H.—lB,

4

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE.

RegTJLATICCN'S. In consequence of recommendations, addressed partly to the Government and partly to the Board, certain alterations have been made in the regulations for the conduct of examinations ; and amended regulations, which are to come into force on the Ist January, 1577, were published in the New Zealand Gazette of 15th June last. I forward a copy of these regulations herewith.* Under the amended regulations the limitation as to the ago at which candidates can be examined is done away with; and persons not intending to enter the Civil Service, such as law students and others, can be examined on payment of a fee of £2 2s. These amendments were rendered advisable chiefly by the fact that the Judges of the Supreme Court occasionally take the Board's pass certificate for the Senior Examination as evidence of the satisfactory lay education of a candidate for admission to the Bar. Such candidates have hitherto been placed at a disadvantage, inasmuch as they have to pass the Junior Examination before they can pass the Senior, and they must pass the Junior before they have reached the age of twenty-two. Under the amended regulations, they may pass the Junior Examination after they have reached that age, though still obliged to pass the Junior before the Senior. Candidates will be required to state, in their applications to be "examined, whether they are candidates for employment in the Civil Service. Another alteration, and one which the Board consider will be of no little advantage, is that candidates for the Senior Examination will be ahle to take up part of a Latin prose work and part of a Latin poem, instead of being examined solely in either prose or poetry as now provided by the Regulations. It was represented to the Board that the constant application of a youth to the study of one Latin author, during the course of preparation for examination, rather tended to weary him with his work, and that a variety in the subjects, without increasing the total quantity, would lighten his labours and render him more conversant with the language. The Board recommended the Government to make such an alteration in the regulations as would conduce to this result, and the alteration has been made. Examination Papees. I forward herewith, in duplicate, copies of the papers used at the December, 1875, and June, 1876, examinations. I have, &c, W. Gisboene, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, &c, Ac. Chairman.

* Vide Gazette of 15th June, 1876.

By Authority : G-eoe&e Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB76. Price 3d.]

£ s. d. £ s. d. Fees to supervisors ... ... 68 5 C Preparation and revision of papers ... 66 16 C Books ... ... ... lie Attendance fees of members not being members of the Civil Service 1G 16 0 oted by Parliament for the purposes of the Board ... ... 200 0 0 Total ... ... £152 18 6 Balance unexpended ... 47 1 6 £200 0 0 £200 0 0