D.—No. 7a

The second Clerk is charged with the registry and record of letters received, and with their proper arrangement. The number of letters received during the first five months of the year is 1722. The third Clerk enters letters in a Letter Book, of which there were, during the same period, 1244. The fourth Clerk transcribes letters, copies enclosures, enters in a book Commissions of Appointment, Letters Patent, Letters and Patents of Registration, &c. The additional Clerk is the Confidential Clerk of the Prime Minister, and occasionally assists in the office. The duties of the Clerks, are interchangeable whenever the pressure of business or any emergency renders it necessary. The Housekeeper and Chief Messenger has onerous duties. He has the direction of all Office Messengers, and has, as Librarian to the Public Offices, the charge and arrangement of all printed publications belonging to them. The adoption of the recommendations in our first Report, with respect to Electoral business and to the transfer of the Stationery Store, would relieve this office of considerable labour, and we also suggest, in another part of this Report, that the Patent business, which is now partly transacted in the Audit Office and inthe Colonial Secretary's Office, shall be wholly transferred to the Department of the Registrar-General. The business relating to private advertisements in the Gazette, and the receipt and accounting for charges for them should be transferred to the Government Printing Office. The transfer which we have recommended, of some of the correspondence now conducted in the Colonial Defence and Native Offices, would no doubt render additions to this Department necessary, but we think that if the system which we have also recommended —of division into branches, presided over by able officers—were adopted, a great saving in departmental expenditure might gradually be effected, and efficiency of administration increased. Several improvements may be effected in the details of work in this office to economise manual labour ; the mode of dealing with the registry of correspondence can be simplified; copying presses should be introduced, and circulars lithographed, and the use of printed forms for Proclamations, Orders in Council, &c, adopted. LAW DEPARTMENT. This Department consists of— The Attorney-General, £1000 per annum. The Acting Assistant Law Officer, £600 per annum. Chief Clerk, £350 per annum. Clerk, £200 per annum. Messenger, £110 per annum. The correspondence with judicial offices is conducted in this office as a branch of the Colonial Secretary's Department. The Chief Clerk is in charge of the correspondence. The number of letters received during the first half of this year is 1493, and the number despatched during the same period is 1030. He keeps a Record Book of Pardons, and a book of "Warrants of Appointment. The second Clerk registers letters received and enters letters sent, and assists generally. _ All the printed forms used by Judicial Courts are kept in stock in this office, and are distributed on application. "We think that the Judicial Correspondence should be conducted as recommended in paragraph 39 of our first Report. "We also recommended that a Permanent Law Officer should be appointed. A record of all opinions given by the Law Officer should be kept in this office for reference, with a view of facilitating the consideration of legal questions. The printed forms should be kept in, and distributed from, the Government Printer's Office, where the labour will cost much less than at present, and unnecessary correspondence be obviated. Requisitions for forms should be made at specified times—say half-yearly —by every Court, to the Government Printer, who should supply the demand forthwith, unless its extent or other circumstances required reference to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. LANDS DEPARTMENT. This Department includes within its functions tho business arising out of the offices held by the officer at its head, viz., Secretary for Crown Lands, Commissioner for investigating Land Claims, and Registrar-General of Lands and Deeds. The Staff consists of— The Secretary for Crown Lands, £600 (also Registrar-General, £300, and Land Claims Commissioner, £100) —£1000. Four Clerks at £250, £220, £185, and £160. Two Draughtsmen at £250 and £145. A Messenger, who also serves the Law Office, is paid £27 7s. 6d. per annum as part wages. The Secretary for Crown Lands conducts the business of the Department. Clerk, £220. —Records letters received, of which there were 211 during the first five months of this year. Copies letters despatched, 118 for the same period, and copies minutes, records, references, and assists generally. A Clerk, £250. —Inspects Deeds of Grant, keeps Record Book of receipt and issue of Grants. 731 Grants were passed during the quarter ending on the 31st March, and 3938 during the year 1865. A Clerk, £185.—Keeps the Land Claims Letter Book (18 letters during the first five months of

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REPORT OE THE CIVIL