Particulars may be obtained on application.
Tenders to be sealed and endorsed "Tender for Eradication of Thistle."

J. C. Richmond,
Provincial Secretary.

TENDERS FOR RATIONS.

Provincial Secretary’s Office,
New Plymouth, 1st December, 1859.

TENDERS for supplying the undermentioned Rations, as required, for the Gaol, New Plymouth, for the year commencing 1st January, 1860, will be received at this office until noon on Saturday, the 10th instant.

Ration No. 1, at per ration
2, „
3, „

Particulars may be obtained at this office.
Tenders to be sealed, and endorsed "Tender for Rations."

J. C. Richmond,
Provincial Secretary.

[Reprinted from New Zealand Gazette.]

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 28rd November, 1859.

THE following Act passed by the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the Province of Taranaki, intituled—

"Furz Ordiance, 1859,"

having been laid before the Governor in conformity with the provisions of the "Constitution Act," his Excellency has been pleased to leave the same to its operation.

Henry John Tancred,
For the Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 1st November, 1859.

Sir,—I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th ultimo, enclosing certain proposed Regulations for the disposal of the Waste Lands in the Province of Taranaki, the effect of which would be in certain particulars to alter the state of the land-law as at present administered.

In reply, I have to observe that these Regulations do not come within the terms of the circular addressed to your Honor under date 17th September last, No. 434, as they appear to be in some respects inconsistent with the provisions affecting Military Settlers of the bill passed during the last session of the General Assembly, and reserved for Her Majesty’s assent.

I observe, for instance, that these Regulations allow of land in Taranaki being granted to Military Settlers who have retired or been discharged from the service for the purpose of settling in any part of the Colony; the reserved bill confines those privileges to those only who retired for the purpose of settling in Taranaki.

Again, the last proviso in the third clause of the Proposed Regulations differs from the conditions laid down in the Auckland "Waste Lands Act, 1858," (which, by the reserved bill is made the guide that is to be followed in the case of Military Settlers).

That proviso fixes six years as the period which is to elapse between the retirement of the holder of the land order and the issue of the Grant. The analogous condition in the Auckland Regulations fixes the term at five years from the date at which the holder makes his application to this Commissioners.

Apart, however, from the special objections to the issue of the Regulations in their present shape, the Government think it generally undesirable to interfere in any way with the several laws affecting the disposal of the Waste Lands, or to make any alteration in their provisions.

A departure, indeed, from the strict letter of this rule has become imperatively necessary in some cases, in order to remove some technical doubts as to the validity of the law as there administered.

There are certain Provinces where Ordinances have been passed under the authority of the Waste Lands Act, 1856, since disallowed by Her Majesty, and grave doubts have arisen as to whether that disallowance did not invalidate the Ordinances so passed.

It is evident that, should those doubts be well founded, very serious consequences might ensue, and it becomes the obvious duty of the Government to do away, by any means in their power, with all uncertainty in the matter.

The only effectual method of effecting this object appeared to be to make a change (in concert with the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the several Provinces) in the form of any regulations which might depend upon the validity of a doubtful Ordinance, and to issue them anew under the authority of the "Waste Lands Act, 1854," the validity of which is not questioned.

In such cases, and in such cases only, have the Government felt themselves justified in availing themselves of the Act of 1854.

You will perceive that in the case of Taranaki there is no such necessity, as the Regulations in that Province, resting as they do themselves on the Act of 1854, do not make any interference on the part of the General Government either necessary or, in the opinion of the Government, advisable.

I have to request that your Honor will be good enough to communicate this letter to the Speaker of the Taranaki Provincial Council for its information.

I have, &c.,
Henry John Tancred,
For the Colonial Secretary.

His Honor the Superintendent,
Taranaki.

NEW PLYMOUTH: PRINTED AT THE "TARANAKI NEWS" OFFICE.