A.—4a

The Government have seen no reason to advise His Excellency to exercise his power of disallowing " The Dog Nuisance Amendment Ordinance;" but with regard to " The Patea Education Reserves Ordinance," the lands which it purports to vest in the Patea Education Board, not being at the disposal of the Provincial Government, the Ordinance is ultra vires, and I shall be obliged to advise His Excellency to withhold his assent. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent of Taranaki. Daniel Pollen.

WELLINGTON. No. 13. His Honor the Stjpeeintendent, Wellington, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 30th April, 1874. I do myself the honor to forward through you, for His Excellency the Governor, the following Bill passed by the Provincial Council during their present Session (XXVII.), to which I have assented on His Excellency's behalf, viz., — " An Act to appropriate the Eevenue of the Province of Wellington for a term commencing from the first day of April, 1874, and ending the thirty-first day of May, 1874." I have, &c, William Fitziieebeet, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 14. The Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey to His Honor the SupebintendelVt, Wellington. Sic,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, Ist May, 1874. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, enclosing " The Ad Interim Appropriation Act, 1874," passed by the Provincial Council of Wellington, to which your Honor has assented on behalf of His Excellency the Governor. 2. I desire to point out to your Honor that the usual provision to the effect that payments are to be made on the Superintendent's warrant specifying the persons to whom and the amounts in which the moneys voted are to be paid, is omitted in this Ordinance. 3. I enclose a draft of the clauses prepared by the Attorney-General, which the Government wish your Honor to propose to the Provincial Council in future Appropriation Ordinances. 4. His Excellency, however, will not be advised to exercise his power of disallowing this Ordinance. 5. I take this opportunity of informing your Honor that the Provincial Auditor has strongly advised that the Appropriation Acts of the province should have the Estimates attached to them, for reasons stated in his report on the subject, a copy of which I have the honor to enclose. I have, &c, Edwaed Eichaedson, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. (in absence of the Colonial Secretary).

Enclosure 1 in No. 14. (a.) The Treasurer of the said province shall issue and pay the said several sums to such persons for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned, upon such days and in such proportions as the Superintendent of the said province shall by any warrant to be signed by him, after the same shall have been certified by the Provincial Auditor in the manner prescribed by " The Provincial Audit Act, 1866," order and direct, and the payment so to be made shall be charged upon and payable out of such revenue as aforesaid. (b.) The said Treasurer shall in his accounts be allowed credit for all sums of money paid by him in pursuance of such warrants ; and the receipt of all such persons to whom such sums shall have been paid shall be a valid discharge to the said Treasurer in passing his said accounts for any such sums as therein mentioned.

Enclosure 2 in No. 14. Eepoet on the Accounts of the Peovincial Tbeasueee of Wellington for the Quarter ending 31st December, 1873. To His Excellency the Goveenoe. I have the honor to forward herewith a statement of accounts compiled from the accounts of the Provincial Treasurer, together with a copy of those accounts. I deem it my duty to draw attention to the Appropriation Act of 1873 of this province. It will be observed that there is no direct connection between that Act and the " Estimates." They are not incorporated with the Act, and, beyond the fact of the similarity of totals of each classification, there is no connection. I presume that in passing the Appropriation Act it was the intention of the Provincial Council that the items in the Estimates they had considered should be the Superintendent's guide when issuing warrants for expenditure, and have no doubt but that such has been the practice. But the Act itself places no such restriction upon him, and he could, if he so pleased, have directed the

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