioan of £40,001), to complete the Bluff and Invercargill Railway, has been rendered necessary by the enlargement of certain works, extensions of paits, improvements of other parts, and some new works. It might have been more pru lent to have avoided Rome of those for the present ; others wer» unavoidable ; and nil have been contracted for ; so that the additional sum is necessary in this other case for that specific purpose, to cover the liabilities for which the sum named will be ample, and lear* a magin, The Plan above referred to will specify the particular lands set apart in security fort;iis last mentioned loan ; and it is important that the Provincial Gover ment shnuld receive an early intimation that this has received the favourable consideration ot' the Governor, which I trust you will think ii right to advise. I have, &c, J. A. K. Mrnztks, Superintendent. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland. L

(No. 39.) Oreti Railway Ordinance 1853. Appropriation Ordinance, No. 2, 1883. Oreti Railway Ordinance, 1863.

43

PROVINCIAL LOANS.