B.—No. 3.

eellent land now comparatively worthless, would be, without dispute, the most easily effected by the construction of a Railway between the district of Wairau and the I'ort of Picton. Shou!d His Excellency's advisers, however, <leem it to be their duty, in the absence of Engineering and other detailed evidence, to advise His Excellency for the present to withhold his assent to the Bil!, I should esteem it as a favor if you would be kind enough, at your earliest convenience, to communicate to me the grounds on which such refusal is based. lam the more solicitous on this point as the proposed line of Kail way is now being surveyed, with a view of bringing before the Provincial Council, which meets on the sth October, all the requisite data on which to prepare a llailway Bill, should it be deemed necessary. I have, &c, Thomas Carter, Superintendent. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary, Auckland. No. 2. THE SUPERINTENDENT, MARLBOROUGH, TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Superintendent's Office, Picton, October 12th, 1863. Sir, — I have the honor to transmit to you herewith a Report, prepared by Mr. Dobson, C.E., on the proposed Line of Railway between this Port and the Wairau Plain, accompanied by further evidence taken by the Provincial Council from the same gentleman. I have, &c, Thomas Carter, Superintendent. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland. Enclosure 1 in No. 2. Picton, sth October, 1863. PICTON AND WAIRAU TRAMWAY, 1863. S.R.I have the honor to report that, in pursuance of your Honor's instructions, 1 have laid out a line for a Tramway from Picton to the Wairau. The route which I have selected differs in some important particulars from the line which I laid out two years and a half ago, these differences being chiefly dependant on the adoption of a severer ruling gradient and minimum radius of curve. Since I laid out the former line I have been in communication with Mr. William Bridges Adams, the earliest manufacturer in England of light railway engines and carriages, who has applied himself diligently to developing a system ot light railways, affording to small country districts the advantages of railway communication without entailing upon them the massive and expensive works which have become generally associated with the idea of railway communication. lam therefore now in a position to assure your Honor that the curves and gradients which I have adopted admit of being woiked permanently with a traffic which for this Province may be called considerable, at the same time that they do not require any heavy expenditure for Land, Earthworks, Tunnels, Bridges, or Viaducts. The line which I have selected commences at the Warehouse adjoining the Wharf, and at that point corresponds in level with the Wharf. Thence the line follows the beach to near the mouth of the Waitohi Stream, crossing the stream, and crossing the low flats in the direction of the Immigration Barracks. This line is pretty direct, and does not interfere much with private property. From the back of the Immigration Barracks the line follows Durham-street to the corner of Scotland-street, from which point the line passes through private property for some distance, bat it runs at the back of most of the sections, so as not to interfere with any buildings or the frontage to the Wairau-road. From Section 834, at a distance of 61 chains from the commencement, the gradient is 1 in 30 for a distance of 60 chains, and thence 1 in 20 for a distance of 30 chains, terminating at the summit. This is the steepest or ruling gradient of the line, and it occurs where it is least calculated to interfere with the traffic, the oily goods which will have to ascend it being imported goods (which are compara-

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PROVINCIAL LOANS.