far distant when a wiser policy may prevail,
and native landed property be compelled to
bear its burthen equally with European-
share and share alike in proportion. The
policy of maintaining the main trunk lines
out of general provincial revenue which pre-
vailed since the first year of provincial admin-
istration, is proposed to continue; and it is
proposed to further aid the revenue in that
behalf by the imposition of tolls at convenient
sites—particularly at certain bridges—and I
may here express my opinion that large con-
tracts for bridging rivers will be undertaken
upon security of tolls. The time, I hope, is
not far distant when the management and
maintenance of these trunk lines will be
handed over to the respective road boards
through which they pass. We may reasonably
suppose that such a transfer will not be post-
pone for any great length of time after a
trunk railway shall have been constructed
through the province. I may observe that it
is encouraging to find that the Kaiwarra toll-
bar has just been let at a good advance on the
rate of last year. It is, indeed, the feature in
this kind of direct taxation that it is self-adjust-
ing, i.e., the more the use of the road, the larger
the funds available for keeping it in repair.
The Tramways Bill authorises the construc-
tion of lines of this description on the basis of
certain concessions. I have reason to believe
that advantage of this measure, if passed, will
be taken. If so, it will be a great advantage to
the general advancement of settlement; and
also I believe it will be without burthen, if
not with direct aid, to the provincial revenue.
The Railway Reserves Bill is a very impor-
tant measure, and in addition to the necessity
of making reserves, the question demands your
consideration, in order that you may not have
to repurchase lands which you alienated the day
before, at double or treble the price to-morrow.
With regard to the sale of land on deferred
payments, and for special settlement, I believe
that the time has arrived when you are bound
to stimulate settlements if you wish to keep
pace with the times. I believe further, that
a Homestead Bill will at no distant date be
recognized as an important feature in the
land regulations, and an important colonizing
attraction of the colony of New Zealand at
large.

There are some special subjects to which
I desire to refer, before proceeding to invite
your attention to the Estimates for the year.
I first notice the conclusion of a contract
for the erection of a patent slip, under a pro-
vincial guarantee. It is still necessary that
some action should be taken by the Council
in reference to the foreshore, in which I am
sure you will readily concur, and I think the
Province may be congratulated on the pros-
pects of a speedy consummation of its wishes
in regard to this important undertaking.
I am happy to be able to inform you that
the bridge over the Wanganui river is all but
completed. Here we have another instance of
the province achieving a great colonial work.
For such a character is this undertaking; and
whilst I may justly congratulate you thereon,
it is at the same time not to be forgotten that
the credit of this great undertaking is due
like the one I have just referred to, to the
former provincial administration. I wish I
could inform you that every difference had
been adjusted with regard to the much vexed
Manawatu land purchase question. The late
Superintendent claimed on behalf of the pro-
vince the sum of £15,000 for fifteen thousand
acres of provincial estate taken by the General
Government and given to certain natives as
additional reserves. My opinion coincides
with that of my predecessor as to the validity
of the provincial claim. You will probably
however, concur with me in the opinion that
the course it will be best, in the general
interests of the province for the Provincial
Government to pursue in regard to this claim

requires a very careful consideration. I
candidly inform you that for the present
I wait upon circumstances. The Pro-
vincial Government has been now for a
long time in lodgings, and the Provincial
Council has had to make shift for an
assembly room; not only has much personal
inconvenience been submitted to in conse-
quence of this want of proper accommodation,
but the efficiency of the public service has
been impaired, without securing any corres-
ponding amount of economy. A moderate
vote will therefore be proposed, in order to
provide for the erection of suitable provin-
cially buildings on the site of the Govern-
ment reserve on the reclaimed land. A sur-
vey of the Hutt river, above and be-
low the site of the broken bridge, has been
made, and Mr. Blackett, by permission of the
General Government, has examined the banks
of the river and suggested different sites. His
report will be laid before you.

I now refer to the estimates of revenue and
expenditure for the year ending 31st March,
1872. I may say that they have been prepared
with the greatest care, and will be submitted
to you in detail without delay; and I do not
propose to do more than refer to their amount
and general scope. I have already informed
you of the amount of the total estimated in-
come: the items are as follows, viz.:

Balance in bank ... £2,856 10 3
Licenses publicans & auctioneers ... 8,800 0 0
Pilotage ... 1,500 0 0
Sheep assessment ... 1,250 0 0
Incidental receipts ... 1,700 0 0
Toll-bars ... 3,000 0 0
Queen’s warehouse wharf ... 2,400 0 0
Reclaimed land ... 8,000 0 0
Land revenue ... 18,000 0 0
Mortgages ... 1,650 0 0

Total ... £43,156 10 3

I pass on to a review of the estimated
amounts under the several classes of expen-
diture for the same period, framed upon the
basis of accordance with the proposed
policy of the Government. In doing so I will
contrast the several amounts with those pro-
posed for the financial year ending March,
1869 (the latest year which admits of a fair
comparison). The figures stand thus, viz.:

Year ending Year ending
March 31, 1869 March 31, 1872
£ s.d. £ s.d.
1 Executive ... 2,895 0 0 2,012 0 0
2 Legislative ... 1,485 0 0 695 0 0
3 Judicial & Police ... 7,552 4 6 7,882 15 6
4 Charitable ... 4,087 0 0 3,997 5 0
5 Education ... 2,500 0 0 3,577 0 0
6 Harbors ... 2,617 0 0 2,772 0 0
7 Special ... 2,108 0 0 1,669 10 0
8 Miscellaneous ... 1,966 0 0 1,872 5 0
9 Public Works and Undertakings
Land Department ... 1,560 0 0 1,210 0 0
Survey ... 718 5 0 10,000 0 0
Engineers ... 2,423 15 0 700 0 0
Sundry Undertakings ... 3,614 10 0 540 0 0
Roads £17,755; less Grants in Aid
to Dist. Boards £11,000 ... 6,755 0 0 9,700 0 0
Bridges* ... 5,000 0 0 12,560 0 0
Contingencies ... 8,000 0 0 1,000 0 0
10 Amounts provided by Special Acts ... 23,151 0 0 1,900 0 0

• Wanganui Bridge. † Interest at present
  charged on Consolidated Revenue.

You will perceive that a reduction (in some
instances considerable) is proposed for nearly
all the services of the present year, as com-
pared with the year in contrast; with the ex-
ception of the following classes, viz., education,
surveys, roads, and bridges. That is to say,
whilst the departmental charges have been de-