(2)

Public Works, &c.; and for the present year I shall be enabled to recommend you to appropriate a sum exceeding £3000 for the same purposes.

The sums expended on the administrative departments (exclusive of the Land department) for the years stated, were respectively:—
In 1854...........................£459
1855...........................1276
1856...........................992
1857...........................876
The gross expenses of the whole civil establishments were:—
In 1854...........................£1550
1855...........................3014
1856...........................3378
1857...........................2580
showing a satisfactory decrease in the past year in the expenses of government. The amounts for 1856 and 1857 include the charge of the Land department for eighteen months, commencing in June of the former year.

In addition to an Appropriation Bill, I purpose to lay before you the following Bills for your early consideration:—
Roads and Bridges
Roads Declaratory
Fencing
Dog Registration

A Bill to appoint Commissioners to administer the lands to be appropriated to purposes of Education has been drafted, but it is not deemed expedient to lay this before you until the issue of the Crown Grants under the provisions of the "Waste Lands Act, 1854."

The General Government have, I am glad to state, at length decided upon appointing Commissioners under the "Native Reserves Act, 1856." This, viewed as a mere financial question, will relieve the Province from the charge of destroying the thistles growing upon the native lands, and facilitate the apportionment of Party fences bordering on Native reserves.

I had hoped to be enabled to speak favourably of the prospects of the Province as regards the purchase of land, but the recent native outrage renders it for the present extremely difficult to do so.

Gentlemen, with these observations, I now declare this Council to be open for the despatch of business.

G. CUTFIELD,
Superintendent.
New Plymouth, 13 Jan., 1858.

Superintendent's Office,
New Plymouth, 25th Nov. 1857.
It is notified for general information that a Writ for the Election of a Member of the Provincial Council for the Grey and Bell district having been issued in accordance with the provisions of an Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand, the Returning Officer for the said district has returned the said Writ, with a certificate to the effect that THOMAS KING, of New Plymouth, esquire, has been duly elected to serve as member of the Provincial Council for the Grey and Bell district.

G. CUTFIELD,
Superintendent.

TOWN PASTURAGE.

Provincial Secretary's Office,
New Plymouth, 19th December, 1857.
NOTICE is hereby given, that the right of depasturing Stock on the unenclosed lands lying waste and uncultivated within the undermentioned districts in the Town of New Plymouth and Town Belt, for the term commencing on the 23rd day of January next, and ending the 31st day of March next, will be put up for sale by Public Auction on Saturday, the 23rd day of January next ensuing, at noon, at the office of the Provincial Treasurer, subject to the provisions of the Ordinance, Session 2, No. 2, and to the subjoined conditions.

DISTRICTS REFERRED TO—
No. 1.—North of the Mangotuku and West of Queen street.
No. 2.—South of the Mangotuku and West of Queen street and Robe street.
No. 3.—North of Courtenay street and East of Liardet street.
No. 4.—South of Courtenay street and East of Carrington road.

CONDITIONS:
1.—The districts will be put up separately, and will be sold to the highest bidder, and if any dispute shall arise as to the bidding for any district the same will be put up again.
2.—No person shall at any bidding advance less than five shillings or retract his bidding.
3.—One half of the purchase money will be payable at the close of the sale, and the other half on the 1st day of March next.
I. N. WATT,
Provincial Secretary.

STATISTICS OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

Provincial Secretary's Office,
14th January, 1858.
COPIES of the STATISTICS just published by the Provincial Government can be obtained at this office. Price five shillings each.

I. N. WATT,
Provincial Secretary.