11

E.—4c.

No. 26. The Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey to His Honor the Supeeintendent, Otago. Sib, — Colonial Secretary's Office, 18th June, 1875. I do myself the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 22nd December and 22nd May, relative to line to be adopted for the railway between Mataura and Clutha, in both of which your Honor urges that the deviation near Balclutha, proposed by the settlers in the Waitepeka and neighbouring districts, should be further considered by the Government. In reply, I beg to inform your Honor that the Engineer-in-Chief was some time since directed personally to examine and report on the merits of the deviation as above proposed, and to state that in consequence of the report received (of which I enclose a copy) the Government have decided to adhere to the line as originally laid out. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Otago. D. Pollen.

Enclosure in No. 26. Repoet of the Engineeb-in-Chief. Deviation near Balclutha of Clutha to Mataura Railway. Public Works Office, Wellington, 17th June, 1875. Hating visited the district in which this deviation of the Clutha to Mataura line is proposed, I beg to report that, in my opinion, the line selected by Mr. Brunton is the better of the two—viz., that by way of the Four-Mile Valley. The Waitepeka Valley, through which the petitioners wish the line to bo taken, is certainly a richer and better settled valley than the other, and if a branch line only were proposed it would be the better line. If the line is taken by way of the Four-Mile Valley, the Waitepeka settlers will have to cart their produce two miles further than if it were taken through their own valley; on the other hand, the whole of the traffic between Dunedin and the district south of Clinton will have to pass over more than a mile less of railway, with better gradients. In effect, if the Waitepeka deviation is adopted, it will be equivalent to levying a tax of from 4d. to 6d. a ton on all traffic between Dunedin and the South, in order to save a charge of Is. 6d. a ton for cartage on the very much smaller business of the Waitepeka Valley. The Hon. the Minister for Public Works. John Caeeuthees.

No. 27. His Honor the Supeeintendent, Otago, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Province of Otago, New Zealand, Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 2Gth June, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the number and date quoted in the margin (No. 370, Bth June, 1875), acquainting me with the decision of the Government relative to the railway line betweenClutha and Mataura, the contents of which I have communicated to those interested in the Waitepeka deviation. I have, &c, J. Macandbew, The Hon. the Oolonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 28. His Honor the Supeeintendent, Otago, to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 30th June, 1875. I have the honor to forward copy of a resolution of the Provincial Council of Otago, adopted at its recent session, on the subject of the deviation of the main line of railway between Balclutha and Clinton. I have, &c, J. Macandbew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent of Otago.

Enclosure in No. 28. SouTnEEN Teunk Railway—Balclutha to Clinton. Resolved, —" That, in the opinion of this Council, it is essential in the public interest that the main line of the Southern Trunk Railway between Balclutha and Clinton should be carried as near as possible to the settled districts from whence the traffic will be supplied, and that the line by Waitepeka, as permanently surveyed, being four miles nearer the settled districts than the proposed deviation, should be adopted ; and that an Address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the General Government."— (Mr. Henderson.') Passed by the Provincial Council, June 14th, 1875. John L. Gillies, Speaker. W. E. Sessions, Clerk of Council. 2—E. 4c.