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£2,580 os. Od. This sum consists of advances made by the Government of the Cape of Good Hope, for charter of the brig 'Antilla' for Auckland, in 18-ll.and advances for maintenance and outfit of government officers who were wrecked in the 'Prince Rupert.' This debt is stated by Lord Stanley in his despatch of l4thMay, 1842, to be a charge against the public funds ©i New Zealand, subject to repayment by the Officers of any sums to which they may be entitled on account of recoveiies from insurance ; and Governor Hobson is directed to naake enquiries into the subject. Your Committee have to remark that deductions from the salaries of those officers have been made for the liquidation of a proportion of this debt, which ought to be repaid to the Home Government. £1,248 Bs. 2d. This debt consists of a sum due to the Post Office in England, incurred during the period when that department was under the entire control of the English authorities. It is an excess of colonial receipts over disbursements, and is now deposited in the colonial chest at Auckland, where it has remained the last four years. There appears to be no reason why it should not be remitted to its destination. £72,996 15s. lOd. This debt consists of a balance due for the New Zealand Fencible service established at Auckland, the whole debt incurred by the colony under this head being £96,997 9 1 of which there has been provided by the Imperial Parliament 17887 7 10 Amount repaid from the Colonial Land Fund 6113 5 5 24,000 13 3 £72,996 15 10 £7620 9s. Bd. The Auditor General reports that so late as the 10th August last, he was informed that the Home authorities had issued directions for the repayment of this sum of £7620 9s. Bd., which had been advanced from the Commissariat chest at Wellington to enable the Government to satisfy contracts lately entered into by the New Zealand Company, but for which Her Majesty's Government could admit no liability. The advance is to be reimbursed to the Commissariat chest out of the one-sixth of the Land revenue which may have accrued in the (several settlements of the Company, and which may not have been absorbed by their current expenses. As to this payment, it appears to your Committee, that so far as it was incurred in reference to the completion of engagements entered into by the Company in pursuance of their Act of 1847, the same ought to have been defrayed by the Imperial Government under the provisions of that Act; so far as it was incurred in reference to the Company's compensation transactions, it should be from the New Zealand Company's debt.