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sum which I believe will meet with the concurrence of those immediately affected by it, and which I feel assured you will agree with in considering quite sufficient, when the precarious nature of the employment is considered, as well as the impolicy of placing any unnecessary impediment in the way of a pursuit calculated to add so considerably to the material prosperity of the province.

5. One of the subjects to which I consider it my duty to request your earliest attention, will be a bill (to be immediately submitted to you) for legalizing and bringing into operation, with as little delay as possible, certain bills passed in the last session of the Provincial Council, entitled, "Education Loan Act," "Debentures Act," "Public Reserves Act," "Coasting Passengers Act," and "Motupiko Reserves Sale Act." These bills were reserved for the signification of the Governor's pleasure thereon; and, in accordance with a course which had been pursued by my predecessor and acted upon by the then existing General Government, and in compliance with what I conceived to be a literal construction of a letter received by me on the subject, were transmitted to Auckland for that purpose on the 1st of July. Information, however, reached me from the Colonial Secretary, on the 18th August, to the effect that His Excellency could not be advised to give his assent to what only purported to be copies of the bills, together with instructions to forward not only the original bills, but also authenticated duplicates. The latter part of these instructions it was totally impossible for me to comply with, for reasons that will be fully explained in the correspondence on the subject, copies of which will be laid before you. With the greatest possible despatch, however, that portion of the instructions relative to forwarding the original bills was acted on by me; but notwithstanding every effort was made for their special conveyance to Auckland, I regret to say that, through stress of weather, the vessel engaged for the purpose did not reach its destination till after the period allowed by the Constitution Act for the Governor expressing his pleasure thereon had expired.

6. A bill was passed by the last Council, after a most lengthened and careful consideration of its merits; providing for the sale and occupation of the Waste Lands of the province. His Excellency was advised to withhold his assent to that measure. I am therefore induced to submit for your consideration another bill, which will be devoid of that principle of sale, which formed the chief characteristic of the former one, and which was the main cause of its disallowance. In so doing, however, I wish it to be understood, that I have myself seen no reason to doubt the soundness of the views which induced me to submit that measure to the late Council, believing as I do, that any measure which facilitates the acquisition of the Waste Lands of a young colony, by those who have the means and inclination to bring them under cultivation, or turn them into beneficial uses, by improving them for pastoral purposes, must be not only conducive to individual, but also to general prosperity, while the evils attendant on and inducements to the acquisition of large tracts of the most useful lands by mere speculators, would by that particular measure have been removed; and the still greater evil of absenteeism been considerably checked. The correspondence which has passed between the General Government and myself on this subject will be laid before you, from which you will be able to judge whether the reasons adduced by his Excellency's Government are satisfactory or not.

7. A bill will be laid before you, having for its object the abatement of the nuisance consequent on large numbers of dogs being at large, without any acknowledged owners.

8. In accordance with a resolution of the late Council, I have given effect to their wishes, by bringing into operation the Local Post Act. The limited means, however, placed at my disposal, prevented my making arrangements as efficient as I could have wished. The General Government having discontinued the grant for the conveyance of the Wellington mail, via Wairau, I have felt it my duty to continue the service temporarily, as far as the Wairau is concerned, at the sole expense of the province, in order to avoid the total suspension of all postal communication with so important a district. I trust that the measures now in progress, for connecting the districts of Wairau and Waitohi, will shortly enable me, by employing the constables stationed in the former place in carrying the mails, to organize such a postal service as will be efficient, yet less costly than the present arrangement.

9. The important object of inter-colonial and inter-provincial steam postal communication, appears likely shortly to be attained through the efforts of a company recently established in England, under the title of the New Zealand and Australian Mail Steam Navigation Company. Should, however, anything arise to prevent the execution of the scheme contemplated by this company, I consider it advisable for the interest of this province to subsidize two sailing vessels for the conveyance of the mails to and from Sydney and Melbourne. The increased trade which has lately arisen between those ports and the Province of Nelson, will, I apprehend make it inexpensive, and not difficult of accomplishment.

10. The numerous representations which