E.—4c

12

No. 29. The Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey to His Honor the Supeeintendent, Otago. Sic, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 9th July, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th June, forwarding a copy of a resolution passed by the Provincial Council of Otago on the 14th June, relative to the Waitepeka deviation. The report of the Engineer-in-Chief forwarded to you on the 18th of that month will have informed your Honor of the views of the Government on the route to be adopted. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent of Otago, Dunedin. D. Pollen.

No. 30. His Honor the Supeeintendent, Otago, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 21st July, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 396, 9th July, 1875, with reference to the Waitepeka deviation of the Southern Trunk Railway. I have, &c, J. Macandbew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent of Otago.

No. 31. Mr. J. W. Thomson to the Hon. the Ministeb for Public Wobks. Sic,— Wellington, 30th July, 1875. I have the honor of forwarding to you a petition from Waitepeka Railway Committee, regarding proposed deviation by way of Waitepeka Valley. I trust you will give the matter your careful consideration, and that you will see your way to give effect to the wishes of the petitioners. I have, &c., Hon. Edward Richardson, Ac. J. W. Thomson.

Enclosure in No. 31. To the Hon. the Ministee for Public Woeks, Wellington. Sib — Your petitioners" (being the Waitapeka Railway Committee) have learned with deep regret that the General Government intends to adopt the report of the Engineer-in-Chief relative to a deviation of the Clutha Railway by way of Four-Mile Creek, instead of that as first permanently surveyed by way of Waitepeka. The main reason that the Engineer gives for recommending this deviation is, that if the line by Waitepeka be adopted it would be equivalent to laying a tax of from 4d. to 6d. per ton on all traffic between Dunedin and the South, in order to save a charge of Is. 6d. per ton (or as it might more fairly be stated, 3s. 6d. per ton) for cartage on the smaller business of the Waitepeka Valley. Your petitioners would most respectfully submit that it is not the Waitepeka Valley alone that suffers, but the whole of the Clutha district south and east of the Four-Mile Creek—viz., Waitepeka, Warepa, Puerua, Port Molyneux, Ahuriri, and Catlin's district. Your petitioners therefore fail to see any good reason why such a large and important district should be taxed from Is. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per ton for cartage to save another district from 4d. to 6d. per ton. We would therefore express the hope that you will yet consider the just claim of the Clutha inhabitants, which claim has on a previous occasion been indorsed by his Honor the Superintendent and his Executive. The Provincial Council also at its last session passed an unanimous resolution strongly recommending the line by Waitepeka. We therefore sincerely trust that this reasonable request will yet be granted. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. Donald Hendeeson. Geobge Hay. M. H. Jenklnbon. J. Beian. D. WnYLOCK. William Mobton. J. Somebville, Secretary Railway Committee.

No. 32. The Hon. the Ministee for Public Woeks to Mr. J. W. Thomson. Sic,— Public Works Office, Wellington, 30th July, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of you* letter of this date, covering a memorial from the Waitepeka Railway Committee, and in reply to inform you that the Government will give that memorial its careful consideration. I have, &c, J. W. Thomson, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington. E. Richabdson. By Authority: Geobge Didsbubt, GoTernment Printer, Wellington.—lB76. Price 9d.]