P.—No. 5

Electoral. Mr. Macdonald, Chief Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office, was invited to attend and explain some items of unauthorized expenditure under the heads of "Registration" and "Electoral." The following questions were then given to him in writing, replies to which he promised to furnish the committee with by the next meeting:— Ist. How do you explain the items of unauthorized expenditure under the head " Electoral," 61 B. No. 2, Finance Account, 1864-5 ? 2nd. How are the electoral expenses regulated with regard to (1) Registration and Revising Officers ; (2), Returning Officers; (3), Advertising and Printing ? The committee then adjourned till Monday, the 6th of August, at 1030 a.m.

Monday, 6tii August, 1866. The committee met pursuant to adjournment: Present all the members. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Batkin attended, and explained that the item of £9601 14s. Id. for printing and stationery, under the head of " Miscellaneous Services," 21 B. No. 2, and of £2092 ss. 9d. for " Printing Establishment," under the head of " Supplementary Expenditure," include all the expenses for General Government printing, except such as is connected with the war, and a trifling amount for printing and stationery connected with the Native Lands Court. Dr. Knight attended, and stated that he had examined all the accounts. He then laid before the committee correspondence relative to the expenditure of money for the building of the new Post Office in Dunedin. A series of written questions were given him, to which he promised to furnish answers in writing. The following replies to questions furnished him at the last meeting were given in by Mr. Macdonald, Chief Clerk in the Colonial Secretary's Office, in a letter addressed to the Chairman. Ist. The items of unauthorized expenditure, under the head of " Electoral" (61 B. No. 2), Finance Account, 1864-5, are for amounts in excess of the vote of the G-eneral Assembly, and form part of the Supplementary Estimates submitted for the consideration of the House. 2nd. The Registration and Returning Officers have nearly all fixed salaries voted by the General Assembly; those who have not receive fees for each election. 3rd. Revising Officers have fixed salaries voted by the General Assembly. 4th. There is a vote of the House for these items (advertising and printing) but each account requires Ministerial approval before it is paid, and if the vote is exceeded the amounts form part of the Supplementary Estimates submitted to the House for its consideration. The committee agreed to call for vouchers covering the electoral expenses. The committee then proceeded to. examine the disbursements in the Finance Accounts seriatim, and passed all as far as the Native Schools Act (7 B. No. 2 A.) Resolved—That vouchers for the expenditure under " The Native Schools Act, 1858," be produced. Resolved—That the Under Secretary of the Native Department be summoned to attend before the committee on Tuesday, the 7th August, at 1030 a.m. The committee then adjourned till Tuesday, the 7th August, at 1030 a.m.

Tuesday, 7tii August, 1866. The committee met pursuant to adjournment: Present all the members. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The examination of the Finance Accounts for 1564-5 was resumed at Native Schools Act, 1858. Mr. Rolleston, Under Secretary of the Native Minister's Department, attended and explained that the Act authorizing the grants in aid of Native schools had lapsed, but at present the principle embodied in that Act is still acted upon. The payment was made according to the returns of the schools sent in, at a rate of £10 a head, excepting in the case of St. Stephen's Church of England School, Auckland, to which the payments are at a higher rate, and not made under the Act, but paid out of the general fund. Native Purposes Appropriation Act, 1562. Mr. Eolleston could not exactly say how the expenditure under this head for " presents to and entertainment of Natives " had been regulated, but at present it is under the direct control of the Minister without whose sanction no expenditure is made. With respect to the amounts for " Hospitals," formerly the Native Department took charge of the whole expenditure for these institutions, and charged at the rate of two shillings per diem. Now, however, the Native expenditure bears to the whole expenditure in the hospital the same ratio that the number of diets to Natives bears to the whole number of diets issued. Mr. Rolleston promised to supply the committee with a detailed statement of expenditure, in continuation of Return E. No. 10, in " Appendix to the Journal of the House of Representatives, 1865." The Committee then adjourned till Wednesday, Bth August, at 1030 a.m.

"Wednesday, Bth August, 1866. The committee met pursuant to notice : Present all the members. In consequence of the mails for the North and South of the Colony leaving this day, the committee adjourned till 9th August, at 1030 a.m.

Thubsday, 9th August, 1866. The committee met pursuant to adjournment: Present all the members. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

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REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE