21

four hardened criminals who had so long perpetrated
their deeds of blood in other localities, has afforded
the strongest possible proof of that healthy moral
condition which has long rendered life and property
so proverbially secure amongst us. The search for
these bodies, the arrest, secure retention, conviction,
and execution of the murderers have cost this province
nearly £2000, irrespective of private subscriptions
and volunteered labor; but it is impossible to esti-
mate the service that has thus been rendered to the
whole colony, or to overvalue such an expression of
the heroic spirit which animates the population of
Nelson.

In compliance with the recommendation of the
Judge, at the conclusion of these trials, and which
was quite in accordance with the convictions of my-
self and the Executive Council, the steady, intelli-
gent, and painstaking conduct of the principal police
officers has been rewarded by promotion and some
increase of salary. It also became my duty to ac-
knowledge toward the great assiduity and efficiency
of the acting Gaoler.

21. The large fire which occurred on the morning of
    the 7th August last forced the attention of the in-
    habitants of the city to the great need of some organ-
    isation to arrest the ravages of that element on any
    similar occasion, and also to the desirability of giving
    the power to some proper officer to order the destruc-
    tion or removal of any buildings or other property
    whenever such action may appear to him the most
    practicable means to stay the progress of a fire.

The former want was at once supplied by the
formation of a well-organised and active brigade,
which will, I trust, receive the necessary support
from the City Board of Works and the agents of the
various insurance offices established in this city; but
as the Board will probably need some additional
power to authorise it to pay money for such a legiti-
mate purpose, and the agents of the insurance offices
required to consult their principals on the subject, it
took upon myself the responsibility of meeting the
earliest requirements of the brigade by paying the
sum of £200 from the Provincial revenue, on behalf
of the city.

The want of a duly-authorised officer is still un-
provided for, and the whole subject is one that will
probably claim your attention at your first regular
business session.

22. As it is my intention to resign my present
    office at the conclusion of this probably short Session,
    it would be manifestly improper for me to indicate
    any future policy. The voluminous, and I fear rather
    hasty, legislation of the last Session of the General
    Assembly, will probably call for some attention from
    my successor, and some action from you at your next
    Session. But there is one of its acts—the Audit
    Act—upon which my present position particularly
    qualifies me to offer an impartial criticism, and upon
    which I may therefore be permitted to place my
    opinion on record. I am convinced that public accounts
    can only be effectually, and therefore usefully, audited
    by a competent officer daily in attendance for that
    purpose, and he should, of course, be entirely removed
    from the control of, or the slightest dependence on any
    public officer, whose accounts he has to check; and
    should have no voice whatever in the direction of any
    expenditure. Nor should he even be appointed by
    any other paid officer or officers, but by the repre-
    sentatives of the people, the expenditure of whose
    money he is employed to watch. Besides the guarantee
    which such an officer affords the public as to the honest
    application of public money, he earns his salary by re-
    lieving the responsible head of a large establishment
    from that laborious investigation of each account,
    which would otherwise form a necessary part of his duty,
    and which could not fail to injuriously distract his
    attention from his more legitimate work. By the
    Provincial Audit Act, which has been in operation in
    this Colony for the last five years, the Superintendent
    could expend money without the authority of the
    Council, provided the expenditure were called for by
    unforeseen circumstances, and so evidently desirable
    as to leave no doubt that the Council would
    sanction it after being put in possession of all
    the facts, and carefully enquiring into all the
    circumstances. This enabled a Superintendent to
    act himself, and even to authorise his sometimes
    better informed subordinates, to act, in those sudden
    emergencies which are constantly arising, especially
    on Gold-fields, with that promptitude which is
    often so very important, although with that whole-
    some caution, which a knowledge of possible fines
    and penalties could not fail to impart. The stringent
    provisions of the new Act, like most other
    extreme measures, will defeat the intentions of its
    promoters, as it is not to be supposed that the
    majority of any Council having the slightest confi-
    dence in the Provincial Executive, would entirely
    destroy its efficiency by giving it no power to meet
    unforeseen demands; and the only alternative will
    be that of placing large sums at its disposal for
    possible contingencies, and thus losing the power they
    ought to have of effectually calling the Superintendent
    to account for all uncontemplated expenditure after
    having had an opportunity to make themselves
    acquainted with all the circumstance which may or
    may not have justified his proceedings.

23. It would be improper for me to conclude my
    last opening address to you without a grateful
    acknowledgement of the unreserved, and very able
    assistance I have continued to receive from Mr.
    Commissioner Kynnersley, to whom I have been able
    to entrust an increasing amount of discretionary
    power; a trust which he has never failed to justify.
    The amount of harassing and exhausting work which
    he has sometimes undertaken for fifteen hours a day,
    to meet the demands of sudden appointments, has obviated
    the necessity of some costly appointments, which
    could not always have been terminated with the
    circumstances that had called for them, and it is no
    mean evidence of his capacity to find that he has
    been able to command the uninterrupted respect and
    obedience of the large and everchanging body of
    miners, among whom his duties have been
    performed.

24. There are other Officers of the Government,
    who are personally too well known to you to require
    any mention from me, whose valuable services have
    rendered my own task an easy one, whilst you,
    Gentlemen, have made it a truly pleasant one, by
    that liberal support you have ever accorded to each
    humble effort I have made to promote the welfare
    and the progress of the Province, over which I have
    thus had the pleasure, as well as the honor to preside.

ALFRED SAUNDERS,

Superintendent.