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from the junction to Christchurch, have been borne by the ordinary revenue,

"The line to Ferrymead will probably be ready for traffic very shortly, and I shall transmit for your consideration a bill to confer the powers of imposing tolls, and the enforcing of the usual by-laws and regulations on railways. The progress of the tunnel works is most encouraging; there remains now less than a mile to connect the workings. The accounts of expenditure for railway works will be laid before you in due course.

"The development of any well devised plan for extending the lines of railway to the north and the south, will be very materially assisted by at once taking steps to extinguish existing private rights on the line required; but in order to effect this most advantageously for the public, it is desirable that the lines at present projected should not of necessity be exactly adhered to.

"I am of opinion that the construction of extension lines may be wisely left to the operation of private enterprise assisted by such facilities as it may be found desirable to offer.

"I shall, in due course, request your sanction to enable me to extinguish the rights of private persons on the lines both to the north and south.

"The Commission appointed to consider the works in Lyttelton necessary for a wharf in continuation of the railway, have presented their report, which will with all convenient despatch be laid before you in a printed form. The importance of this subject must commend itself to you as being a necessary addition to the railway, and it is advisable, in consequence of the great increase of traffic, that some temporary expedients shall be adopted at once, pending the completion of the greater work.

"The extension of the Electric Telegraph to the south boundary of the province has so far been provided for that the material and instruments for the line may be expected to arrive very shortly; negotiations have also been entered into with the Otago Provincial Government which, with some slight adjustments, will enable the line to be extended to the Province of Southland. I have taken further measures also to procure material for the erection of a line to the West Coast.

"I shall ask you to appropriate sufficient funds for a complete engineering survey of the road to the West Coast from the northern part of the province. I do not contemplate for the present, unless necessity should arise, to form more than a good and practicable bridle track.

"The time has now come for opening up the rich agricultural district to the south of the Rakaia, and the preliminary step to this is the possibility of bridging the river.

"I am advised that there is no engineering difficulty to be apprehended. The question to be settled is whether the traffic will suffice to pay a reasonable amount of interest upon the capital to be expended. I have caused careful estimates of the traffic to be prepared, which I shall transmit to you, and I propose for the present an appropriation of money only so far as will suffice for collecting the proper amount of professional advice, and the preparation of the plans and drawings ready for the acceptance of a contract.

"The very generally recognised necessity for a local control over public works not of primary importance renders it a matter of urgency to provide for giving the districts powers at law to manage the funds at their disposal. A bill will be laid before you for this purpose, which I trust will be as successful in its operation as those ordinances which are now in force within the city of Christchurch and the borough of Kaiapoi.

"I cannot but regard with great apprehension the spread of disease amongst the sheep in this province, and notwithstanding the stringent enactments which have hitherto been in force, and the active measures which have been taken to carry them out, the disease has lately shown itself to an alarming extent.

"The present Sheep Ordinance will be submitted to you for consolidation and amendment; no radical change appears to me to be necessary, but rather an enlargement of those remedial powers already provided for by the law.

"I have ordered to be presented to you a copy of the Interim Report of the Commissioners of Education. Thus far most important results have been arrived at by the Commission, whose investigations have extended to every part of the province and show that we have been fortunate in securing such valuable services for the object in view.

"The final report will not be presented during this session; the importance of the most extreme accuracy in arranging the system upon which the future education of the province shall be conducted requires at present rather a temporary modification of the existing plan than a permanent system which might display the imperfections of hasty legislation.

"Measures will be placed before you for the purpose of empowering the present Commissioners to administer the funds devoted to education.

"It will give me great pleasure to concur with you in a loyal address to her Majesty the Queen on the recent happy occasion of the marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, an event of the deepest import to the future well-being of the British Empire. The Province of Canterbury has recently given the most loyal demonstration of affection to the throne in commemoration of this event.

"Gentlemen,—I will now leave you to your labors, in the firm hope that under Divine providence, the same success will attend them as heretofore: and I now declare this Council to be duly opened for the despatch of business."

EDUCATION COMMISSION.

To His Honor the Superintendent.

The undersigned direct the publication of the following interim Report of the Education Commission.

THOS. WM. MAUDE,
Provincial Secretary.

The Commission appointed by your Honor to inquire into and report upon the present state of education in the province, have been anxious to bring the inquiry upon which they are engaged to a conclusion before the approaching session of the Provincial Legislature, so that that body might be enabled to inaugurate a permanent system at the earliest possible period. The Commission find, however, that from circumstances beyond their control, they will not be in a position to lay a full statement before the Government of all the facts connected with the subject soon enough to allow of legislative action being taken before the time at which the Council will probably be prorogued.

The Commission desire in the first place not only to make themselves familiar with the working of the present system in all its details, and thus to be able to point out wherein that system is defective, but also to consider and mature some plan whereby its defects may be removed.

The want of anything like organisation in the department of education makes it difficult not only to obtain the required information, but even to ascertain where that information is to be sought for. The materials necessary for arriving at a decision on any point have to be collected from many various sources. The records to which the Commission have had access for the purpose of acquainting themselves with past transactions are fragmentary and incomplete. Delays take place before answers are received to communications, and where received, are not seldom so wanting in precision as to be almost valueless.

The Commission have applied in various quarters, and in various modes, for information. They have addressed a series of questions to each teacher in charge of those schools, and a second set to such private persons as they conceived would afford them assistance, besides examining the reports of the inspector of schools presented from time to time to the Provincial Council.

Each of these modes of inquiry has been the means of placing the Commission in possession of some valuable materials, consisting partly of statements as to matters of fact, and partly of suggestions deserving of attention. Still the materials thus supplied are not, as yet, sufficiently complete or exhaustive of the subject to enable the Commission