B.—No. 3.

No. 77. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, SOUTHLAND. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 27th August, 1864. Sir,— I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the Ist instant, enclosing certified copies of Resolutions relating to the condition of Southland, passed by the Provincial Council of that Province, which had been forwarded to you for transmission to His Excellency the Governor. I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the 11th instant, referring to certain accounts of Messrs. M'Kenzie & Co. against the Provincial Government of Southland, and requesting to be informed generally what steps the General Government propose to take in order to enable the Provincial Government to make permanent provision for the settlement of their unsecured debts. In reply, I have to inform your Honor that the General Government are not at present in a position to state definitively what course they will take in reference to the financial embarrassments of Soutl land, but that they will be prepared to do so after the arrival of the ntxt mail from England, as they hope then to be in a position to propose some comprehensive plan with a view to permanent relief. In the meantime, the temporary arruigements made will be continued until the 20th October next. I have, &c, William Fox. His Honor the Superintendent, Southland.

No. 78. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, TO THE DEPUTY SPEAKER, SOUTHLAND. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 27th August, 1864. Sir— I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated the 2nd instant, transmitting a Memorial of the Provincial Council of Southland on the subject ot Provincial Loans, and in reply to enclose for the information of the Provincial Council a copy of a letter which I addressed, on the 27th ultimo, to his Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury repecting the Loins of that Province, and which indicates the course which will be pursued by the General Government with regard to Provincial Loans. I have, &c-, William Fox, The Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Council, Southland.

No. 79. THE ASSISTANT TREASURER TO THE SUB-TREASURER, SOUTHLAND. Treasury, Auckland, 29th August, 1864. Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 10th and llthinstant, Nos. 101 and 103, enclosing correspondence with his Honor the Superintendent respecting the Return called for by my letter of the 16th ultimo, No. 201, and, in reply, I am directed to inform you that the course you have taken in the matter meets with the approval of the Government. It is BOt necessary that you should make any further application to the Superintendent for the Return you were requested to send, and which the Government think should have been supplied at once upon your application for it. I have, &c,, R. F. Porter, Assistant Treasurer. The Sub-Treasurer, Southland. T

(No. 261.)

75

PROVINCIAL LOANS.