CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAYS.

D.—JN'o. Ok,

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in the Canterbury Province, and I shall be obliged by your informing the memorialists that their memorial shall be duly submitted to His Excellency. I take this opportunity of stating that the report on this subject by the Acting Engineer-in-Chief was forwarded to your Honor in my letter of the Bth ultimo, which probably had not reached you when your letter was written. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Canterbury. W. Gisborne.

IV.—SELWYN TO EAKAIA. No. 74 Mr. Blaceett to Mr. Thornton. Sir,— Christchurch, 13th March, 1871. I have the honor to request that you will furnish me with a statement showing the amount, approximately, of the rails, fish-plates, bolts, spikes, switches, points, crossings, &c, complete, that will be required for the extension of the railway from the Selwyn to the Eakaia. The rails to be of the flat-footed pattern 56 lbs. to the yard, and the head of the rail to be curved to correspond with the double-headed rails in use on the Lyttelton and Cliristchurch Line. On approval of this order by the Minister for Works, the materials may be ordered by next mail to England. I have, &c, Geo. Thornton, Esq., Eailway Engineer, John Blackkit, Christchurch. Acting Engineer-in-Chief.

No. 75. Memorandum by His Honor W". Eolleston for the Hon. P. 1). Bell. Christchurch, 14th March, 1871. The attached memorandum, signed by the Eailway Engineer (Mr. Thornton), gives an estimate amounting to £10,066 of the cost of permanent way required from the Selwyn River to the Eakaia for the Southern Eailway. It is understood that the order for this material will be forwarded by the outgoing mail to our Agent (Mr. Ottywell) in London, with instructions at once to place himself in communication with the Hon. Mr. Vogel, and on learning from him that Government will provide the necessary funds to meet payments on account of the order as they fall due, he will at once have the order executed. He will confer with Mr. Ilemans, the Consulting Engineer of the Province in London, as to the form in which tenders will be called for, and will obtain from him the necessary specifications for the purpose. On tenders being received, he will obtain the approval of the Agent-General of the Colony for the tender which may be agreed to be the most advantageous, and will act under his instructions for concluding the contract both for the material and shipment. Tenders will, as in the case of the Northern Eailway plant, be invited for the shipment as well as for the material. I have, &c, W. BOLLESTON, Superintendent.

Enclosure in No. 75. Great Southern Eailway. Estimate of Cost of Permanent Way required for the Southern Line, from the Selwyn to the South Bank of the Eakaia, with one mile added for sidings (rails 56 lbs. per yard), 18 miles : — Eails, 1,144 tons @ £7155. ... ... ... ... £8,866 0 0 Fish-plates and bolts, 54 tons @ £10 ... ... ... 540 0 0 Bolts for rails, 41 tons @ £10 ... ... ... ... 110 0 0 10 sets of switches, with switch-boxes and crossings complete, @ £25 ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 0 0 £10,060 0 0 G. Thornton, 18th March, 1871. Eailway Engineer.