The expenditure on public works has been set down with a view to the Roads Act being brought into force during the ensuing financial year, a considerable portion of the year must necessarily elapse before it can come into operation, but when the local boards have been established the residue then remaining unexpended on the different items will from time to time, due regard being had to the balance in the Treasury, be fairly distributed amongst them in aid of the votes levied under the act.

The resolution passed by you in the last session with reference to the railway has been carried out, and Mr. Wreywill, at his earliest convenience proceeded to England for the purpose of raising a company to construct the line.

I desire in the meantime to receive from you instructions as to whether the proceedings in the matter of introducing a railway bill through the General Assembly should be continued or not, as the Province is not at the present moment incurring any expenditure in that behalf. I refrained for the time from giving any definite instructions until I could ascertain your wish.

Acting upon your resolution in last session, having reference to the regulations applying to debtors confined in gaol, I have communicated with the Superintendents of several provinces, requesting to be furnished with a copy of their regulations. From two of these I have received answers enclosing the copies requested, which I beg to lay before you, at the same time remarking that they differ in no material respect from those provided under the authority of the Judges for the guidance of the officer in charge of the Picton Gaol. Trusting that you will bring to the consideration of these matters a sincere desire to legislate for the benefit of the province, and a more united action, I beg to declare this Council open for despatch of business.

A. P. Seymour,
Superintendent.

LAND REGULATIONS.

The following additional clauses are proposed to be submitted to the Provincial Council at its next sitting, with the view of recommending the General Assembly to add them to the Land Regulations at present in force in this province.

A. P. Seymour,
Superintendent.

1. It shall be lawful for the Superintendent with the advice and consent of the Executive Council and the Commissioner of Crown Lands to withhold from sale temporarily any land that they may deem it advisable to prepare for settlement by making roads or other public works therein.

2. The Superintendent may cause any block of land so reserved as aforesaid to be surveyed and divided into sections in accordance with the regulations in force for that purpose.

3. Every alternate section in such block shall be reserved for sale by auction, and shall be offered at a price to be made up of the original upset price of the class to which such land belongs, together with a pro rata share of the cost of the public works to be completed within such block.

4. The remaining sections in such block, having been assessed at the upset price of the class to which such land belongs, together with a pro rata share of the cost of the public as aforesaid, may be received in payment, or part payment, for any public works to be completed therein; and any person contracting for the execution of such public works, and having completed the same to the satisfaction of the Superintendent, shall receive a certificate entitling him to a grant of such portion of the sections as aforesaid as may be equivalent to the price of the work.

5. After the works determined on shall have been contracted for, the remaining sections aforesaid, not having been disposed of in manner provided, may be sold by auction, according to the provisions of clause 3 for the sale of every alternate section.

6. The person or persons contracting for the performance of any public work in any such block as aforesaid, shall furnish to the satisfaction of the Superintendent and his Executive Council security for the due completion of such contract.

7. In order to enlist private enterprise and capital in the construction of large public works such as trunk roads railroads and docks by means or grants of land as payment part payment or consideration for such work it shall be lawful for the Superintendent with the advice and consent of his Executive Council and the Commissioner of Crown Lands when any person or company shall have agreed with the Superintendent for the performance of any such work under the authority of an act of the provincial legislature and shall have given such security as required in such act for the punctual fulfilment of such agreement to reserve from sale such portions of land not exceeding in quantity three-fourths of the land of average quality within two miles next adjacent to such work or any part thereof or in case of a work made wholly or in part through other than Crown Lands then such other land of equal extent and of average quality in some other locality to be benefitted by such work as may be agreed upon between the Superintendent and the promoters of the undertaking and be authorised by such act of the provincial legislature and upon the completion of such work being certified to the Superintendent Commissioner and Provincial Engineer by writing under their hands such person or company shall be entitled to a grant of the land so reserved: Provided that the land so to be reserved and granted shall not in any case be more in quantity than one acre for every pound sterling authorised by the provincial act as payment or consideration for such work respectively.

8. Whenever any person shall after public tender in the usual manner have contracted with the Superintendent to make and complete within a given time any lesser public work whether the same be or be not specially authorised by provincial act and shall agree to take land in full or in part payment for such work and shall have furnished such security as the Superintendent may have required for the due completion of such contract it shall be lawful for the Superintendent with the advice and consent of his Executive Council and the Commissioner of Crown Lands...