98

it is a proposition, not to be questioned
or gainsaid, that nothing which you
can do will secure anything like a rapid
progress for this province, until you
have provided a safe and expeditious
mode for the conveyance of merchandise and agricultural produce between
the inland country and the port
town.

It will be proposed to you to con-
sent a railway to be worked by horse
power; a plan which if completed,
will save to the farmer from 20s. to 30s
on every ton of his produce exported.
I am quite aware that in the multitude
of other pressing demands it would be
unacceptable to the province generally,
now to vote money for this purpose.
But I think the public will fully con-
cur in the expediency of following the
same course which has been success-
fully pursued in other countries,—that
is, to specially set aside a portion of
the public lands, to be sold or
otherwise disposed of for the purpose
of constructing a railway. A bill will
be laid before you for this purpose.
The sacrifice of the required tract of
land will be a very small price at which
to obtain so great a benefit. And, if
the Council will entertain such a pro-
posal, I have no doubt but that in
about two years the railway may be in
full operation without making any fur-
ther demands on the ordinary public
revenues or delaying any of those other
public works which are so greatly
called for.

A very short bill will be laid before
you for making some trifling altera-
tions in the Land Regulations, to
obviate some slight practical diffi-
culties which have arisen in their
working.

On the subject of the Waste Lands
Regulations, generally, I speak the
unanimous mind of the Provincial
Government when I say that it is their
intention so far as their influence may
prevail to maintain those regulations

Provincial Secretary’s Office,
Christchurch, Oct. 18, 1856.

HIS HONOR THE SUPERIN-
TENDENT directs it to be
notified for general information, that a
Writ for the Election of a Member of
the Provincial Council for the Electoral
District of the Town of Christchurch,
having been issued in accordance with
Clause 12 of an Act of Parliament
passed in the 15th and 16th years of
Her present Majesty, entitled “An
Act to grant a Representative Consti-

in their present form. Whatever
differences of opinion, you may
individually entertain of the
expediency of particular clauses, it
must be admitted that those Regula-
tions were passed after much con-
sideration, and that the system ought not
to be altered until it has had a fair
trial. Until within the last few weeks,
owing to a variety of obstructions, it
may be said they have not been tried at
all. Nothing so surely frustrates the
Land Sales and destroys the Land
Revenues as the prospect of changes in
the price of land and in the system of
management, and it would be most un-
wise to disturb the settlement which
has at length been effected until full
time has been allowed to the emigrating
population of Great Britain and the
neighbouring colonies to become ac-
quainted with the terms on which
lands in this province can be obtained.

I cannot but record my strong
opinion that the maintenance of the
present price of the land, will in two
or three years, place this province in
a position of prosperity which it never
could have attained had the land been
sacrificed into the hands of speculative
purchasers and large monopolists at
low rates.

A short Bill to bring the last clause
of the Canterbury Association’s Ordi-
nance into operation, by making the
Debentures receivable at land sales,
will complete the subjects to be new
laid before you.

Although of importance, these
measures are so simple in their nature
that their consideration will not de-
mand your prolonged attendance.
Should you differ from the views which
have suggested them, you will, I hope,
at all events, admit that they have been
proposed with a sincere desire for the
welfare and progress of the province.

JAMES EDWARD FITZ GERALD,
SUPERINTENDENT.

PRINTED BY J. WILLIS, AT THE “STANDARD” OFFICE, CHRISTCHURCH.

To the Returning Officer for the said
Writ with a certificate to the effect that
the undermentioned Gentleman has
been duly elected to serve as a mem-
ber of the Provincial Council:—
For the Town of Christchurch —
CHARLES BERJEW FOOKS.

By command of His Honor,
JOSEPH BRITTAN,
Provincial Secretary.