REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON HIS EXCELLENCY'S MESSAGES Nos. 14 and 15.

Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, 1854 Session I-II

REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON HIS EXCELLENCY'S MESSAGES Nos. 14 and 15.

Thb Select Committee to whom were referred His Excellency's Messages Nos. 14 and 15 having met and taken them into their serious consideration, have agreed to the following Resolutions, by way of Report : — ... _ 1. That Her Majesty's Trsops at present serving in New Zealand are placed in circumstances of great and peculiar difficulty in consequence of the high rate of provisions, lodging, and other necessaries, 2. That His Excellency Lieut.-Colonel Wynyard, in increasing the allowancei to the troops, has incurred a responsibility completely warranted by the circumstances of the ca-e* 3. Tnat while fully admitting that a large portion, if not the whole of the additional expense thus incurred in the maintenance of the Military ought to be borne by the Colony, this Committee is with reluctance compelled to come to the conclusion that for the present the cost of the Civil Government bears so large a proportion to the Revenue of the Colony that it is not in its power to make any contribution towards the maintenance of the Military. 4. That with regard to ller Majesty's surveying ship Pandora, it does not appear that any increase has been made to the pay of the officers and men serving in that vessel; and seeing that the high price of the necessaries of life must press upon them with hardship, and bearing in mind the important services which that vessel has rendered to New Zealand, and may be expected to accomplish in the way of accurate surveys, this Committee is of opinion that a sum of £500 should he placed upon the Esrimntes to be distributed rmong the officers and crew of that vessel in such manner as the Officer administering the Government and Captain Drury may direct. _ J 3 D. Monro, Chairman.