fide proprietor an unimpachable title to his property, burthened with no conditions or res- ervations, that I have already directed that the surveys necessary to accomplish this object should be carried on as rapidly as possible; and the result of this, and of the measures now submitted to you, will, notwithstanding the present embarrassed state of the question, be to place in a few months titles to land in New Munster upon as clear and satisfactory a footing as in any part of the world.

Another law of great importance which I have directed to be prepared for your consideration, is an ordinance for regulating the occupation of the waste lands of the Crown in these Islands. I shall gladly cooperate with you in endeavouring to legislate upon this subject in such a manner as to promote and foster the pastoral interests of this Colony, which interests are of the highest value to this portion of New Zealand, as being the source from which you may im- mediately anticipate a large and valuable ex- port, and a considerable commerce, and con- sequently that reaction in favour of the other interests of the country which will necessarily spring from increased wealth and augmented trade.

Actuated by the same desire of promoting the pastoral interests of this country as well, I am aware, influence you in legislating upon them, I have, in conformity with the require- ments of the Royal Instructions, prepared the orders which I propose to issue for regulating the depasturing of sheep and cattle upon the Crown lands, a draft of which orders shall be laid before you.

I will also lay before you a bill to empower the Governor to place at the disposal of any corporation which may be created in New Zealand, one third of the gross proceeds of the revenue realized from lands which may be disposed of by the Crown within the limits of such corporation.

Her Majesty's Government were pleased, upon my recommendation, to advise the Queen to issue Instructions empowering the Governor of the Colony to authorize the application of any proportion, not exceeding one third, of the gross proceeds of the sales of Crown lands effected within the limits of any hundred, to- wards such purposes as shall be signified to him by the wardens of such hundred, or by such other authorities thereof as shall be des- ignated for that purpose by any ordinance to be passed by the legislature of the said Colony, subject nevertheless to such restrictions and regulations as shall be imposed by such ordi- nance.

In fulfilment of these Instructions it has become my duty to propose for your considera- tion a bill for enabling the Governor, in those parts of New Zealand where a corpora- tion may exist, to place one third of the reve- nue realized from the sale of land at the dis- posal of the corporation for the purposes indi- cated by the Royal Instructions, instead of leaving such portion of the revenue at the dis- posal of the wardens of the Hundred, as is at present the case.

You will find that in all these measures relating to the sale and management of waste lands of the Crown, I have attempted to shew in the plainest manner that the Government only administers these lands as trustee for the public, and that its only desire is to protect the public interests in re- lation to them; and I confidently hope that the large share which will now be given to the inhabitants of the Colony, and especially to the middling and humbler classes, in the management of the waste lands of the Crown, and in the employment of the funds derived from the sale of them, will teach them to how great an extent the interests of themselves and their families depend upon a judicious management of these lands by the Govern- ment.

In relation to the subject of the waste lands of the Crown, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to inform you that I have every rea- son to hope that the Government will be able shortly to complete the purchase of two ex- tensive tracts of land in the Hawke's Bay dis- trict, comprising nearly 600,000 acres of land admirably adapted to agricultural and pastoral purposes; the acquisition of this tract of territory cannot fail to exercise a most bene- ficial influence upon the town of Welling- ton. In order that the fine tracts of country in the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay district should, as soon as possible, be connected with this town, the Government are making every exertion to have the Wairarapa road completed.

Negotiations have also been commenced for the purchase of the Pelorus district, the acquisition of which is regarded by the inha- bitants of Nelson as essential to the prospe- rity of their settlement; and a sum of two thousand pounds has been appropriated for the purpose of opening a line of communica- tion between Nelson and the Wairau, which road will pass through the fertile valley of the Pelorus.

I have directed that a bill to provide for the establishment of Provincial Legislative Coun- cils should be prepared for your consideration. This measure has been drawn up in conformity with the powers conferred upon this Council by a recent act of the Imperial Parliament.

The subject to which this bill relates is one which has engaged my thoughts and attention for a considerable period of time. Previ- ously to preparing any measure regarding it for your consideration, I visited almost every portion of these Islands, and acquainted my- self, in as far as practicable, with their wants and requirements. I also carefully consid- ered the relations and respective feelings of the different populous inhabiting these Islands,