NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE

(PROVINCE OF NELSON).

Published by Authority.

All Public Notifications which appear in this Gazette, with any Official Signature thereunto annexed, are to be considered as Official Communications made to those Persons to whom they may relate, and are to be obeyed accordingly.

By His Honor's command,
J. C. RICHMOND, Provincial Secretary.

VOL. XI. | NELSON, TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1863. | NO. 9.

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1863.

The Tenth Session of the Provincial Council was opened this day, at One o'clock, upon which the following Address of the Superintendent was delivered :—

MR. SPEAKER, AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL—

1. In opening this Council for several years past, I have had reason to congratulate you on the steady and substantial progress of the Province, but at no time have I been better justified in doing so than on the present occasion. Prosperity and contentment prevail among all classes in an increasing degree, and the Revenue during the past year has not only equalled, but considerably exceeded my estimates.

The total Customs Receipts, exclusive of Gold Duty, for the year ended on the 31st March last, amounted to £20,490 10s. 2d., of which the Provincial Treasurer has received £6,583 5s. 1d.; the Land Revenue for the same period was £53,818 4s. 4d., exclusive of £2,762 0s. 3d., paid to the Central Board of Education; the Duty on Exported Gold was £1,055 14s. 11d., which, with the item of revenue, "Miscellaneous," £7,885 10s. 7d., gives a total of £74,104 15s. 2d., being £34,664 2s. 0d., above the Total Revenue of the preceding year.

The Land Sales of the past year show conclusively the general prosperity. As usual, the greater part of the purchases consists of large pastoral tracts; but in addition to the large quantity of this sort of Land, many thousand acres have been bought in moderate and small blocks outside the pastoral districts, which I understand will be principally converted into artificial pasture; a mode of investment which will, I am satisfied, be profitable to the individual, and increase the public wealth. My Estimate of Revenue for the current year, with the balance now in the Treasury, will give a sum of about £70,000 available for present appropriation. Out of this, at least £43,000 may be devoted to Public Works.

2. The sums which for several years have been voted for Explorations, are at length in a fair way of yielding returns equal to my hopes. In the year 1859, I engaged Mr. J. Mackay, jun., to explore for a road to the West Coast of the Province. That gentleman found, and reported on, a line by which a road might be made to the Grey River. In the same year, Mr. John Rochfort was engaged to make a survey of the Coast, from the Grey River to a point eight miles north of the Buller, and a traverse of the principal rivers of the adjoining district.

Whilst this work was in progress, I engaged Mr. Haast, with whom was associated Mr. James Burnett, to make a topographical and geological examination of the south-western districts. The reports of these gentlemen have been laid before you, and support the view of Mr. Brunner, the first explorer of that part of the island, that a good road through the Buller Valley was almost hopeless. But in that portion of Mr. Haast's report which treats of Roads and Passes, he stated his opinion that a pass might be found by the Wangapeka and Owen Valleys, and so down to the Buller. In the hope that this might