A.—No. 1

100 miles from Wellington. It will be further perceived that the Corporation is bound to place on this land, within a limited period, a number of immigrants equal to not less than two thousand (2,000) statute adults. I append some notes of a recent visit to the Manawatu District, written by Mr. Fox, the Prime Minister of this Colony. 5. It will be recollected that (as I have explained in previous despatches) the opening up of the country by means of railways and other public works may be expected not only to produce the same social and material advantages in New Zealand as elsewhere, but also to confer very important political benefits, by rendering Native wars practically impossible for the future. A large number of Maoris will continue to be employed on the roads in the interior of the North Island, in the manner stated in my Despatches No. 160 of 1869 and No. 45 of 1871. 6. I will, report, from time to time, the progress of the public works. Meanwhile, I will now conclude with the expression of my earnest hope that they will be conducted by the Colonial Ministers and their officers with such skill and prudence that they will ultimately realize the expectations of the Government and of the Legislature. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley. G. ~F. BO WEN.

Enclosure 4. Extract from the Wellington Independent, Jan. 19, 1872.

Enclosure 1 in No. 48. ExTKACT. " We understand that the question of the construction of the railways authorized by the Assembly has constantly occupied the attention of the Government since the close of the Session, and that, after considerable negotiations with Mr. James Brogden, preliminary arrangements have been made with that gentleman on behalf of his firm, and a determination was also generally arrived at respecting all the authorized railways. The arrangement come to with Mr. Brogden is to this effect: With as little delay as possible the Government will place in his hands data sufficient to enable the firm to tender for the construction of various railways. If the Government are able to make arrangements with Messrs. Brogden for railways to the extent of £700,000, then " Contract No. 2," as entered into by Mr. Vogei with the firm in England, is to be cancelled, otherwise it will remain in force. Several months must elapse before the necessary data as to all the railways can be given to Mr. Brogden, but as the data for each line is given, he is, on behalf of his firm, within one month to send in a written tender for its construction, and if the Government should not consider such tender to be reasonable, they will be at liberty to call for public tenders for the particular work. During the interval before final arrangements can be completed, the Government can give to Messrs. Brogden and Sons the construction^of such portions of railways as may be resolved upon, and the works are to be executed under the direction of the Engineer-in-Chief, the firm receiving payment ten per cent, over and above the actual outlay, all expenditure being under the control, and by the direction of the Government. This provision will enable the work to be commenced without delay upon such lines in different parts of the country as the Engineer may have ready for commencement. It is provided that if the contract for railways to the amount of £700,000 is arranged, or if negotiations for that contract fail and Contract No. 2 is consequently revived, the Government may include in the works to be done under either contract, any railway or parts of railways which may meanwhile have been confided to Messrs. Brogden to be constructed under the ten per cent, arrangement, so that that arrangement really enables works to be commenced in anticipation of the contract finally to be made, without necessarily importing any additional terms of agreement. On the other hand, if the railway be not included in contracts, the Government have power at any time to end the ten per cent, arrangement, and call for public tenders. "The following is a list of the railways concerning which it is proposed to make arrangements with the firm:— Dunedin to Clutha. Such portions as arc Auckland to Drury. not being under contract. Drury to Mercer. Blenheim to Picton. Wellington to Hutt Valley. (Twenty miles.) Eakaia to Ashburton. Waitara to New Plymouth. Ashburton to Temuka. Napier to Pakipaki. (Twenty miles.) Temuka to Washdyke. Brunner to Greymouth. Invercargill to Mataura. Ivawakawa to place of shipment. Moeraki to Waitangi. " The last two conditional on satisfactory arrangements being made by the Government with the owners or lessees of the coal mines. In respect to the Brunner mine, arrangements have already been provisionally made with the Superintendent of Nelson. As we have said, if the £700,000 contract is arranged, the No. 2 Contract will cease to be of force; and should the No. 2 Contract be brought into operation, the railways enumerated will be railways to be constructed under that contract to the extent of half a million. In either case, the construction of lines not coming under the contract arrangements, will be let by public tender. As to the authorized railways, or works not included in the list, we have been given to understand that the Government have agreed as to the mode of procedure, which may be stated generally as follows :—Tramway from Napier to the Spit to be pushed forward 'expeditiously. The Waitangi Bridge works to be carried on by Government, and proceeded with expeditiously. 14

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NEW ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.