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stood there so many years, I may as well mention
that Mr. Fitzgibbon has already declared his
willingness to report upon the practicability of
throwing a Bridge over the Wanganui.

The reasons which induced me last session to
recommend the erection of a Toll-gate at Kai-warra
have acquired additional weight. For the repairs of
the two great Trunk lines cost last year £4188—an
expenditure which will be very materially
exceeded this year. The unfairness of devoting
so large an amount of your revenue to such purposes, while those whose property is mainly
benefitted by Trunk roads—not only contribute
nothing either to their construction or repairs, but
also generally escape all Taxation for District
Roads, seems admitted by all parties. It will be
for you to consider whether a Toll-gate at Kai-
warra will meet the justice and requirements of
the case; or whether in addition to a toll levied
upon all who use the Trunk Roads, a tax should
not be levied on all lands abutting upon them,
and which are not taxed for District Roads.

Crown Grants of the Town Belts of Wellington
and Wanganui, and also of the Reserve known as
the Canal Basin, having been issued to the Superintendent, a Bill will be submitted to you, vesting the management of the Town Belt of Welling-
ton, in a Board of three Commissioners, who
will be empowered to lease it in moderate sized
allotments for a term of 21 years, and to apply
the rents to such Town improvements as they
may deem expedient: unless you should specify
in the Act works which the Commissioners shall
be bound to carry out.

Though the Canal and Basin will be vested in
the same Board, yet it is provided in the Bill that
they shall be reserved as a Public Park, a certain
portion of which is further to be set apart as a
Cricket Ground. A similar Bill will be required
for the Town Belt of Wanganui.

While providing a Public Park at Te Aro, it
seems only fair to make a similar provision for
Thorndon, and as it is desirable for several reasons to purchase the acre in front, I would suggest
the purchase of the two or three acres behind,
with a view of having the whole block planted
and laid out, part being made a Botanical Garden.

It having been determined that the next session
of the General Assembly shall be held here in
June, it will in all probability be necessary to
build one or two rooms in connection with “Bellamy’s,” and to provide additional furniture. Although the General Government may be willing to
defray these expenses, still it appears to me so
wholesome a rule to lay down—that any Province
which seeks for the meeting of the General
Assembly at its capital, should take upon itself the
sole burden of providing the buildings and accommodation which a compliance with its claims
entails, that I shall not hesitate to ask you to
vote whatever sum may be necessary to meet the
requirements of the General Assembly, of which
I shall in all probability be advised by the next
mail.

I shall again ask you for the appointment of a
committee to receive and report upon the claims
to compensation of those parties who complain
that they were prevented by a variety of causes
from preferring them within the time prescribed
by law.

A block of land at Manawatu, estimated to contain some twenty-five thousand acres, has been
recently handed over to the Provincial Government,
but as the greatest portion of this is swamp,
which in the hands of individuals would be comparatively useless, it is proposed that the Government should undertake to drain it before it is
thrown open for purchase; the Engineer’s report
as to the practicability of draining it being first
obtained. A Bill authorising this will probably
be necessary.

Under the Provincial Audit Act of the General
Assembly (1861,) it is necessary that the Provin-
cial Council and Superintendent should concur in
the nomination of an Auditor and Deputy Auditor
of the accounts of the Province, who will then
after such nomination be appointed by the Speaker,
and further, that provision for their salaries should
be made by a Provincial Act. While I shall
readily concur in your nomination, I yet feel bound
to submit, that considering the faithful and efficient
manner in which the present Auditors have for
several years discharged their duties, and their
entire independence both of the Executive and
Legislature, it will be difficult to find others so
well qualified for the offices, and therefore, un-
wise to dispense with their services, if they are
willing to continue them.

It was my intention to have proposed various
Amendments to the District Highways’ Act. But
the opinions of those who have had experience of
its working are so conflicting that I deem it expe-
dient before any further legislation be attempted,
that the whole subject should be referred to a Se-
lect Committee—in order that the evidence of
members of the various Boards of Wardens may
be taken. The anticipations we indulged in last
year as to the effect of increasing the Grants in
aid, from an equivalent to two-thirds, have been
fully realised. The amount paid into the Treasury
during the past year for the purpose of obtain-
ing Grants in aid having been more than double
the amount of any previous year. I am glad to
say that the state of your finances will permit of
your continuing to contribute at the same rate
during the present year.

As it is essential that the Custom House should
be as close as possible to the Custom-house Wharf,
I felt it my duty to lose no time after the con-
tract for the wharf had been taken, in having plans
prepared for a Custom-house, and also for a Post
Office, in consequence of the Postmaster-General
having authorised the Postmaster to secure at
once a more suitable building. These plans hav-
ing been approved by the Commissioner of Cus-
toms, tenders were called for, and one has been
accepted, subject to your sanction. It being desir-
able that these buildings should be ready for
occupation by the time the wharf is completed,
you will, I trust, intimate your decision with as
little delay as possible. But these are not the
only public buildings which are required. By
the last mail I received a communication
from the General Government, pressing upon
me “the desirableness of making provision
not only for these buildings, but also for a
Supreme Court, by a loan with a sinking fund,
which His Excellency will be prepared to assent”
at the same time intimating that the “General
Government is so deeply impressed with the ne-
cessity of making provision for these objects,
that unless the Provincial Legislature
will make such provision by a loan, Ministers will
feel themselves called upon to propose to the
General Assembly in its next session, to authorise
the necessary expenditure, the amount being
brought to account as a local charge against the
revenue of the Province.” I not only coincide in
the opinion thus expressed, as to the necessity of
the buildings in question; but I am anxious that
you should also sanction the building of a Police
Court and Station—also to be included in the loan.
The site proposed for the Supreme Court and
Police Court is the reserve near the Scotch Church.
I need not point out that by erecting these public
buildings either on or in the immediate vicinity
of the reclaimed land, you will materially enhance
its value, and ensure a speedy demand for it.
Considering the large sums thus proposed to be
expended in this city during the current year the
many public works which are required in differ-