l.—G.

under the same circumstances as the advance to the Tauranga County, and being on account of money that would be due under the Crown and Native Lands Eating Act. Ordinary Revenue Account. Class 111., Vote 17, £6,209 14s. sd. 7. Your Committee are informed that this excess arises chiefly from a larger sum being required for exchange on remittances for payment of interest and sinking fund in England than was provided for, and from stamp duty on debentures issued under the Treasury Bills Acts of 1879 and 1880 also not provided for. The following statement explains the excess : — 8. Statement of expenditure made under Vote 17, Colonial Treasurer, Miscellaneous compared with the amount appropriated for the year ended the 31st March, 1883 :—

Issued in excess of vote, £6,210. Class IV., Vote 23, £1,812 Is. 4d. 9. Your Committee are informed that the original estimate was based upon the expenditure on criminal prosecutions of the previous year as reported by the Treasury, but that during the last year there were several murder and other heavy cases for which there were large extra fees to counsel, besides unusual expenses of witnesses. Since the Ist January, 1883, the new scale of fees to Crown Solicitors and of expenses allowed to witnesses has caused increased expenditure. (See Appendix.) 1 Class V., Vote 30, £11,422 14s. 6d. 10. Your Committee have received the following explanation of the excess of expenditure on this and the following votes: Vote 30. The cost of the repairs to the Cook Strait cable, amounting to £3,991, was charged against this vote, although no provision had been made for the expenditure. It was found necessary to send an extraordinary order for stationery, &c, amounting to about £4,000. This sum has been debited against the vote under the head " Advances," while the stationery will not be received until about the end of this year. £780 for reconstruction of telegraph lines, and £416 for orders for material, formerly borne on loan, w rere, by special directions of the Audit Office, finally charged to Vote 30 in the place of Vote 109. These sums amount to £9,187, and the balance of the excess, viz., £2,235 14s. 6d., was expended on repairs and maintenance of telegraph wires. Class V., Vote 32, £3,287 6s. 7d. 11. A sum of £2,366, arrears of bonus to San Francisco mail service contractors, was paid last year (the bonus paid during the two previous years was over £2,300 less than the sums voted); and outstanding gratuities to the amount of £848 15s. Id., due to the Union Company but not previously claimed, were paid out of this vote. Class XI., Vote 52, £17,547 Bs. 9d. 12. Your Committee are informed that the-sum of £4,516 14s. Id., part of this vote, is general, and cannot be allocated. They are also informed that in so large and uncertain a business as the railways minute accuracy cannot be attained in estimating. In some respects expense may be in excess of, in others below, the estimate. Casual expenses arising from accidents, floods, and fire are also stated to have been productive of excess of expense last year. The item of £13,030 14s. Bd. includes advances to the Agent-General and to iinprestees in connection with the railways, as shown in the following statement: — 13. New Zealand Bail ways.—Balances in hands of the Eailway Imprestees on 31st March, 1883 :— £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland Section ... ... ... 538 0 9 Napier „ ... ... ... 22 17 0 Wellington „ ... ... ... 205 19 7 Wanganui ~ ... ... ... 35 5 6 New Plymouth ~ ... ... ... 66 2 3 Hurunui-Bluff „ ... ... ... 2,892 6 1 Greymouth „ ... ... ... 51 12 6 Westport~ „ ... ... ... 5 0 0 .Nelson „ ... ... ... 49 11 6 " Picton ~ ... ... ... 96 16 2 C. W. Bridge (Stores Inspector) ... ... 10 0 0 3,973 11 4 Agent-General's Account ... ... ... 9,057 3 4 Tptal .„ .., .., .., £13,030. 14 8

2

Expended. Saving. Excess. Remarks re Excess. £ 2,817 50 & 2,700 50 & £ 117 !tem 1. Audit, Local Bodies ,, 2. Secretary to Commissioners of Public Debt Sinking Funds ,, 3. Expenses of investment of Sinking Funds ,, 4. Exchange and commission Travelling expenses. 25 650 625 Exchange on remittance! for payment of interes" in England. Includes £1,674 stamp dutj on debentures. 26,911 22,000 4,911 ,, 5. Imperial pensions ,, 6. Contingencies.. ,, 7. Claim of Sophia Kidd .. 8. Claim of E. E. Green 899 '2,608 18 9 900 800 18 0 1 1,808 Total 33,337 27,127 626 6,836