20

Ayes Noes Messrs. Sewell Messrs. Brown Hart Mackay Forsaith Travers Crompton The original motion was therefore carried. The Committee adjourned at 12 o'clock till 3 p.m., and sat till halfpast 5 p.m., preparing drafts of Reports, when they adjourned till Saturday, Ausust 25th, 1855, at 10 a.m. 6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25th, 1855. Committee met and adjourned till Monday.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 1855. Present :— Messrs. Mackay Messrs. Hart Travers Brown Crompton Forsaith Mr. Sewell, Chairman. Minutes of the Committee read and confirmed. Part of the draft of a Report read by the Chairman. Proposed by Mr. Travers : That each member of the Committee do only address the Committee once on each question, unless by special leave of the Chairman. Carried. • Proposed by Mr. Forsaith :— That the Auditor-General be requested to attend to hear the Report of the Committee read. Carried. Proposed by Mr. Mackay :— That the second part of the Report be first read. Carried. The second part of the Report was then read by Mr. Travers. Tjie Auditor-General, Dr. Knight, attended, and brought with him a paper containing " the approximate Balance sheet of the Finances of the Colony up to June 30,1855." The Report of the Committee was then read. The following questions were then put by the Committee, and answered by the Auditor-General:— By Mr. Hart: — 1. Q —ln ascertaining the surplus balance, has the 1600/. paid for land been debited to the amount against the current revenue of the year ? A —lt has been shown as an imprest not brought finally to account. By the Chairman :— 2. Q —Referring to your Balance sheet, we find that, on the 30th June, 1855, there were—