A.—No. 1

56

DESPATCHES FROM THE GOVERNOR OP NEW

No. 64. The Wellington Supreme Court House Site Act, 1865, enables the Trustees of the Scotch Church Reserves in Wellington, to carry into effect an agreement with the Superintendent for the conveyance to him of twenty feet of the frontage of that reserve, required for the Supreme Court and buildings connected therewith. No. 65. The Crown Lands (Nelson) Leasing Act, 1865, authorizes the substitution of Leases in place of Licenses for pasturage of Crown Lands in the Province of Nelson. No. 66. The New Zealand Settlements Amendment and Continuance Act, 1865, extends till the 3rd December, 1867, the power of the Governor to proclaim Districts, and reserve land for settlement in districts forfeited for insurrection, and renders perpetual in all other respects the Act of 1863, authorizing such forfeitures as amended by an Act of 1864. This Act also extends the Governor's powers in reference to compensation claims and grants to military settlers, and subjects the money to arise from the sale and disposal of land, under the provisions of these Acts, to the unrestricted appropriation of the General Assembly. A copy of this Bill, as originally introduced into the General Assembly, was forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with a memorandum from Mr. Weld, in August last. His Excellency's present advisers concur in the reasons given therein, showing the necessity for some such Act as that now transmitted. No. 67. The Naturalization Act, 1865, gives to certain aliens within the Colony the rights of natural born subjects of Her Majesty. No. 68. The Southland Provincial Debt Act, 1865, provides for the examination and settlement of the Debts of the Province of Southland ; charges the interest and principal thereof upon the ordinary revenue of the Colony ; and to meet these liabilities impounds the Land Revenue of the Province, and places the regulation of the sale of its AA raste Lands in the hands of the Governor, with a saving of existing securities. This Act also contains a general clause, restraining for the future Superintendents and Provincial Councils from raising loans unless previously sanctioned by the Genera] Assembly. This clause will have a most beneficial operation in regulating the finances of the Colony, and will improve the credit of its existing securities. No. 69. The Loan Allocation Act, 1565, defines the amounts, interest, and mode of repayment of the various sums expended in tho Provinces of Auckland, AVellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki, under the authority of " The New Zealand Loan Act, 1863," " The Debentures Act, 1864," and " The Loan Appropriation Act, 1863." No. 70. The Representation Act, 1865.—This Act increases to seventy the number of members of the House of Representatives ; annuls certain Electoral Districts and creates new ones. No. 71. The Native Lands Act, 1865, amends and consolidates the laws relating to lands in the Colony, in which Maori proprietary customs still exist; makes provision for the ascertainment of Titles to such lands, and for regulating the descent thereof, and leases and sales thereof. It establishes a Native Land Court for the investigation of Titles, authorized to try questions upon such investigations by Jury of Maoris or Englishmen ; upon determination thereof to grant certificates of title ; to determine the descent of lands of Natives dying without having disposed thereof; by consent of tribes, and with the approval of the Governor, to define inter-tribal boundaries; to try actions or issues relating to Native lands or customs, referred by order of the Supremo Court, the decision whereupon shall be received as authoritative by the Supreme Court. The Governor is authorized to grant to the persons whose title is certified by the Court the lands comprised in such certificate, with such, if any, restrictions upon the alienability as may be recommended by the Native Land Court, and to grant to purchasers from Natives under the provisions of the Act, the land so purchased. The machinery provided by this Act will be an important step towards vesting in the aboriginal inhabitants those individual rights to property in land which in other countries form the best guarantee for peaceful and orderly conduct. No. 72. The Wellington Waste Lands Amendment Act, 1865, establishes a Waste Lands Board, and makes certain changes in the mode of administering and disposing of portions of the AVastc Lands in the Province of AVellington. No. 73. The Resident Magistrate's Criminal Jurisdiction Extension and Amendment Act, 1865, extends the summary jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate in certain cases, and limits the powers of Resident Magistrates in whose Courts the clauses extending jurisdiction shall have been brought into force. No. 73. The Comptrollers Act, 1865, contains provisions for establishing an efficient control over the expenditure of the public revenues of the Colony. No. 75. The Appropriation Act, 1865, grants to Her Majesty, out of the ordinary revenue, supplies for the public service of the Colony to the 30th of June, 1866. . Private Acts. 1. The Duck's Nest Dam Act, 1865. 2. The Lincoln. Road Mill Dam Act, 1865, authorize the construction by John Cracroft AVilson, of Mill Dams over the River Heathcote, saving rights of Riparian proprietors, and of Her Majesty and Bodies Politic, &c, and fish ladders if needed. 3. The Picton and Blenheim Railway Act, 1565, authorizes the formation of the Picton and Blenheim Railway, incorporates the undertakers, incorporates the Imperial Act, " The Railways Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845," with certain excepted clauses ; provides for charges and publication, and limits the time for commencing the work to five years from the passing of the Act.