360

arises, the Province will continue to receive
three-eighths of the whole amount.

The works of the Great Southern Railway
have been actually commenced. The mate-
rial for the first 13 miles has been com-
pleted, and I am in hopes that only a very short
time will elapse before a portion at least is
opened for traffic. As regards the Great
Northern Line, the survey has been com-
pleted, and steps are now being taken for
ascertaining the extent and value of the
property to be purchased.

Contracts have been let for such portions
of the Harbour Works in Lyttelton as are
immediately required to meet the increasing
traffic of that town, and for enabling the
Province to derive the full benefit of railway
communication by the time the tunnel con-
ecting Lyttelton with the plains is com-
pleted. A commencement of the larger
permanent works recommended by the com-
mission, is now being made by means of
prison labour. And although we cannot
hope to see at an early period the
completion of works of such magnitude and
importance, yet it is satisfactory to know
that the result of the operations already
commenced is very encouraging, and I trust
that those works which it has been my
privilege to initiate will be carried on with-
out interruption, as the means of the Province
will allow, until the accomplishment of an
undertaking calculated to advance so mate-
rially the interests of the Port town, and to
afford such facilities to the trade of the
whole Province, shall have been effected.
Reports upon this subject will be laid before
you.

The investigations as to the capabilities of
the Timaru Roadstead, which were initiated
some time since, have now been brought to
a conclusion, and although the result appears
to show that the works necessary for the
formation of a harbour are quite beyond the
resources of the Province, yet that a com-
paratively small sum of money judiciously
expended will very much improve the
facilities at present available for shipping
and landing goods. The report upon this
subject will also be laid before you.

The want of regularity in the communi-
cation by sea with Akaroa has caused serious
loss and inconvenience to the inhabitants of
that place, and I hope with your assistance
to be able to place this service on a more
satisfactory footing.

The sudden and almost unprecedented
development of the Goldfields on the West
Coast has engaged the unremitting attention
of the Government with a view to making
provision for the wants of those who have
engaged in the arduous work of gold mining
in that district. It has been my endeavour,
while providing for the efficient administra-
tion of the Goldfields, and for the formation
of the necessary roads and other public works,
to avoid that excessive rate of expenditure
on these objects, which has in other cases
resulted not only in financial embarrass-
ment to the Government and depreciation of public
securities, but also in ruin to private indi-
viduals, and severe pressure upon the commu-
nity generally. The dangerous character
of the harbours of the West Coast, and the
great destruction of shipping which has there-
taken place, seem to make it clear that the
traffic of the Goldfields cannot be carried on
with reasonable security until a road fitted
for heavy traffic has been completed—con-
necting the Eastern with the Western side of
the intervening range; and I have, therefore,
urged on the works necessary for the forma-
tion of a good dray road with the greatest
expedition that circumstances would admit
of. You are aware that these works are of
themselves of no inconsiderable magnitude,
and require, for their proper performance, a
great amount of engineering skill; but in
addition to the difficulties arising out of the
natural features of the country, the contrac-
tors and others engaged in the work have had
to contend with the extraordinary inclemency
of the weather, very seriously interrupting
their operations, and thereby creating a
delay in the completion of the undertaking,
which would, under other circumstances,
have been avoided. I am happy to be able
to inform you that all these obstacles will
very soon be overcome, and that we may
hope in a short time to have a complete line
of road from the East to the West Coast.
The outlay will, no doubt, be heavy, and I
think it will be fair so to adjust the burthen
thus created, that it shall not fall wholly
upon the agricultural districts of the Pro-
vince, but that the Goldfields themselves
shall also contribute some share of the ex-
pense.

I have taken the precaution, in antici-
pation of the extension of the Railway system
to the West Coast, temporarily to reserve
land for lines in that direction, and thus