A.—4

1876. NEW ZEALAND.

ABOLITION OF PROVINCES: THE COMMISSIONERS' VISITS. (PAPERS RELATING TO).

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency. No. 1. The Hon. Sir J. Vogel to Messrs. Gisborne, Seed and Knowles. Government Buildings, Gentlemen, — Wellington, 28th March, 1876. The Government wish you to visit all the Provinces, in order to ohtain the information requisite for preparing and submitting to the Assembly the Estimates for carrying on the public service in the Provinces during the coming year. It is especially desirable not to make changes so suddenly as to cause local inconvenience. Whilst, therefore, some of the departments may be at once incorporated with the General Government service, it may be found desirable to continue for some time others on a more or less local footing. Eor example —it is proposed to arrange to make local payments for contracts in progress for works which, as soon as the necessary arrangements can be effected, will devolve upon the local governing bodies for which it is intended to make provision during the coming Session. Eor your guidance, I have to inform you that the Government intend to incorporate, as stated below, Provincial with General Government services. In some respects, as for instance the Land and the Education administrations, which it is desirable to continue under local control, the incorporation will mean little more than the appointment of the General Government department with which the local department will correspond. With respect to Charitable Institutions, it will scarcely be necessary for you to do more than indicate their present cost and footing, as they will be handed over to local control, without, it is hoped, any intervening taking charge by the Colonial Government. With regard to the Police Eorces, it would be better for you to confine yourselves to reporting on the present cost and standing of the various forces. You will be so good as to suggest to the General Government the appro- . priations which you consider necessary under the circumstances I have pointed out, and also to indicate the officers whom you think might be dispensed with. To save you the feelings of regret which such an invidious task might otherwise occasion, I have to inform you that the Government propose to ask the Legislature to make much larger provision than at present authorized by way of compensation to the officers dispensed with. In most cases, it may be better to indicate the office which you think can be spared, than to name the holder of it. I—A. 1.