would lay the Government open to severe
censure should some sad disaster occur
during the night, which an efficient light
would be the means of avoiding; and as
the ocean and coasting steamers now enter
the harbour during the night, there being
great danger attending it, I would strongly
recommend that (2) two small leading
lights (same as the present light on the
Heads would do) be erected on the inner
Head, to mark the mid-channel course;
the lights by night, and the buildings
serving as beacons by day. Your
Honor will at once perceive that the necessity
for all (3) three lights is urgent.

I would also humbly ask permission from
your Honor to establish small lights on
Dunedin and Port Chalmers jetties, and
that your Honor may cause to be erected
small houses at the end of the jetties for
that purpose. Hitherto there has been a
great risk of one vessel running on the top
of other vessels at anchor in Dunedin Bay,
masters have frequently complained to me
of the danger, and the absence of any
accommodation given to secure vessels
against such risks, and I have therefore
placed the sum of £300 on the Estimates for
mooring Dolphins, which I trust your
Honor will be pleased to sanction; as also
the appointment of a crew for the launch
(for which purpose I have put down £250),
as the buoys and beacons require constant
looking after, are at present neglected owing
to pressure of other duties. I have also
asked your Honor for the sum of £400, to
erect a larger class of buoys and beacons,
the present being only serviceable by day.
I may mention to your Honor, that there
is now a considerable amount of steam-boat
traffic in this harbour during the night,
thereby necessitating the aforesaid
improvements for their accommodation.

At the Taieri River the removal of the
snags, and deepening the bar at the
Waihola Lake are being proceeded with, and
as the settlers in that district would be
much benefited by steam communication,
and that more particularly during the winter
months, when the roads are not likely
to be so good as in summer, I would
humbly suggest that no time should be
lost in calling for tenders for the service
on the river and lake. I am taking it for
granted that the Government has so far
considered this matter as to sanction the
payment of a subsidy for the said service,
and I would, therefore, humbly suggest that
your Honor should cause to be placed on
the Estimates for the above purpose, the
sum of £500, for one year, as in my opinion
no steam-boat owner would undertake the
service (there being an uncertainty of its
being remunerative), without being secured
against loss, and the above amount would
meet the expenditure of a steamer suitable
for the work.

At the Clutha River, in order to connect
the various stations, and the large extent of
valuable country that will be taken up in
this district, with the Port of Molyneux,
it is necessary to establish steam communication. I have reason to believe that it
will be a much more remunerative service
to the owners of a steamer than that on
the Taieri river, but it will require a more
powerful boat, and consequently a heavier
expenditure. I would therefore suggest
that your Honor, to be prepared to meet
Mr. E. Grants, or any one else's offer, to
place a suitable steamer on this river, and
to fulfil terms that would be required of
them, should cause £500 to be placed on
the Estimates for that service.

The fresh of last summer in the river
would in all probability bring down several
snags, and it will therefore be necessary that
the sum of £300 should be provided for the
removal of them. Owing to their shifting
nature, it would be desirable that the
steam-boat contracting party should be
paid for the removal of such obstructions
as they came in the way, first giving notice,
that permission may be granted.

I have no request to make or improvement
to suggest for Catlin's and Waikouait
rivers, nature having done so much to
render the navigation comparatively safe,
and the trade at present to these harbours
not being sufficient to warrant any expenditure.

Trusting that the suggestions offered
and the requests made will meet your
Honor's views,

I have, &c.,

W.M. THOMSON,
Harbour Master.

To His Honor the Superintendent,
Otago.

POLICE REPORT.

Commissioner's Office,
Dunedin, 8th April, 1862.

In forwarding the Estimates for the
half-year ending 20th September, 1862,
the Commissioner of Police feels the necessity of adding a report showing what has
been performed in return for the outlay
during the last half-year, and in what
position the Force at present stands.

The large expenditure in excess of the
former estimates is the first subject
requiring attention, and in adverting to it,
the Commissioner would state that the
cost of the department for the last half-year may be divided into two classes, viz.:
Initial Expenditure and Ordinary Expenditure,
and that the proportion in which
the different votes may be divided under
these heads is as follows:—See Appendix A.