11

8.—25

„.:': No. 25. The Agent-General to the Premier. (No. 1585.) Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 27th December, 1893. Eeferring to your (T. 93/1555) Treasury letter, No. 54, of the 27th October last, and to the memorandum of the 18th of that month by the Assistant Controller and Auditor, copy of which was enclosed with your letter, I beg to state as follows : — 1. The £610,000 3i-per-cent. Stock, issued and inscribed out of the £650,000 created in respect of the conversion of £500,000 debentures of the loan of 1863, is so much on account of whatever maybe required to provide the £585,000 cash paid to the Bank of England, and to meet the ■ expenses (stamp duty, &a.) attending the conversion of those debentures. As soon as the sale of the whole of the £610,000 thus issued has been effected, a statement of account can then be prepared which will show how much additional stock (if any) it will be necessary to inscribe and sell in order to meet the cash requirements of the operation. 2. The £420,000 3i-per-cent. Stock issued and inscribed out of the £500,000 created in respect of the conversion of the £400,000 debentures issued under " The Public Eevenues Act, 1887," stands on a similar footing to that referred to in the preceding paragraph, and a statement of account will be forthwith prepared showing what additional amount of stock it will be necessary to issue'and inscribe for the purpose of providing sufficient cash to meet the amount paid for stamp duty and other expenses chargeable in respect to the operation. The Assistant Controller, in pointing out that it would be desirable to effect a settlement of the Conversion Account, at all events up to a particular point, refers to certain differences between the Stock Agents and the Treasury Accounts, and in your covering letter you also express your wish that such settlement should be completed without delay. Before this reaches you you will have received the Stock Agents' Account (enclosed with letter No. 1433 of the 30th November last) made up to the 30th September last, and, so far as the Stock Agents are concerned, they have no further accounts to render up to that date. I therefore venture to repeat the suggestion which I made in my letter (No. 1486), of the 29th October, 1892*—namely, that particulars of the differences stated by Mr.' Gavin as existing between the Stock Agents' accounts and those of the Treasury be forwarded to me in order that they may be examined by the Stock Agents with the view of their being made good or explained. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. B. Perceval.

No. 26. The Agent-General to the Premier. (No. 1595.) Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir, — 27th December, 1893. Eeferring to my letter (No. 1574) of the 15th instant, I beg to transmit herewith copy of contract note for the sale, at 95 xd., of £50,000 3i-per-cent. stock. The proceeds of this parcel of stock will be paid into the Public Account on the 29th instant. There being only £69,177 17s. Bd. 3J-per-cent. stock now remaining in the names of the Audit Officer and myself, the conversion of the £500,000 guaranteed debentures into stock may be regarded as virtually completed, as what remains will probably be disposed of within the next month. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. B. Perceval.

No. 27. The Agent-General to the Premier. (No. 1603.) Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 30th December, 1893. Eeferring to my letter (No. 1595) of the 27th instant, I beg to transmit copy of contract notes for the sale of £25,000 3-J-per-cent. stock for the account of the 17th January next, at which date the proceeds of the sale will go into the Public Account. This sale reduces the amount of unsold 3i--per-cent. stock remaining in the names of the Audit Officer and myself to £44,177 17s. Bd. • I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. B. Perceval.

No. 28. The Agent-General to the Premier. (No. 1586.) Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 28th December, 1893. We hereby transmit for your information copy of minute passed by us on the 16th instant, in which we record our appreciation of the services rendered to us by the Secretary and staff of the Agent-General's Department in the work of the recent conversions of the public debt of the colony. We have, &c, W. B. Perceval The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. (For the Stosk Agents).

• Vide 8.-21, 1893, No. 81,