3

H.—27a.

£ s. d. £ s. d. Brought forward ... ... ... ... 26,004 0 5 Within Block— Feilding Roads ... ... ... ... 2,504 15 3 Halcombe Roads ... ... ... ... 487 5 6 Kimbolton Road ... ... ... ... 312 10 6 Makino ... ... ... ... ... 4,064 0 7 Junction ... ... ... ... ... 6 0 0 Tauranga ... ... ... ... ... 240 6 9 Stanway ... ... ... ... ... 1,112 8 0 Tramway ... ... ... ... ... 1,468 5 8 Feilding-Halcombe Road ... ... ... 365 12 6 Stream diversions ... ... ... ... 185 11 6 ■ 10,746 16 3 Charitable contributions (medical, school buildings, &c) ... 333 17 6 Agency (being salaries, general expenses, telegrams, law charges, travelling expenses, &c.) ... ... ... ... 10,417 6 3 Total unreproductive expenditure ... ... ... £47,502 0 5 Buildings— Immigrants' cottages, Feilding, 118 ... ... ... ... 4,419 10 10 Immigrants' cottages, Halcombe, 71 ... ... ... ... 3,157 4 6 Other buildings and improvements, Feilding ... ... ... 4,008 16 10 Other buildings and improvements, Halcombe ... ... ... 1,035 18 3 Advances to immigrants and others, being total amount of book debts ... 4,862 14 9 17,484 5 2 Total expenditure ... ... ... ... ... 64,986 5 7 Return of Road-work up to 30th April, 1877, by the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation. Road-work inside Manchester Block— m. eh. m. eh. Roads cleared, formed, and metalled ... ... ... 10 32 Roads cleared and formed ready for metalling ... ... ... 18 26 Roads stumped and felled only in bush ... ... ... 1 70 Underscrubbed ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 1 Tramway ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 10 44 59 Roadwork outside the Manchester Block — Awahuri Road formed and metalled ... ... ... ... 4 14 Halcombe to Feilding Road ... ... ... ... 1 30 5 44 Total ... ... ... ... ... ' 50 23

No. 2. The Hon. the Premier to Mr. A. F. Halcombe. Sib, — Wellington, sth September, 1877. The Government have considered the questions put by you on behalf of the Emigrant and Colonist's Aid Corporation in your letter of sth June, which questions, as you explain, have been put because the Corporation contemplate immediately purchasing the fee-simple of the whole of the Manchester Block, with the view of opening it for sale and settlement, " by the prosecution of road works, with even greater vigour than heretofore." 2. The Government sympathize with the desire of the Corporation, as stated in your letter, and in that spirit they have considered your questions, and have decided what they will be prepared to recommend for the approval of Parliament. 3. Tou first ask, " Whether the Government will forego the fulfilment of the remaining portion of the immigration clauses of the Corporation contract;" and you explain that, twelve hundred immigrants having been introduced and located within the block, compliance with the terms of the contract would necessitate speedily introducing and locating eight hundred more. 4. The Government believe that there is force in your argument that, considering that the immigrants located have not yet had time to become so used to bush country life as to practically settle themselves in their new homes, it would be advantageous for those in future placed upon the block to be selected with special reference to their fitness for such a life, and to be introduced just when they are required. The Government are therefore willing to recommend that further compliance with the immigration clauses of the contract shall not be required. 6. Tour second question is, "Whether, in case of the Corporation immediately paying off the whole of the promissory notes held by the Colonial Treasurer, the Government will refund to the Corporation, as an additional subsidy for road-making within the block, the sum of £10,000 paid as interest to