D.—6

Session 11. 1906. NEW ZEALAND.

MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPANY (COPIES OF LETTERS, DOCUMENTS, AND RECEIPTS IN CONNECTION WITH PAYMENT TO DEBENTURE-HOLDERS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF THE).

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

(No. 543.) Letter from Agent-General enclosing Copy Receipt from National Bank. Sib,— London, 12th February, 1904. Referring to ray letter No. 301 of the 27th January last, I beg to inform you that I appointed Mr. Walter Kennaway and myself Loan Agents under the provisions of the Midland Railway Petitions Settlement Acts, and, on receipt of your cablegram of the 2nd instant, £150,000 SJ-per-cent. debentures as per enclosed specimen were issued and delivered duly stamped to the National Bank of New Zealand (copy of whose receipt is attached) on the 10th instant. The stamp duty, which, as instructed by your cablegram of the 4th instant, I paid on behalf of the Government by means of cheque on the Foreign Imprest Account, amounted to £187 10s. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, Wellington, New Zealand. W. P. Reeves. (Copy Receipt from National Bank.) 10th February, 1904. Received from the Agent-General for New Zealand the undermentioned £150,000 New Zealand Government Debentures under " The Midland Railway Petitions Settlement Act, 1902," and " The Midland Railway Petitions Settlement Act Amendment Act, 1903." Number of debentures : One hundred and fifty. Denominations : £1,000 each. « Numbered : From 1 to 150 (both inclusive). Redeemable : Ist January, 1906. , Rate of interest: 3J per cent, per annum. Interest payable : Ist July and Ist January. Signed by W. P. Reeves and Walter Kennaway. [ i Countersigned by C. W. Palliser. i For the National Bank of New Zealand, — Richard Maxwell, Secretary. Received in the Treasury, New Zealand, 27th January, 1904. Whereas by a petition presented to the Parliament of New Zealand by me I Hugh Buchanan Coates as Receiver on behalf of the debenture-holders of the New Zealand Midland Railway Company (Limited) during the session of 1900 and referred to the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives on the 10th day of August 1900 the claims grievances and misfortunes of the said de-benture-holders against the Colony of New Zealand were fully set forth And whereas by a petition presented to the Parliament of New Zealand by me Norman Howard Maxwell Dalston as General Manager and Attorney of the said company on behalf of the shareholders of the said company during the same session and referred to the said Public Accounts Committee at the same time the claims grievances and misfortunes of the said shareholders against the said colony were fully set forth And whereas such claims grievances and misfortunes were fully and impartially inquired into and it was admitted both by me the said James Hugh Buchanan Coates and me the said Norman Howard Maxwell Dalston that in view