New Plymouth,
October 29, 1853.
By Order of the Provincial Council the
following Report and Estimates are pub-
lished for general information.
C. W. RICHMOND,
Acting Clerk of Council.

REPORT

OF THE

SELECT COMMITTEE

ON THE

ESTIMATES.

October 18, 1853.

The Committee, in presenting to Council
a report of the result of its inquiries, has
to call attention to some alterations which
it has been deemed advisable to propose,
and which will be found in the amended
Estimates annexed.

These suggestions are now submitted for
the consideration of Council; but having
on certain points no data to serve as a guide
in estimating probable expenditure, the
committee has in these cases either taken
the sum named by his Honor, or put down
such an amount as was considered likely
to be sufficient to cover the outlay neces-
sary for these purposes.

In the alterations made in the amended
Estimates now presented to your notice, the
opinion of the committee is not given with-
out considerable diffidence, arising not
from any unwillingness to express the con-
viction arrived at as the result of the evi-
dence which has been obtained, but because
the difficulty of forming a correct judg-
ment on the wisest course to be pursued on
many points is such, that the committee is
not disposed to urge upon the Council to
adopt its views in every case.

In the Superintendent's Department it is
proposed to allow £250 as the salary of
his Honor; because the committee con-
siders the amount placed on the Estimates
insufficient to admit of his maintaining the
position in a manner creditable to the
Province.

It has also been thought advisable that a
house should be retained by Council as
Superintendent's residence; since, whatever
changes may take place, it must always be
desirable that the Superintendent for the
time being should reside in the town. The
sum of £40 is therefore proposed to be al-
lowed for rent.

In the Department of the Provincial
Council, the salary for the Provincial At-
torney has been included in one sum, with
that of Clerk to Council, because no objec-
tion is seen to the union of the two offices
in one individual, whilst an evident advan-
tage would thus be derived from the coun-
coun-
cil obtaining the services of a more efficient
clerk than a due regard to economy in ex-
penditure would probably admit of were a
different course adopted.

With regard to the Provincial Treasurer,
there is not sufficient evidence before the
committee to admit of a decisive opinion
being arrived at, whether it is expedient
that a separate officer should exist, or whe-
ther the duties might not be discharged
without the expense of an additional
officer.

An amount has been placed on the Esti-
mates providing for the payment of certain
sums to the Speaker and Members of
Council. On this subject the committee
declines to express an opinion, but has
deemed it advisable, considering the ex-
penses which must be immediately in-
curred, and some of which, though neces-
sary now, will not recur for a considerable
time, to recommend nothing under that
head in the present year.

In the Resident Magistrate's Department
there appears no reason for making any al-
teration in the salary of the Clerk to the
Bench, or in that of the Gaoler; although
in the latter case it is the opinion of he
committee that, whatever duties may fall
upon the Inspector of weights and measures
and the Inspector of slaughter houses, can
be performed by the Gaoler without addi-
tional pay. The sum allowed for contin-
gencies in this and other departments is
estimated from the expenses of previous
years, allowance being made for any extra
outlay which may have appeared neces-
sary.

The Harbour Department is one of the
most important matters to which your com-
mittee has had to direct its attention. The
necessity for placing it on a better footing
appears so strong, that the committee has
felt justified in recommending some con-
siderable alterations (based upon the evi-