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I hope you will agree with me that it is most desirable to put those provisions into action without delay, by your appointment of two members of the Committee of Management, to act in conjunction with a third to be nominated by myself.

12. The question of the erection of a Patent Slip or Dry Dock, in Nelson harbour, has engaged much of my attention. Mr. Barnicoat, while Acting-Superintendent, applied to the General Government for the services of the Marine Engineer, to advise upon this and other practicable improvements in the harbour; and Mr. Balfour has recently paid us a very short visit, during which he conferred with the Provincial Engineer, and made a hasty inspection of the harbour. Before offering any opinion on the subjects referred to him, he requested that soundings might be taken, and other data furnished, on receipt of which he would make such further examination of the locality as might appear to be necessary, and report upon the whole subject of harbour improvements.

Pending the receipt of Mr. Balfour's report, it would be premature to take any definite steps for the erection of a slip or dock, but as the "Patent Slip or Dry Dock Act, 1864," has nearly lapsed, a Bill will be introduced to you authorizing the Superintendent to guarantee interest on the sum of £25,000 to capitalists willing to expend that amount on the erection of a Dry Dock or Patent Slip.

13. Some further correspondence between this Government and that of Canterbury respecting the bridge over the Hurunui will be laid upon your table, from which you will see that a contract has at length been entered into for the erection of the bridge, at a total cost of £6,000, and that I informed the Superintendent of Canterbury that I would propose to you to vote the sum of £2,500 as the contribution of this province to the amount. When this subject was last under consideration, it was supposed that the cost of the work would be considerably more than it has proved to be, and you appropriated £2,000, in addition to £1,000 to meet equivalent subscriptions to be raised in the Amuri district, making altogether a proposed contribution from the province of £4,000.

14. The site for the Waimea bridge has now been fixed by the Government, who were influenced in with decision chiefly by engineering considerations, to be on the line of the Appleby road. The ironwork ordered from England by the late Superintendent may be expected to arrive in the course of a month or two, and in the meantime the timber will be ordered, so that this important work may be proceeded with as rapidly as possible.

15. The construction of the reservoir for the Nelson Waterworks has now been commenced, and the remainder of the plant may be expected to arrive from England in the course of next month. I trust therefore that before the end of the year this city will be furnished with an abundant supply of pure water, which is so much required upon sanitary considerations, and that its inhabitants will be relieved from the perpetual fear of the wholesale destruction of their property by fire.

16. The necessity for the erection of a Lighthouse on Cape Farewell, or on the Sandspit forming the western boundary of Golden Bay, has long been felt, and pressed upon the Colonial Government by the Nelson members of the Assembly. I am glad to be able to inform you that the Marine Engineer has been despatched to the locality in question to decide upon the most desirable spot, and that it is the intention of the Colonial Ministry to lose no time in providing by that means for the safety of vessels approaching Cook Strait from the westward—a measure which our increasing commerce renders daily more essential.

17. In the Estimates of Expenditure which are about to be submitted to you, I have recommended an appropriation to the support of the Volunteer Force than has hitherto been made. I think that you will agree with me, that the removal of her Majesty's troops from the colony makes it desirable to encourage, in every practicable way, the training to arms of a portion of the population, and more especially of the rising generation. Quite independently, moreover, of the duty of providing for defence against foreign aggression, I look upon it to be highly expedient to provide for the younger members of our society an occupation for their leisure hours, which will at the same time lead them to the acquisition of habits of obedience and self-control.

18. The laws regulating the licensing of public-houses have been found to require amendment, both as regards their operation on the gold-fields, and in the more settled parts of the province; a measure to effect this will therefore be brought before you.

19. In the last Session of the General Assembly a resolution was agreed to by the House of Representatives to the effect that certain provisions of the "Nelson Crown Lands Leasing, Act, 1865," are highly impolitic and injurious to the interests of the community. To a certain extent the Waste Lands Board agree with the purport of this resolution, while they have found the Act to be in many respects unworkable, and consequently ineffective to secure the ends which the Council had in view in passing the resolution upon which it was founded. I have, therefore, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Crown Lands, prepared for your approval, previously to its being submitted to the General Assembly, a draft Bill, which, while founded more strictly upon the spirit of the resolutions passed by you in 1865, is at the same time free from the objections referred to by the House of Representatives.

20. A measure for the amendment of the 38th Section of the "Education Act," will be proposed to you. This section was introduced into the Act to enable the Roman Catholics to bring their schools under its operation, but has failed to effect that very desirable object.

The proposed amendment has been drawn after consultation with the head of the Roman Catholic persuasion in this province, who has pronounced it to be satisfactory to that body, and to be sufficiently liberal to enable them to bring their schools under the working of the Act.

I hope you will agree with me in the great importance of securing the adherence of the Roman Catholics to our Educational system, and in the opinion that the proposed amendment can be made without endangering its secular principle.

OSWALD CURTIS,
Superintendent.

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