ZEALAND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

21

A.—No. la.

No. 23. The Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1866, enables the Superintendent to reserve country lands in the Province of Auckland for sale by auction; regulates method of sale of country land ; authorizes the reservation of blocks of land for special settlement, and enables and regulates the grant of land as compensation for the erection of works of public utility. It supplements " The Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1858," and saves the power in the Governor created by " The Waste Lands Act, 1858." No. 24. The Canterbury Waste Lands Act, 1866, alters and amends the law relating to licenses for the occupation of sheep and cattle runs in the Province of Canterbury, and provides for the sale at fixed prices to holders of landwhiehhas been improved, within goldfields, withdrawn for the purpose of sale. No. 25. The Lands Eegulation Extension' (Hawke's Bay) Act, 1866.—The Superintendent, with the assistance of the Provincial Council of this Province, and under the advice of his Executive Council, being enabled by virtue of "The Native Lands Act, 1865," to acquire land from Aboriginal Native proprietors, the present Act was passed to declare land acquired by the Provincial Government of Hawke's Bay, within the boundaries of the Province, to be Waste Lands of the Crown, and to prevent the operation respecting such lands of " The Superintendents' Incorporation Act, 1863." No. 26. The Land Orders and Scrip Act (Taranaki), 1866, provides for the satisfaction, by grants of land within this Province, of certain hitherto unexercised Land Orders and Scrip of the Plymouth Company of New Zealand, and New Zealand Company. No. 27. The East Coast Land Titles Investigation Act, 1866, was passed to ascertain and determine the rights of friendly Natives and other persons to land within a district defined in the Schedule, and which has been the seat of native disturbances. It enables the Governor to reserve lands for the maintenance of Aboriginal Natives who have been engaged in rebellion. No. 28. The Native Lands Act, 1866, supplements " Tho Native Lands Act, 1865 j" defines more clearly the mode of limiting the alienability of lands granted to the Natives in certain cases, and enables such lands to be dealt with with the assent of the Governor; provides for the payment of salaries of judges and officers of the Compensation Court, and for enforcing the payment of duties payable on first purchases of land from Aboriginal Natives. No. 29. The Lands Clauses Consolidation Act Amendment Act, 1866, supplements " The Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1863;" enables parties under disability to convey, and determines how amount of compensation in such cases is to be defined and paid. No. 30. The New Plymouth Exchanges Commission Act, 1866, supplements " The New Plymouth Exchanges Commission Act, 1865," and enables the Commissioners thereunder appointed to ascertain and certify the persons now entitled to lands affected by such exchanges, and to execute the deeds required for vesting such lands accordingly. No. 31. The New Zealand Settlements Acts Amendment Act, 1866, amends the Act of 1865 ; enables terms of sale of land to be varied; land scrip to be given in lieu of money for compensation for land taken; the Governor to make reserves of land for public purposes; and removes doubts as to the validity of certain Acts. No. 32. The Gold Fields Act, 1866, consolidates and repeals the Gold Fields Acts of 1862, 1563, and 1865 ; and introduces provisions for the leasing and sale of lands on gold fields in certain cases, with a saving of the royal prerogative. No. 33. The Nelson Cobden and Westport Eailway Act, 1866, authorizes the reservation and appropriation of Waste Lands of the Crown, in the Province of Nelson, for the construction of a railway from the port of Nelson to the west coast of the Province. No. 34. The Loan Expenditure Indemnity Act, 1866, indemnifies the Colonial Treasurer for certain expenditure incurred out of supplies authorized to be raised by " The New Zealand Loan Act, 1863," between the Ist of April, 1863, and the Ist of April, 1865, in the suppression of rebellion,introduction and location of settlers, compensation for land taken under the New Zealand Settlements Act, construction of electric telegraph, lighthouses on the coast, reinstatement of Taranaki, and other charges. No. 35. The Loan Appropriation Act, 1865, appropriates, out of money authorized to be raised by " The New Zealand Loan Act, 1863," " The Bate of Interest Act, 1864," " The New Zealand Loan Act, 1865," " The Debentures Act, 1864," and " The Debentures Act, 1864, Amendment Act, 1865," one hundred and seventy thousand pounds for charges incident to the location of Military Settlers. No. 36. The Treasury Bills Eegulation Act, 1866, was passed for regulating and protecting the issue of Treasury Bills, rate of interest, coupons, and repayment thereof. No. 37. The Treasury Bills Act, 1866, authorizes the issue, in manner prescribed by Act No. 36, of Treasury Bills to amount not exceeding £150,000, whose currency is not to extend beyond the 30th June, 1869. No. 38. The Southland Provincial Debt Act Amendment Act, 1866, supplements " The Southland Brovincial Debt Act, 1865," by enabling certain creditors of that Province to come within its provisions, provides for the issue and payment of Debentures in satisfaction thereof, and appropriates the net moneys to arise from the sale of Waste Lands of the Crown in that Province, to the payment of the Debentures and charges incurred under these Acts. No. 39. The Wellington Loan Sanction Act, 1866.—This Act was passed to sanction a loan of £50,000 to the Province of Wellington, in renewal of a former loan of the same amount. No. 40. The Wellington Land Purchase Loan Sanction Act, 1866, similarly sanctions a loan to the Province of Wellington of £25,000, for the purchase, from Aboriginal Natives, of land in tho Manawatu and other districts. It provides for the setting apart of proceeds of the re-sale of the 6