it before you as a suggestion as a ground upon
which to ascertain the wish of the Council.

BILLS IN GENERAL.

And I would here take occasion to remark that
in the preparation of Bills involving principles,
so important as are contained in measures of
this nature, the Council itself ought to take the
first steps. I do not consider it any part of the
duty of the Government to even endeavour to
frame such; rather the Council should first declare what Bills it would wish to see introduced,
and the particular principles to be embodied in
them, and then, during the recess, it would be the
duty of the Government to get drafts prepared
in accordance with such instructions.

In short, the Government, which ought to be
strictly executive, by endeavouring to take upon
itself a portion of the legislative function which
solely belongs to the Council, pursues a course
which can, and in my experience does, lead to delays innumerable.

Of the other Bills, some are mere matter of
form, which will not occupy your attention long.
Others you had before you at a former session,
and were left incomplete; and there remains
perhaps but one on which I should make any remark.

RAILWAY.

I need not to you advocate the merits of the
work for which I ask you to pass a Loan Bill.
They have been so long and often discussed, as
to assume the proportions of established facts.
Success has however hitherto been denied to
us, nor should I again submit it to your consideration, but that I look to a more satisfactory
result. From my recent personal interview with
the Ministry on this subject, I am emboldened to
again ask for their sanction to this loan to construct a railway between Picton and Blenheim.
The Ministry is disposed to take the matter into
its favourable consideration, but upon certain
conditions. It will be necessary to obtain estimates, as correct as possible, of the probable
amount of traffic along the line, of the cost, and
working expenses of the same.

It will be also necessary to set apart a block of
land, which may be held as security for the sum
to be borrowed. It would, however, resolve any
doubts at present entertained by the Ministry,
and lead to our obtaining its cordial sanction, if
this Council would consent to levy a small rate
in order to meet, at least, a portion of annual
interest and sinking fund; and I would urge
you to adopt this course as insuring at once a
favourable answer, and showing at the same
time that we are acting in all sincerity and good
faith. Should you be disposed to do this, I will
cause a Bill to be prepared without delay, carrying into effect your suggestions, and, by this
means, obviate all unnecessary printing and expense, which might be incurred in submitting to
you a measure embodying principles which you
might be unwilling to accept, or might wish materially to alter.

ESTIMATES.

I have purposely omitted preparing any Estimates for you at present for these reasons:

It is necessary that I should first be made acquainted with the mode in which you intend to
deal with the Roads District Bill, as, evidently,
the course pursued with reference to that measure will of itself affect all Estimates for public
works.

LAND REVENUE.

The territorial revenue has this year fallen so
far short of what it was expected to realise, that
the question of estimating a return from the
sources which supply that particular branch of
revenue is involved in considerable uncertainty.
It would be, perhaps, hardly safe to expect, as a
rule for the future, that the territorial revenue
will realise as much as it has hitherto; and the
deficit must be met partly by establishing other
sources of revenue, partly by inaugurating a
more economical system in the general government and management of the Province.

To meet the first proposition the Roads District Bill is designed; and for the second, had I
considered that a small reduction in salaries and
economical arrangement of the official staff on
the existing basis as sufficient for the required
purpose, it would have been but an easy task to
have framed estimates with such a view; such
however would not meet the case. A very little
inspection would suffice to show that the expenditure in official salaries in which any material
change could be effected is not great; but that
the real burden on the treasury may be cited
under the heads—

Gaol
Police
Printing
Medical aid
Interest
Education.

I am prepared to furnish you with all information in my power to give which you may
require in addition to the returns which I now
lay before you, and it will be for you to suggest
the mode in which you would desire to see the
machinery of government so carried on that the
cost may be prudently confined within the limits
of our probable revenue, in accordance with
which suggestions your Government will be prepared with as little delay as possible to lay before
you detailed estimates.

I fear that I have already occupied much of
your valuable time, and my apology must be that
at the risk of appearing tedious I was unwilling
that any point of interest upon which I deemed
you should be informed should be omitted in this
address.

I have however much pleasure in
thanking you for your attention to me whilst I
have endeavoured to point out the subjects of
chief importance, and again begging of you to
give them the careful consideration which may
lead to the satisfactory conduct of the affairs of
this Province, I now leave you to your deliberation, and declare this Council open for despatch
of business.

A. P. SEYMOUR,
Superintendent.

Printed for the Provincial Government, by MILLINGTON & CO., Government Printers for the
time being to such Government.