8.—15

1880. NEW ZEALAND.

LIABILITIES OF THE SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS (STATEMENT OF, BY THE AUDIT OFFICE).

Laid on the Table in terms of " The Public Seventies Act, 1879," Section 2.

Memoeanditm bt Me. PitzGeeald. Bth June, 1880. In laying these accounts before Parliament in accordance with the second section of " The Public Eevenues Act, 1879," the Controller and Auditor-General begs respectively to submit that they involve a doubt as to what is meant by liabilities under that Act. The Crown is not liable for payment of any public money which has not been voted by Parliament. But it appears by comparison of these liabilities as stated by the departments, and the unexpended balances of votes as stated by the Appropriations Account, passed by the Audit in accordance with the sixty-seventh section of "The Public Eevenuos Act, 1878," that the former in several cases exceed the latter—especially in the Native Land Purchase Department: whilst the Appropriation Account states the unexpended balance of the moneys appropriated to be only £104,416 11s. 2d., the liabilities stated by the department amount to no less than £1,001,486 9s. 2d. The Hon. the Speaker of the James Edwaed TitzGeeald, House of Eepresentatives. Controller and Auditor-General.

Statement of Liabilities of the several Government Departments, laid before Parliament by the Audit Office in terms of " The Public Eevenues Act, 1879," Section 2. Colonial Secretary. Mines Department. Colonial Treasurer. Eailways Department. Commissioner of Land-Tax. Colonial Architect's Department. Minister of Justice. Inspection of Machinery. Postmaster-General. Provincial Liabilities, Public "Works Department. Commissioner of Telegraphs. Minister of Defence. Commissioner of Customs. Immigration Department. Marine Department. Minister for Public Works Department. Stamp Department. Ditto, Colonial Architect's Branch. Education Department. Land Purchase Department. Native Minister's Department. Colonial Secretary, Vote 107, Public Works Crown Lands Department. Department. Survey Department.

Statement of all Liabilities in respect of the Services of the several Government Departments outstanding at the close of the Financial Period ended 31st March, 1880, prepared in terms of Section 2 of "The Public Revenues Act, 1879." Colonial Secretary's Department.

I—B. 15. *

No. of Class. No. of Vote. Particulars of Service. Amount. I. —Legislative Electoral Audit Begistrar- General Geological Charitable Lunatic Asylums Printing Miscellaneous ... 5 (i 7 8 9 12 ia 11 16 Contingencies £ 6. d. 20 0 0 200 0 0 7 14 0 1,700 0 0 170 0 0 5,000 0 0 3,200 0 0 150 0 0 2,550 0 0 £12,997 14 0