stowed upon the working of the system of
Immigration which has been for some
time in operation. While accomplishing the
object of introducing a valuable addition to
the labour market, and eventually to that
freehold class—without which, whatever else
its elements of strength, a community cannot
thrive,—its operation has originated a state of
things which is highly prejudicial, and which,
if allowed to continue, will exercise a baneful
influence on the moral and political character
of the Province. Already the money due to
the Government amounts to nearly £40,000;
and as the receipts from the immigrants fall
annually very far short of the actual expendi-
ture, I would submit for your consideration
that the subject undergo a thorough examina-
tion at your hands. I shall be prepared with
the necessary information to be laid before
you at as early a period as possible. It may
be a question whether, in the prospect of an
attractive gold field, and the derangement
consequent on the disruption of the Province,
it may not be desirable somewhat to contract
or modify our immigration operations for the
present, as it would be obviously unwise to
incur expenditure for what we can obtain
without it, and, probably, for the new Pro-
vince, which may by its regulations allure our
immigrants across the border. I would fur-
ther remark that the Immigration Agent has
tendered the resignation of his office, the
acceptance of which I have delayed until the
close of this session; and it is but an act of
justice to express my confidence in him; and
but a short experience—that he has faithfully
performed his duty to the State under cir-
cumstances of no ordinary character.

17. In my visit to the Hospital, I have been
    gratified to remark that everything bore indi-
    cations of a careful and thoughtful supervision
    on the part of the Provincial Surgeon and his
    subordinates; and that, while the wants of
    the sick and the lunatic have been liberally
    provided for, the expense to the State has been
    comparatively trifling. The books which your-
    selves so lately supplied for the use of the
    Hospital have arrived, and are now in use.

18. True to the principles which I advocated
    before my election to office—principles which
    stood in the foreground of the contest, re-
    ceiving an emphatic approval from the con-
    stituency, and from the whole Province;
    and with my convictions strengthened by
    startling passing events, I propose that the
    whole Northern sea-board should be thrown
    into Hundreds, that no time should be lost
    in these being surveyed into sections, and
    that every publicity should at once be given
    in Great Britain and Ireland of the inten-
    tion of the Government to bring them
    into the market in the course of another
    year. Should you consider that any induce-
    ments might be offered to immigrants of the
    middle and labouring classes by the remission
    of the half passage-money, the other half
    being paid by the immigrant before leaving
    home, I shall have the greatest pleasure in
    adopting your views. It will be my duty to
    see that the conditions of depasturing stock
    within the Hundreds are faithfully carried
    out. Until our Regulations obtained the force
    of law by the consent of the Queen to the
    General Assembly's Waste Land Act of 1868,
    the penal clauses could not be enforced by the
    wardens: this impediment is now removed,
    and as soon as the law admits, due notice will
    be given of the necessity for taking out depas-

223

turing licenses, and for the election of war-
dens. It will be for the wardens themselves,
by proportioning the stock to be run on the
Hundreds to the acreage held by each indivi-
dual, or otherwise, to see that the intention of
the law is not frustrated by the purchase of a
small allotment with the sole view of depas-
turing large herds of cattle.

I shall ask your sanction to an appropria-
tion of £500 to clearing, planting, and if pos-
sible, fencing portions of the Town Belt,
and the reserve for a Public Garden, the
sites of the two former selected so as to
afford equal facilities to every portion of the
town, and I feel sure that you will readily
accede to my suggestions when you consider
that it is expedient that we should possess
some localities in the suburbs of the town
where, after the toils of labour, the artizan
and the mechanic may retire with their child-
ren for healthful recreation. It is not a Bo-
tanical garden I ask for, as at Sydney, nor
public parks, as at home, but a few acres to be
enclosed, grassed and fenced. Were philan-
thropy and patriotism as able to step forward
in their practical exhibitions as in the Home
country, there would be less need of the Go-
vernment coming to the rescue in behalf of
the inhabitants of the town, whose spare cash
will be readily absorbed in draining, sanitary
operations, and other municipal demands.

I have received a Memorial from certain in-
fluential individuals resident in town praying
for a site on which a Market might be esta-
blished. The proposal meets with my hearty
concurrence, and I only regret that I cannot
at the present moment see in what manner so
desirable an object can be attained; I will,
however, give the subject every attention, and
in the course of the present session lay before
you such statements connected with the
Reserves or otherwise as may be at present
available, as will put you in possession of the
whole facts of the case, and enable you to give
expression to your wishes.

I need not direct your attention to our
Steam communications, for their effects are
visible to all. You will remember that pro-
vision was made at a former Session for a
bonus of £500 a-year to be given in aid of
Steam navigation in the Clutha and Taieri
rivers. The contract for the former has not
been taken up, and I am sure that I express
the sentiments of the Clutha District when I
inform you that much has yet to be done in
that district in the promotion of inter-com-
munication by land before the inhabitants
desire the presence of an inland steamer,
which they fear would involve a serious out-
lay on the part of the Government, without
any commensurate result,—to the facilities
for entering the port and the river mouth of
a steamer being made to district, they confi-
dently look, while they forgo for the present
what has been proposed for their benefit. In
the case of the Taieri and Waihola Lake, the
steamer may be expected at her post in two
or three months, an extension of time having
been granted, at the request of the contractors,
on certain conditions, which will enable the
Government to avoid a very heavy expense
which they would not be justified at the pre-
sent moment in incurring. The reports of the
Harbour-master and Provincial Engineer on
this subject shall, in due course, be laid
before you.

From information which has reached me,
there is every reason to apprehend that unless