that Mr. Fitzgibbon has already declared his willingness to report upon the practicability of throwing a Bridge over the Wanganui.

The reasons which induced me last session to recommend the erection of a Toll-gate at Kai-warri have acquired additional weight. For the relays in of the two great Trunk lines cost last year £4183—an expenditure which will be very materially exceeded this year. The unfairness of devoting so large an amount of your revenue to such purposes, while those whose property is mainly benefited by Trunk roads not only contribute nothing either to their construction or repairs, but also generally escape all Taxation for District Roads, seems admitted by all parties. It will be for you to consider whether a Toll-gate at Kai-warri will meet the justice of the case; or whether, in addition to a toll levied upon all who use the Trunk Roads, a tax should not be levied on all lands abutting upon them, and which are not taxed for District Roads.

Crown Grants of the Town Belts of Wellington and Wanganui, and also of the Reserve known as the Canal Basin, having been issued to the Superintendent, a Bill will be submitted to you, vesting the management of the Town Belt of Wellington, in a Board of three Commissioners, who will be empowered to lease it in moderate sized allotments for a term of 21 years, and to apply the rents to such Town improvements as they may deem expedient, unless you should specify in the Act works which the Commissioners shall be bound to carry out.

Though the Canal and Basin will be vested in the same Board, yet it is provided in the Bill that they shall be reserved as a Public Park, a certain portion of which is further to be set apart as a Cricket Ground. A similar Bill will be required for the Town Belt of Wanganui.

While providing a Public Park at Te Aro, it seems only fair to make a similar provision for Thorndon, and as it is desirable for several reasons to purchase the acre in front, I would suggest the purchase of the two or three acres behind, with a view of having the whole block planted and laid out, part being made a Botanical Garden.

It having been determined that the next session of the General Assembly shall be held herein in June, it will in all probability be necessary to build one or two rooms in connection with "Bellamy’s," and to provide additional furniture. Although the General Government may be willing to defray these expenses, still it appears to me so wholesome a rule to lay down—that any Province which seeks for the meeting of the General Assembly at its capital, should take upon itself the sole burden of providing the buildings and accommodation which a compliance with its claims entails, that I shall not hesitate to ask you to vote whatever sum may be necessary to meet the requirements of the General Assembly, of which I shall in all probability be advised by the next mail.

I shall again ask you for the appointment of a committee to receive and report upon the claims to compensation of those parties who complain that they were prevented, by a variety of causes, from preferring them within the time prescribed by law.

A block of land at Manawatu, estimated to contain somewhere between twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand acres, has been recently handed over to the Provincial Government, but as the greatest portion of this is swamp, which in the hands of individuals would be comparatively useless, it is proposed that the Government should undertake to drain it before it is thrown open for purchase; the Engineer’s report as to the practicability of draining it being first obtained. A Bill authorising this will probably be necessary.

Under the Provincial Audit Act of the General Assembly (1861), it is necessary that the Provincial Council and Superintendent should concur in the nomination of an Auditor and Deputy Auditor of the accounts of the Province, who will then, after such nomination be appointed by the Speaker, and further, that provision for their salaries should be made by a Provincial Act. While I shall readily concur in your nomination, I yet feel bound to submit, that, considering the faithful and efficient manner in which the present Auditors have for several years discharged their duties, and their entire independence both of the Executive and Legislature, it will be difficult to find others so well qualified for the offices, and therefore, unless to dispense with their services, if they are willing to continue them.

It was my intention to have proposed various Amendments to the District Highways’ Act. But the opinions of those who have had experience of its working are so conflicting that I deem it expedient before any further legislation be attempted, that the whole subject should be referred to a Select Committee—in order that the evidence of members of the various Boards of Wardens may be taken. The anticipations we indulged in last year as to the effect of increasing the Grants in aid, from an equivalent to two-thirds, have been fully realised. The amount paid into the Treasury during the past year for the purpose of obtaining Grants in aid having been more than double the amount of any previous year. I am glad to say that the state of your finances will permit of your continuing to contribute at the same rate during the present year.

As it is essential that the Custom House should be as close as possible to the Custom-house Wharf, I felt it my duty to lose no time after the contract for the wharf had been taken, in having plans prepared for a Custom-house, and also for a Post Office, in consequence of the Postmaster-General having authorised the Postmaster to secure at once a more suitable building. These plans having been approved by the Commissioner of Customs, tenders were called for, and one has been accepted, subject to your sanction. It being desirable that these buildings should be ready for occupation by the time the wharf is completed, you will, I trust, intimate your decision with as little delay as possible. But these are not the only public buildings which are required. By the last mail I received a communication from the General Government, pressing upon me "the desirableness of making provision for the erection of the public buildings required by the Supreme Court and Police Court, and Station—also for the inclusion of a loan." His Excellency intimated that the General Government was so deeply impressed with the necessity of making provision for these objects, that unless the Provincial Legislature will make such provision by a loan, Ministers will feel themselves called upon to propose to the General Assembly, in its next session, to sanction the necessary expenditure, the amount being brought to account as a local charge against the revenue of the Province." I not only coincide in the opinion thus expressed as to the necessity of the buildings in question, but I am anxious that you should also sanction the building of a Police Court and Station—as to be included in the loan. The site proposed for the Supreme Court and Police Court is the reserve near the Scotch Church. I need not point out that by erecting these public buildings either on or in the immediate vicinity of the reclaimed land, you will materially enhance its value, and ensure a speedy demand for it. Considering the large sums thus proposed to be expended in this city during the current year the many public works which are required in differ-