D.—No. 9.

In your letter of the Sth August last, you stated the number of electors for the Porirua District as being 599, but you also stated that there were 180 electors for Karori and Makara, and accordingly in computing a return for the House of Representatives, that number was added to the 599, making a total of 779. Mr. Richmond has directed me to request you to explain this discrepancy. I have, &c, John Smith, Esq., Deputy Returning Officer, "VV. G-isboene, AVellington. Under Secretary. No. 4. The Retuening Offices, "Wellington, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic,— "Wellington, 16th October, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, requesting me to explain a discrepancy in the number of voters on the Electoral Roll for the District of Porirua, as given in my letter to you of the sth August last, and the number subsequently furnished by the Returning Officer. In reply, I beg to inform you that the 599 electors on the Roll for the Electoral District of Porirua include the 180 for the Karori and Makara Districts. The Karori and Makara Districts form an electoral district for Provincial purposes, and should not have been referred to in the return furnished in my letter of the sth August. I can only now express my regret that the information contained in the letter above referred to should have proved so erroneous. It was in reality supplied to me in a Memorandum from the Resident Magistrate's Office in the absence of Mr. "Ward, the Returning Officer. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, John E. Smith, "Wellington. Deputy Returning Officer. No. 5. The Retuening Officee, Wellington, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. Sic, — Wairarapa, 21st October, 1865. I have the honor to hand you herewith one signed copy of the Electoral Roll for this district for the year 1865-6, and three copies as prepared for sale ; also the original lists signed by the Revising Officer. I have, &c, Heebeet S. "Waedell, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, "Wellington. Returning Officer. No. 6. The Undee Seceetaet to H. S. "Waedell, Esq. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 27th October, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter (21st October, 1865), forwarding Electoral Rolls for the District of Wairarapa for the year 1865-6, in which the number of electors appears as 322. In your former letter you stated the number as 329, and I am directed by Mr. Stafford to request you to explain the discrepancy. I have, &c, H. S. Wardell, Esq., Returning Officer, W. Gisbobne, Wairarapa. Under Secretary. No. 7. EXTRACT from LETTER from the Retuening Ofpicee, Nelson, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet, —dated 11th August, 1865. " The Rolls for Motueka and Collingwood have been forwarded to me to revise from the printer's hands, and I collate therefrom the following numbers also: — Motueka ... ... ... ... 369 Collingwood ... ... ... ... 180 "It is possible that there might be an error of one or two in number, as I am not sure as to some of the names on the new Lists of Claims not being on the roll previously : but as you wished for the information by return of post, and I know it is impossible for the officers in those districts to furnish the same within the time, I have added the numbers for those districts." No. 8. The Retuening Officee, Collingwood, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaet. S IE — Resident Magistrate's Office, Collingwood, 18th August, 1865. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of circular dated 3rd August, 1865 (received this day). and enclose statement of the number of electors on the new Electoral Roll for this

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