A—No. 6c

from Taranaki, who, under the recent arrangements respecting the Militia in that Province, may be desirous of proceeding to other Provinces. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Henry Sewell, Taranaki. For the Colonial Secretary.

No. 18-62,

No. 15. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF TARANAKI, TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, New Plymouth, April 15th, 1862. Sir, — I have the honor to make the following statement and recommendation for the favorable consideration of the Government:— The number of men now employed on road-making by the General Government is on an average one hundred and twenty; of this number about one-half are men driven from their homes by the war, the remainder are either town residents whose homes have never been injured, or strangers who have arrived from other Provinces during active hostilities to enlist in the Militia or Volunteers for their pay and rations. The latter half receive on au average over five and under six shillings a working day for their labor, and I submit have no equitable claim on the employment offered by the Government, but should be left to find private employment for their labor, or leave the Province to seek it in some other part of the Colony. I, therefore, recommend that those who have not been driven from their homes by the war be struck off Government pay, aud that the troops in garrison be employed in their stead; which will obtain for the Government, for the expenditure now iucurred for sixty men at five shillings a day, the services of three hundred soldiers at tenpence working pay per day. I have, &c, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Charles Brown, &c, &c, &c. Superintendent.

No. 16. MR. CARRINGTON TO THE UNDER-SECRETARY. New Plymouth, Taranaki, 28th February, 1862. Sir, — I have the honor to enclose herewith a duplicate of my letter of the 13th instant, and, in continuation of the subject therein contained, I beg leave to submit for the iuformation of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary the leading points of the course pursued by me iv the performance of my duty as Engineering Surveyor in this Province. On the 14th instant, I posted a notice (copy herewith enclosed) informing the settlers of the terms and hours with which they would have to comply if desirous of employment on the Governniaut works. Ou Monday, the 17th instant, I met the men who were anxious for employment, aud after I had made to them a brief address, I read the rules I had drawn up for their guidance (a priutetl copy is herewith enclosed) ; at each stipulation 1 asked them if they had any objection to it, aud if so to name it at once. They were unanimous in approval. Monday being a very wet day, nothing was dove beyond looking at tools, &c., for the following day. On Tuesday, 18th, we commenced the heavy cutting on the Devon road, immediately over the Henui Bridge. The pay list, which I enclose with this, will show the number of persons employed. I have much pleasure in stating that, notwithstanding some of tho men are more physically adapted for the work than others, all join harmoniously in the cause. And now, I would observe, in asking for the services of a chief assistant and clerk, that Walter John Morrison, a Lieutenant of Militia, has shown since the commencement of the work, ability and great attention to his duty. Mr. Morrison was articled in London to an engineering surveyor and contractor, well known to myself; he there served for four years, and since he arrived in this settlement has been employed as a draftsman and clerk in the Survey Department. For a period of five years, Major Herbert and the chief Surveyor of this Province under whom he has served, speak in high terms of his moral and professional worth. I therefore trust that the Colonial Secretary will be pleased to sanction the appointment of Mr. Morrison to the office I have named (chief assistant and clerk) to the Engineering Surveyor, and to allow- him such rate of pay or salary as to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary may seem fit.

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