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The two latter have been consented to by the Provincial Council; the others shall also be sent for confirmation.

X.—Sheep Reserves.

There are twenty Sheep Reserves, containing 15,054 acres; four of them containing 2,100 acres, have been recommended under the “Southland Waste Land Act, 1865.” The others I will forward for confirmation.

XI.—Native Reserves.

These Reserves contain 5241 acres, and were set apart for Native purposes, prior to the separation of this Province from Otago.

XII.—Railway Reserves.

About 1190 acres have been set apart for the existing lines of railway, and the extension of the same. The Crown Land over which the Bluff and Winton line-pass, have been reserved by the Provincial Council. The reserve for the northern extension of the Winton line, has been surveyed, and shall be submitted for recommendation at the next session of the Council.

XIII.—Road Reserves.

These reserves contain only 111 acres; they are for future alteration of existing lines of roads, and need not, I apprehend, be confirmed at present.

XIVa.—Township Reserves.

The Township Reserves are twenty-three in number, and contain 1493a. 0r. 39p. Land has been sold in thirteen of them; the others are simply reserved from sale.

XIVb.—Village Reserves.

Eleven Village Reserves have been made, containing 3687a. 1r. 08p.; none of the land contained in them has been alienated from the Crown.

XV.—Bush Reserves.

There are eighty-five Bush Reserves, containing 40,659 acres, or nearly one-half of the total reserves in the Province; these reserves are dealt with under the “Southland Waste Lands Amendment Act, 1867,” and ought to add a very considerable sum to the land revenue, if the fees arising therefrom were systematically collected in every part of the Province.

XVIa.—Unappropriated Reserves.

Under this class appear 66 reserves containing 4822a. 0r. 26p., which appear to have been reserved for no special purpose. I shall not be able to report as to the advisability of retaining them as permanent reserves during the present session.

XVIb.—Temporary Reserves.

4867 acres have been temporarily reserved for quarantine and other purposes; these will, I apprehend, revert, and be re-advertised as Waste Lands of the Crown, as soon as they are no longer required for the purpose for which they were set apart.

TOWN RESERVES.

The total area of land reserved for various purposes within the townships amount to 561a. 1r. 25p.; Crown Grants for 183a. 2r. 36p. have been issued to the Superintendent.

I.—Educational Reserves.

94 town sections containing 23a. 2r. 03p. have been reserved for Educational purposes; Crown Grants for 73 of these, containing 18a. 1r. 03p. have been issued to the Superintendent, and the management of the same has been vested by the “Educational Reserves Ordinance, 1862” in the Education Committee of the Province. 13 quarter-sections have been reserved in Wallacetown, and 8 in the township of Stanley; the latter, I would suggest, should be abandoned, as they are not worth the cost of the grants, and that those in Wallacetown should be given up in an equal amount of land selected instead of them, in one block in that township, and be recommended as a School Reserve.

II.—Collegiate Reserves.

Include ten sections containing 2a. 2r. 00p. in the town of Invercargill; they have been granted to the Superintendent, and the management of them vested in the Education Committee by the “Collegiate Reserves Ordinance, 1863”; a few of the Education and Collegiate Reserves in the town of Invercargill would, if offered on moderately long leases, yield a small sum for Educational purposes, £75 or £100 might even at the present time be obtained by leasing them.

III.—Municipal Reserves.

There are 257 sections containing 61a. 1r. 09p., reserved in the different towns for municipal endowments; those situated in Invercargill, Riverton, and Campbelltown, containing 47a. 3r. 00p. have been granted to the Superintendent, and the management of them has been vested by the “Municipal Endowments Ordinance 1862” in the several Town Boards.

IV.—Reserves for Special purposes.

102 sections containing 196a. 0r. 23p. have been reserved as sites for Government Buildings, Police Stations, Gaols, &c.; grants have been issued to the Superintendent for the Hospital, Gaol, and Provincial Government Buildings reserves in Invercargill, and I have sent down for the recommendation of the Council all others that contain any buildings belonging to the Provincial Government Land or the Townships.

V.—General Government Reserves.

15 reserves have been made, containing 7a. 2r. 08p. in the various towns and sites for buildings in connection with the departments of the General Government.

VI.—Reserves for Public purposes.

Different blocks of land containing 217a. 1r. 88p. have been reserved for Public Gardens, Recreation Grounds, &c., in various towns; Crown Grants for 106a. 2r. 12p. in the town of Invercargill, have been granted to the Superintendent.