D.-^No.'2,

14

PAPERS RELATING TO THE

No. 24. The Hon. W. Reeves to His Honor W. Rolleston. Office of the Resident Minister for the Middle Island, Sir, — Christchurch, 4th January, 1871. I have the honor to .acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 107, 29th February, 1872, on the subject of the sums payable to the Province of Canterbury. With reference to the first proposal, I have to inform you that His Excellency the Governor has been recommended to waive sections 12, 13, and 14 of " The Payments to Provinces Act, 1871," in favour of the Province of.Canterbury, on condition that the expenditure of the grant be made in accordance with the scheme proposed by your Honor, in a letter addressed to the Hon. Colonial Secretary, under date the Ist July, 1871. The term " new roads " in the 15th section of the Act will be interpreted to include roads not hitherto metalled. I have to acknowledge the receipt of the list of works set out in your Honor's letter now under reply, towards which the remaining half of the money due under the Act is wished to be appropriated, and to state that the Government will be prepared to pay the money as desired, on production of the customary vouchers for its expenditure. In contemplation of the possibility pointed out by your Honor, of changes in boundaries of Road Boards, the Government thinks that it will be advisable to attach a condition to all appropriations which will allow a re-adjustment of the votes in accordance with the alterations that may arise. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Canterbury. W. Reeves.

IX.-WESTLAND. No. 25. Mr. H. H. Lahman to the Hon. W. Gisborne. (No. 728.) Sir,- — County Chairman's Office, Hokitika, 22nd August, 1871. Referring to your circular No. 34, 21st June, 1871, requesting me to propose a scheme for the division among the Road Boards of the sum payable to them for the current year, under "The Payments to Provinces Act, 1870," I have the honor to submit the following plan of distribution for your consideration, which I consider to be based upon the equitable requirements of the districts, viz.:— Paroa Road Board, twelve-sixtieths. Arahura Road Board, twelve sixtieths. Kanieri Road Board, eleven-sixtieths. Totara Road Board, fifteen sixtieths. Okarito Road Board, ten-sixtieths. I have, &c., The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, H. H. Lahman, Wellington. Chairman of the County Council.

No. 26. Mr. H. H. Lahman to the Hon. W. Gisborne. (No. 67.) Sir,- — County Chairman's Office, Hokitika, 18th January, 1872. Referring to your circular No. 64, of 4th December, 1871, drawing my attention to the 19th section of "The Payments to Provinces Act, 1871," which renders it imperative that I should hold in reserve one-tenth of the sum allotted to the County for Road Boards not yet in existence but which may be established before the Ist July next, I have the honor to inform you that the Road Boards in the County are incorporated under the County of Westland Act, which at the same time enacts the number of these bodies which shall exist within the County. You will therefore notice that, without further legislation, no new Road Boards can be formed in the County, and under these circumstances it will be unnecessary to make the reservation. Upon carefully considering the instructions conveyed in your letter No. 67, of 28th December, 1871, as well as the provisions of the Act relating to the distribution amongst the Road Boards of the sums accruing to them, I am of opinion that, in order to render the money immediately available, some modification of the restrictions imposed by the Act is necessary. For this reason I have the honor to request that you will move His Excellency the Governor to exercise the