A.—No. 15

PAPERS RELATING TO REUNION

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1. " Provinces of Otago and Southland to be re-united—Southland ceasing to exist and the whole united Province to be called Otago." 2. " That one Provincial Council govern the united Province, taking as a general basis of representation the population, and in conformity With Resolutions b., c, and d., Appendix to the Report of the. Select Committee on the Otago Representation Bill (passed the Provincial Council of Otago, Session 25, 1869), as follows: — (b.) 'That wherever practicable, the boundaries of the Provincial Electoral Districts should coincide with the boundaries of the General Assembly Electoral Districts; and that, as far as possible, the Provincial Districts should be subdivisions of the General Assembly Districts.' (c.) ' That all fresh boundaries of Provincial Electoral Districts should coincide as much as possible with boundaries already existing, or with well-marked natural boundaries —as the limits of Hundreds, survey districts or blocks, runs, &c, and the watersheds of mountain ranges, broad rivers, &c.' (d.) ' That while the population should, to a large extent, be taken into account in the formation of districts, regard should also be had to identity of interest of the inhabitants of the different districts, and to the physical configuration of the, country, so as to ensure, as much as possible, ease and convenience as regards communication .between all parts of the same district.' " 3. " That there shall be one Executive Council for the united Province." 4. " That the various departments of Government be under the control of one head of department." 5. " Superintendent and Provincial Council of Otago to bo Superintendent and Provincial Council of united Province." 6. " If within one year after the coming into operation of this Act tho services of any officer in tho employment of the Government of the Colony or of tho Provincial Government of the late Province of Southland are dispensed with in consequence of the union of the said Province with the Province constituted hereby, he shall be paid out of the revenue of the Province constituted hereby, for each year of service, one month's salary according to the rate payable to him at the time of the coming into operation of this Act, and also a further sum equal to three months' salary according to the said rate, if such services be dispensed with without three months' notice." 7. " That the united Province be subject to the same laws as at present govern the Province of Otago —with the exception of tho Waste Lands Begulations—subject to said laws being altered by the united Provincial Council." 8. " Laws to be assimilated by united Provincial Council as soon as possible, saving all existing rights under existing laws of both Provinces." 9. " Notwithstanding the dissolution of the Provincial Council of the Province of Southland, the persons who immediately before the coming into operation of this Act were members of the said Council shall, on a day and at a time and place to be fixed by the Governor, by Proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette, assemble, and by lot or by ballot, to be taken in such manner as shall Ins prescribed in and by such Proclamation, select eight of their number to represent iv the Provincial Council of the Province constituted hereby, that part of the said Province which immediately before the coming into operation of this Act was included in the late Province of Southland ; and if at such time and place appointed as aforesaid no such persons or a less number of persons than hereby required shall have been selected as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the Governor, by warrant under his hand, to appoint a number of persons equal to the number so deficient, either from among the persons who were members of the said Provincial Council of Southland, or from amongst any other persons, being electors registered on any electoral roll for any electoral district returning members to the House of Representatives, lying wholly or in part in the said late Province of Southland ; and the persons so selected or appointed as aforesaid shall be members of the Provincial Council of the Province of Otago, as if duly elected. 10. " Tho united Council so constituted as above to continue until new electoral districts are defined, and present Provincial Council of Otago expires" (by effluxion of time). 11. "Land district to be created by the Act to consist of the area presently included within the boundaries of the Province of Southland, together with.such portions of the Province of Otago as shall, in the opinion of the united Council of the Province, bo geographically connected with the present Province of Southland." 12. " Land district to have a Crown Lands Commissioner and a Waste Lands .Board, as provided in clause 14, ' Southland and Otago Union Bill,' passed the House of Representatives during its last Session." 13. "All business relating to the sale, letting, disposal, and occupation of Waste Lands within limits of the land district to bo constituted by united Provincial Council, shall be conducted by district Waste Lands Board." 14. " The jurisdiction and operation of the offices of the Registrar of Deeds, the Registrar of tho Supremo Court (both as regards the ordinary business of the Supreme Court, as well as to the filing of bills of sale and registration of mortgages of stock), and of the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, shall extend to the whole of the area to be included in boundary of land district." 15. " Tho revenue and expenditure in each Province to be kept separate and distinct, as a matter of Treasury account, at Dunedin and Invercargill." 16. " A proportion of the cost of departments to be chargeable against each Province upon an equitable basis." 17. " The revenue and expenditure to be kept as a separate matter of account, with the view to Southland deriving the entire benefit of revenue raised in Southland. The Otago Commissioners contemplate, for a time at least, a portion of the revenues of Otago will be absorbed by the present absolute necessities of Southland." 18. " United Province to take over assets and liabilities of both Provinces." The Commissioners may be allowed, in support of these propositions, to express a few of the grounds upon which they recommend to the representatives of both Provinces the adoption of the general principle of reunion, and heartily urge the people to consider for themselves the advantages