A.—4,

The Hon. the Premier to the Controller and Auditor-General, Government Buildings, Sir,— Wellington, 3rd September, 1880. With a view of assisting the inquiry, which it has been arranged will be held next session by the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives into the whole system of keeping and auditing the public accounts of the colony, the Government is desirous that full information shall be obtained upon the subject of the management of public accounts in the Australian Colonies. I beg therefore to request that you will be good enough to inform me whether you would undertake to proceed to Australia for the purpose of collecting this information, and of making a full report on the management of public moneys in those colonies, especially as regards the audit of accounts. Such report should comprise full information upon the number of officers employed, and the cost of audit; on the mode in which railway accounts are kept, rendered, and audited; on the management of the public stores ; on the practice of voting money by Parliament, and the control exercised over the expenditure; on the relations between the Audit and Ministers ; on the subject of imprests ; on the audit of the accounts of local governing bodies; and on any other subject connected with the receipt and expenditure of public moneys in those colonies which may arise in the course of the inquiry. The Government would desire that the report should be a full and exhaustive one upon the whole subject, and that it should be ready for presentation to Parliament at its next meeting. I have, &c, John Hall.

The Controller and Auditor-General to the Hon. the Premier. Sir, — Audit Office, January, 1881. In obedience to the instructions conveyed to me in your letter of the 3rd of September last, I have visited the several Colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, and have prosecuted the inquiries I was directed to make with as much expedition as possible. I regret that owing to the distance of "Western Australia it was impossible for me to visit that colony within the time at my disposal. I have now the honor to submit to you the following report:— " Such report," you stated, " should comprise full information upon the " number of officers employed, and the cost of Audit; and on the mode in which " railway accounts are kept, rendered, and audited; on the management of the I—A. 4.

REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF PUBLIC REVENUES.