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Colonies, were unanimously adopted by the Board, shew that, for an original outlay of £2000, with an annual expenditure of £2200, exclusive of stationery, the Government could be provided with the means of efficiently carrying on the whole of their printing. Whilst we are thus satisfied that as a matter of economy it would be advisable to establish a Government Printing Press in the Colony; we respectfully submit to the consideration of the Government the following reasons which have been suggested to the Board by some of its members, why such an establishment would be conducive to the convenience of the Government. Ist. For the General Assembly in Session. Presuming that two-thirds of the staff and one of the presses were exclusively devoted to its use, the Votea and Proceedings of both Houses could be printed daily and be in members' hands generally on the morrow; reports of Select Committees would be circulated the same day; evidences before Select Committees when so ordered could be printed from day to day, and the Order Paper could always be ready the first thing in the morning. Under the present arrangement, where the printing for the Assembly is done in an establishment that publishes a bi-weekly paper, this has not hitherto been found practicable. The Government Printer would be responsible to the officers of the Assembly for the accuracy of the work done by him, for which he is supplied with a reader, and thus the piess work would not in busy times have to stand over for want of a reader at hand, nor would the clerks be called on to read the same work three times. To the General Assembly it would ensure accuracy and despatch, with economy of extra clerical assistance. 2nd. During the recess the staff would be occupied in printing the annual volumes of statistics, census forms and any other forms required by the Government, the Maori Messenger and other general printing for the Government, which promises to increase yearly. In the Attorney-General's department they are in correspondence with 94 persons who all require forms, of which in that office alone there are 160 different kinds, and there have been issued to Resident Magistrates', Coroners, &c, since 185b, including forms &c. printed at the various towns in the Provinces, no loss than a million and a half, a similar quantity it is estimated would be required for this year. It would be the duty of the Government Printer when at leasure to have a supply printed, and when required they would be sent away by him direct to the persons making the requisitions. At present the forms are sent up to the different offices and the time of the clerks is very much taken up in addresbing the parcels. A similar arrangement would exist as to the circulation by the Government Printer of all the publications of the Colony. Blue Books, Statistics, &c, as at present exists with regard to the Gazette according to an approved list supplied to him by each department, and thus also a large amount of extra clerical assistance would be economised especially at the departure of Mails. 3rd. Many of the old Ordinances still of force within the Colony are absolutely not to be had. Many of the Acts of the General Assembly are already out of print. Thirty Imperial Acts have been adopted by English Acts Acts, but are out of reach of all who do not send expressly to England for them. Many Imperial Statutes passed since 1840 extend to Her Majesty's dominions generally and Magistrates within the Colony are bound to take cognizance of them, but they only exist in the library of the General Assembly and the offices of the Attorney-General. The constant call for these render a republication of them a work of almost immediate necessity, and with this could be combined a consolidation of those later laws of the Colony which Magistrates are liable to be called upon to administer. The establishment of such a Press would enable the Government to publish the work at a less cost than at the present contract rates; and while within the reach of every Magistrate, in point of expense, it might still be sold at a price that would fairly cover all the cost of its preparation. The creation of such an establishment also would invite the more frequent publication of works such as Mr. Justice Johnston's Handbook, the Ko Nga Tuie, and works of a class of great utility to the public generally. Such are the suggestions that were submitted to invite the establishment of a I'ress as a matter of convenience. In conclusion, we considered the objection as to the difficulty of obtaining the requisite hands, but after deliberating upon it, we do not find sufficient grounds to consider it tenable. Charles Knight, Chairman. W. Gisborne, Under Secretary. Francis D. Fknton, Assistant Law Officer. R. F. Portkr, Assistant Treasurer. E. F. Campbell, Clerk General Assembly. John Cdrnin, Clerk Legislative Council.

No. 2. MR. FOX TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TASMANIA. New Zealand, Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 4th April, 1862. Sir — A Commission having been appointed to report to the Government as to the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Press in New Zealand, and in their investigations, having

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A GOVERNMENT PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT.