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running the vessel herself into any danger by crossing
bars or otherwise. There is apparently little or no
back country available for settlement, and nothing else,
except, possibly, coal, to support a permanent town;
but the present diggings, even if no others should be
discovered, are sufficient to support a town of a size
large enough to require the services of a Resident
Magistrate and Warden for at least a year.

Whoever is appointed, should be appointed as soon
as possible, and, pending the arrival of the necessary
appointment from Wellington, might be instructed
by telegraph or otherwise to take charge at once.

He would of course have no power
to decide cases, except for the purpose of being useful,
but would in many respects be very useful, and
relieve me of much work.

As to proclaiming Brighton a Port of Entry, he
writes:-"I cannot make up my mind whether or not
it will be worth while to make Brighton a Port of
Entry and Warehousing Port. At first, I thought
not, for there are really no other diggings about it
but this one terrace, which was the cause of the
tremendous rush, and the idea of proclaiming a river,
not quite so large as the Maitai to be a Port of Entry,
seemed to me to be absurd; but as the case stands at
present I am rather inclined to think that it would be
worth while to make it a Port of Entry, provided
that it can be done quickly. Unfortunately, we
have in the meantime lost a large amount of Customs
Revenue. There is a very good patch on the terrace
at Fox's which will keep any steamer employed for a
year or eighteen months. There may be numerous
other patches equally extensive in the neighborhood,
although I am not at all sanguine about this myself.
There is a large township, containing fifty-three
public-houses. There is a river or creek, navigable at
high water for vessels drawing five feet of water.
There is an outer anchorage in Woodpecker Bay, where
steamers can almost always land passengers and cargo.
There are extensive coals seams in the neighborhood.
It occupies a very central position between the Grey
and Buller, and communication may in time be opened
between it and the auriferous country of the Little
Grey. For all these reasons, and considering the
large amount of Customs Revenue that we are losing,
I think it might be worth while making it a Port of
Entry, although there is no certainty whatever that
there will be a house left there in two years."

On the 5th of this month he writes:-"The revenue
for the last month received in the several Warden's
offices amounts to about £2000 of which about
£1800 was taken by me at Brighton in a town of three
weeks. But the expenditure is also very great.

The buildings are clearly necessary. The escort
service is, I think, also necessary for the quantities of
gold which will in another month, when the claims
are fairly in working order, be sold at Fox's and the
Pakihi.

"Sergeant Franklyn will take charge of the escort,
and I have selected four thoroughly reliable men to
assist him. It is of no use establishing an escort
unless it is a thoroughly efficient one, as some of the
most notorious ruffians on the West Coast will visit
at Brighton. The gold, I have especially, was passed
on to me by the Canterbury Police, known to have
left Waimen, with a revolver intent on some
extensive operations. I do not know if Fox's
were declared a Port of Entry, I think it would be
necessary to continue the escort, for there would
always be some risk in shipping gold at that place and
I think the Banks would prefer to send it to the
Buller. All this together with the Grey
and Buller road, which is being done at all once, has
and will cost a good deal of money, but it has
been, I believe, all of it well spent, and there will in a
short time be a good deal of revenue from the export
duty on the gold from the Buller." He also writes:-
"Another good Surveyor is wanted here, there is
quite work enough for at least two, as there are
applications for many agricultural leases in different
parts of the Gold-fields. In the Canterbury
Westland they have seven Surveyors besides their
Mining Surveyors."

10. By letters, which are ready to be laid on your
    table, from Messrs. Ransome and Sons, you will see
    that about half the plant for the Nelson Waterworks,
    was shipped in November, and the remainder was
    proposed to be shipped last month, and may be
    expected here during the next two months. In the Canterbury
    Westland they have taken up and the plant pre-
    pared, there is nothing to prevent that work being
    expeditiously completed.

11. The iron-work required for the Waimea Bridge,
    has been ordered through our agent in London, and a
    sum remitted to pay for it.

12. Much delay has arisen in the construction of
    the Steam Stone Separator, ordered from England
    in July, 1865; but the machine is now on its way to
    the province, and will, I have no doubt, effect a great
    economy and improvement in the metalling of our
    streets and roads.

13. The excavations and foundations of the New
    Hospital are in progress. A plan of the proposed
    building will be laid before you. The entire design
    would exceed the sum voted for the building, but it
    is not necessary that the whole should be completed
    at once; and it was my intention to have called for
    tenders omitting the south-west wing. Such portion of
    that design would accommodate 48 male and 14
    female patients, under the most favorable conditions
    for efficient and economical attendance. The
    proximity of the building to the lunatic asylum,
    will admit of an interchange of assistance by the
    female attendants of each establishment, that will
    obviate the necessity of objectional arrangements
    that have hitherto been deemed unavoidable. The
    demands on the City Hospital at the present
    time are not numerous, and the cases generally are
    not of a serious, and none of them of an epidemic
    character; but in the Greymouth Hospital nineteen
    bad cases are reported, and, whilst the necessary
    expenses of that establishment increase, the voluntary
    subscriptions are gradually falling off.

14. The Nelson Gaol requires enlargement, and such
    alteration as will better provide for the complete
    separation of female prisoners.

15. A correspondence will be forwarded to you that
    has passed between the Immigration Commissioners
    and Mr. John Morrison, in which you will see, that
    Bishop Suter, has proposed to procure and accompany
    on their voyage, some carefully selected immigrants;
    and the Commissioners have authorised, the free
    passage of 50 single females, and consented to
    advance the passage money of 25 young married
    couples, to come out under the care of his Lordship
    and Mrs. Suter.

16. In accordance with a series of resolutions passed
    by you on the 1st of May last, requesting me to
    bring "under the attention of the Government of the
    Colony," the necessity a large portion of the
    Territory of the Province in payment for the construc-
    tion of a Railway between Nelson and Cobden, I took
    an early opportunity of waiting upon the Colonial
    Secretary, and obtained a promise from him that the
    subject should receive the attention of the Govern-
    ment, and that a Bill should be introduced in ac-
    cordance with your resolution. A Bill was, however,
    introduced by the other honorable member for this
    city (Mr. Curtis) and became law authorising the
    Governor in Council to reserve the necessary land