B.—No. 5.

No. 3. THB SUPEBINTENDENT, HAWKE'S BAT, TO THE HONOEABLE THB COLONIAL 8ECBET4.BT. Superintendent's Office, Napier, April 17th, 1863. Sir, — I have the honor to transmit six Acts, as noted in the margin, passed by the Provincial Council of Hawke's Bay, during the past Session, and which Acts have been reserved by me for the signification of His Excellency the Governor's pleasure thereon. I have, Sic, Donald McLean, Superintendent. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary.

Loan Act, and fire other Acts.

No. 4. THE SUPERINTENDENT, HAWKE'S BAT, TO THE HONOBABLB THB COLONIAL SECBETABT. Superintendent's Office, Napier, April 24th, 1863. Sir,— I have the honor to transmit herewith a Resolution and Regulations attached, which have been'adopted by the Provincial Council of Hawke's Bay. The chief object of the Resolution is to provide against the too easy surrender of the Provincial Estate, and to set apart a considerable portion of it as collateral security for the Loan of Sixty Thousand Pounds, intended to be raised as provided for by an Act submitted for His Excellency's assent, which was passed on the 8th instant. I expect that the several persons holding Land under Occupation Licenses will be induced to accept in exchange the terms proposed in the Resolutions, as the additional security thereby afforded will be an equivalent for the increased rent and price to be paid for improved land in Fee Simple at the expiration of fourteen years. Some of the largest holders have already acquiesced in the arrangement, and the others are likely to follow. The Regulations for the disposal of land upon a system of deferred payments have been copied fromthe Auckland Whitaker Land Regulations, as being adapted to the present wants of this Province, where an industrious class of agricultural immigrants is much required. It is, however, submitted that the provisions in those Regulations which restricts the offer of such lands after the first day of August, 1860, to " Immigrants expected to arrive," is unfair in its operation, as being calculated to impede the settlement by persons already in the Country or adjacent Colonies, who might be desirous to avail themselves of an opportunity to locate upon such lands as should be specially set apart to be disposed of on credit. I have to request that you will have the goodness to cause an Act to be prepared and brought before the next Session of the General Assembly, to give legal effect to the aforesaid Resolution and Regulations. In a separate communication I will allude more particularly to the object of the Loan BilL I have, &c, Donald McLean. Superintendent. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary

Enclosure to No. 4. 1863. COUNCIL PAPER. This Council having considered as to whether it is not advisable to set aside as collateral security for the Creditor of the Province under the Loan Act of this Session, some portion of the Provincial Estate, are of opinion— That those Blocks of Land known respectively as the Ahuriri, Moeangiangi, Arapawanui, Waikari, and Mohaka, and containing in all about Two hundred thousand (200,000) acres, should be set apart and reserved from sale for a fixed period of Fourteen (14) years, excepting such portions of those Blocks as have been already disposed of, or for the purchase of which applications shall be received before such time as this Resolution shall have become law ; and excepting, also, those Blocks of Land—a Schedule and Plan of which are hereunto attached, and which are, or shall be, set aside for settlement for a term of Fourteen (14) years, shall be offered to the present holders of Occupation Licenses over the Lands contained within the boundaries of the Blocks intended to be set aside. That the terms upon which such Leases shall be granted, shall be the payment of a Rental of

5

PROVINCIAL LOANS.