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proposals was an assurance on their part that the sums so voted by the Provincial Government, if expended by me, should be repaid to the Province out of the Gold Fields revenues. The receipt of this assurance induced me at once to carry forward the estimated works with the utmost despatch. The amount of the vote has indeed been considerably exceeded, and the existing contracts will require a supplementary grant, which, with others required for the extension and completion of those important works, will, I doubt not, receive your sanction.

6. Of the Bridle Roads connecting the outlying districts of the Province with Nelson, I will allude first to that over the ranges between Motueka and Takaka, that is, the road connecting Nelson with the Golden Bay Gold Fields. This road is now in course of formation, but, from the rugged and difficult character of the country it passes over, it will require a further outlay than that already appropriated to that object, to make it generally useful. The advantages to be derived from a direct overland communication with the Aorere Gold Fields, enabling stock to be driven to that district and travellers to visit it at all times, will be sufficiently apparent to insure for it the attention it merits.

7. While alluding to objects affected by the Gold Fields Act, I wish to express my opinion that the boundaries of the Gold Fields as at present defined are larger than necessary, and include large portions of rich agricultural and timbered land, which, being unavailable for the purposes of mining, are thereby rendered equally unavailable for settlement, either by miners or agriculturists. The residents in the Takaka district have, in a memorial to his Excellency the Governor, called his attention to this subject; and I cannot refrain from expressing my regret that this Council did not, when it had the opportunity and power to do so, accede to the proposal made to it of permitting small quantities of land to be sold to bona fide settlers, at a price to be assessed by the Government; believing, as I do, that nothing will more effectually tend to the full development of the Territory than affording facilities and encouragement to the diggers to become permanent settlers in those districts where gold is known to abound. The necessity for this course will, I believe, become more apparent, and will ultimately lead to the adoption of some plan containing the principle referred to.

8. To return to the subject of Public Works. In my address to you at the opening of your last session, I briefly drew your attention to the necessity that existed for connecting this Province with that of Canterbury by means of two lines of road; one the proceeding along the Eastern Coast of the Island by way of the Pelorus, Wairau, Awatere, and Kaikoura; the other, the central line to the South, passing through the Wairau Gorge and Hanmer plain. The first of these important undertakings was in a forward state and progressing rapidly towards completion as far as the Wairau, when its further progress was stayed, except so far as carrying out contracts already entered into, in consequence of the division of the Province under the New Provinces Act.

9. The middle line of road to Canterbury, that through the Wairau Gorge, has been very greatly improved; and when the works now going on shall have been completed, at the end of the present season, will afford a safe and easy bridle track from Nelson to Jollie's Pass. To this point all river crossings at all dangerous or difficult have been rendered unnecessary by side cuttings; while the road through the Big Bush has been made as easy as any other part of the route. Some further improvements about Jollie's

Pass should be made next season; and I trust that this and future Councils will always take care to maintain this direct line of communication with our southern neighbours in a state of thorough repair, so as to afford at all times a safe and easy route for horse travellers, at all events. Large reserves have been made at some of the most necessary halting places, which is intended to offer as an inducement to the establishment of accommodation houses to properly qualified persons.

10. Nothing has yet been done towards improving the road to the Grey district, the exploration previously necessary not having been far enough advanced. Our explorations, which, feeling the importance of the Grey district to the province, the Government has done all in its power to institute and encourage, I proceed now to give a brief account.

11. Mr. Rochfort was sent with a party as long ago as February, 1859, to make a traverse of the rivers Grey and Buller, and their principal tributaries, and of the coast between the mouths of the former; and to furnish a description of the lands available for pasture or agriculture, lying around or adjacent to them. He had performed a part of his task, when the accidental loss of his instruments in the Buller river, and other circumstances, compelled him to return to Nelson. The Government chartered a vessel to take provisions to the Grey for Mr. Haast's exploring party, which afforded Mr. Rochfort an opportunity to return, and some other gentlemen to visit the district, whose reports have added to the information of the public respecting it. Mr. Rochfort expects to finish his work in less than three months from the present time.

12. In the same month of February, 1859, the Government entered into an engagement with Mr. James Mackay, junior, to employ him in the endeavour to discover a more direct route than that previously described by Mr. Brunner, from the neighbourhood of the Lake country to the Grey district. His other public avocations prevented him undertaking this exploration at the time; but he has since completed it, and his well-known activity and enterprise have been rewarded with considerable success. Mr. Mackay proceeded by a new route from the Grey to a point inland in the required direction, but was compelled by want of provisions to return to the coast. From the cause just stated, he could not complete his engagement till January, when he started from the Nelson end of the route, and, according to a report recently received, succeeded in reaching the point where he had commenced his return on his former journey, by a new route up a tributary of the Buller. He reported that a bridle-road can be made by this track without any considerable difficulty.

13. Dr. Hochstetter having been invited by the Government to undertake a scientific exploration of part of this province, performed that task, as you are aware, with an energy and ability that merited and received the warmest acknowledgments of the Government and the public. The very satisfactory results of his labours were made known in an admirable lecture. His engagement was followed by that of his friend and companion Mr. Haast, and of Mr. Burnett, to whose qualifications for examining and reporting upon the coal fields known to exist in this province, the most satisfactory testimony was borne by Dr. Hochstetter. The object proposed to them was to extend as far as lay in their power the geological investigation commenced by Dr. Hochstetter, and by topographical observations to fill up and complete the blanks in the map of the country that would necessarily be left by Mr. Rochfort. Some