48

COMMISSIONERS BALANCE SHEET—FIRST DISTRICT.

Dr.

John Kelly,
Albert Wills, Commissioners.
Raniera Ngaere,

The above Statement of Account we have found correct.

Richard Rundle,
Thomas Hirst, } Auditors.

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

THE Superintendent opened the 8th Session of the Provincial Council at the Council Chamber on Wednesday, the 15th instant, at half-past 2 o’clock, p.m., and delivered the following

ADDRESS.

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council,—

I have been compelled to call you together earlier than I intended, in order to lay before you a despatch from the Colonial Secretary, calling for a second joint recommendation to the Governor to grant a Lease of the Iron Sand of the sea beach below high-water mark for smelting purposes. The required document differs in a purely formal manner from that proposed in the former resolution, and I cannot but regret that any alteration should be deemed necessary, considering that delay may, under present circumstances, seriously embarrass the undertaking we have felt it to be the interest of the Province to promote.

A Bill to reduce the size of the Town of New Plymouth will be submitted for your consideration. A measure of this nature was contemplated by Sir George Grey; but it presented so many legal difficulties that it was abandoned for the time. A grant of the unalienated lands excepted to the Superintendent under the Public Reserves Act, 1854, admits of the original project being now accomplished, and will enable you to make provision for satisfying the outstanding claims of private individuals to town land, and for executing necessary roads, and affording inducement to landowners to re-select within the reduced boundaries. At present the Town speaks less for the Province than any other part of the cultivated district. This arises from the interspersion of sold with unsold sections, the grouping of which is one of the chief objects in view.

The importance of securing land communication between the different settlements of the Northern Islands by means of practicable lines of road cannot, for obvious reasons, be over-estimated, and the necessity that exists for such a line to Auckland has been felt from the time this settlement was first established. It is not therefore, without considerable satisfaction that I now acquaint you that the great obstacle to a road offered by the White Cliffs is in course of being overcome by means of a tunnel which will open out a bridle road to Mokau (the boundary of this Province), from whence to the seat of Government I have the assurance of the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland that no effort will be spared to complete this desirable work.

The financial difficulties that stood in the way of a Gaol and Court House for the due and efficient administration of justice have, in a correspondence upon the subject, been liberally met by the General Government, and should you agree to accept the proposals offered, a bill will be laid before you embodying the arrangement, and tenders may be invited for the necessary works without delay.

Since you were last in session, the Taranaki block of land has been handed over to the Province, and the surveys, notwithstanding the occasional unfavourableness of the weather, will shortly be sufficiently advanced to enable me to advertise a portion of the land for selection and purchase.

The Waiwakaiho Bridge is advancing towards completion. The works hitherto have proceeded favourably, and should no accident occur the