No. 67. No. 240. THE SUPERINTENDENT, OTAGO, TO THE COLONIAL SECRETART. Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, January 20th, 1862. Sir,— In reply to your letter of the 7th January, I have to observe that the Ordinance* is sic m wjitai. nearly a transcript of a Melbourne Act, which the majority of the Executive, in opposition to the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor, were of opinion was called for by the urgency of the circumstances in which we are placed, and which was found to work well in Melbourne. The ambiguity complained of can be removed. My observations on the Licensing Ordinance meets the objection to clause 11, but should His Excellency's Government consider it should be expressly repealed, I will submit a measure to that effect, and at the same time consider any other point specifically noticed which may be considered objectionable. I have, &c, J. Richardson, The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, Superintendent. Auckland.

No. 68. MR. FOX TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, OTAGO. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, sth Feb., 1862. Sir,— Your Honor will I am sure pardon me for remarking, in reference to your letter of the 20th ultimo, that if, in exercise of their duty Ministers find themselves called on to recommend the disallowance of some Provincial law on the ground of its repugnance to the general law, Imperial or Colonial, the responsibility for the result is not thereby thrown on the General Government. The makers of Provincial laws are bound to shape them in accordance with the general law of the Colony ; if by omitting to do so their proposed laws fail of operation they alone are responsible. It is, at the same time, the duty of the General Government, especially under present circumstances, to afford the Provincial Governments the utmost assistance and not lightly to interfere with the operation of laws which are considered expedient by those who have local experience, and who are locally chargeable with the administration of affairs. I can assure your Honor that, in considering the Ordinances recently received from the Province of Otago, the Government have anxiously studied how they could best give effect to the objects intended, and they have relaxed the rules acted on by their predecessors in order not to subject the Province to inconvenience. I have, &c, William Fox. His Honor the Superintendent, Otago.

SOUTHLAND.

No. 69. THE SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTHLAND, TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Southland, 29th August, IBCI. Sir,— I have the honor to enclose to you herewith authenticated copies of the Ordinances passed by the Provincial Council of Southland named in the margin, in order that they may be submitted for the approval of His Excellency the Governor. The Provincial Government Ordinance embodies the substance of various Ordinances of the Otago Government passed at different times, recast in a more convenient form. The Loan Ordinance is meant to provide against the possible contingency of the land sales in the next few months falling short of the amount required to prosecute the necessary public works. The attraction of the neighbouring Gold-fields has had a marked effect in diminishing'the receipts of Territorial Revenue in the last few weeks. For example :—from 22nd April to 30th June about 3,500 acres were applied for; in August, when the Waste Lands Board held its first meeting, those applica-

1. Provincial Government Ordinance. 2. Immigration & British Agent Ordinance. 3. Loan Ordinance. 4. Diseased Cattle Ordi. nance 5. Appropriation Ordinance.

29

A—No. 3

THE DISALLOWANCE OF PROVINCIAL BILLS.