H.—l6

1882. NEW ZEALAND.

LAND TRANSFER AND DEEDS REGISTRATION. (ANNUAL REPORT OF DEPARTMENTS FOR 1881-82.)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Secretary for Stamps to the Hon. the Commissioner of Stamps. Sib,— Head Office, Stamp Department, Wellington, 19th June, 1882. I have the honor to submit the usual report on the working of the Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Departments for the financial year 1881-82. On a persual of the returns it will be seen that, with one exception, viz., the Land Assurance Fund, which is about £500 less than the previous year, the transactions are in excess, in some cases very largely, of the year 1880-81, and the revenue collected is over the estimate by about £360. The fees received under the Land Transfer Acts for the twelve months ended the 31st March last, exclusive of Land Assurance Fund and Crown-grant fees, amounted to £22,261 12s. 10d., whilst the receipts for the same period under the Deeds Registration Acts, which is also exclusive of Crowngrant fees, were £18,096 18s.; making a total of £40,358 10s. lOd. The Crown-grant fees collected during the year amounted to £2,611 19s. sd. The balance to the credit of the Assurance Fund according to the books of the Public Trustee on the 31st March last was £33,820 os. Bd. Of this sum £4,665 Bs. 9d. was collected during the year ended on the above date. The expenditure for the same period was £18,267 16s. 9d., or about £700 in excess of the amount voted, This was caused by the large increase of work during the year, there having been 4,723 more documents presented for registration during the year 1881-82 than during the previous year. The returns appended show- —(A) the business transacted under the Land Transfer Acts ; (B) the fees received thereunder, including fees received on account of Crown grants ; (C) the mortgages and discharges of mortgages and the amount remaining secured by mortgage under the said Acts, on the 31st March last; (D) the arrears existing in the various Land Transfer Offices at the close of business on the same date; (E) the number of deeds received for registration and the number remaining unregistered on the 31st March last, also the fees received in the Deeds Registration Offices, which also includes fees received on account of Crown grants ; and (F) comparative statement of the working of the Land Transfer system in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and New Zealand. From this it will be seen that, with the exception of the number of transfers in South Australia, and the number of mortgages and amount of fees collected in Victoria, this colony occupies the premier position. It roust however be borne in mind that the New Zealand returns have been made up to the 31st March last, whilst those for the other colonies have only been made up to the 3lst December, 1880, this being the latest information which has been received. I have, <fec, J. Spebeey, The Hon. the Commissioner for Stamps, Wellington. Secretary for Stamps.