I.—lo.

4

5. That, in the opinion of this Committee, the amount payable as property-tax should be increased,, and that the amount raised by direct taxation upon property should increase with the increased liability of the colony for interest upon borrowed money. After some further discussion, the debate was adjourned until the next meeting. The Committee then adjourned.

Feiday, 25th August, 1882. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. J. E. Brown, Mr. Conolly (Chairman), Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. Hursthouse, Mr. Macandrew, Mr, Montgomery, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Shephard, Mr. Sutton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman reported to the Committee that the resolutions proposed by Mr. Brown, and the amendment by Mr. Sutton, with comments thereon, had been published in the New Zealand Times of this morning's date. On the motion of Mr. Seddon, Besolved, That the attention of the House be called to this matter by the Chairman. Besolved, That the Committee at its rising adjourn to Monday next, at half-past 10 o'clock a.m. Besolved, That the Chairman ask for extension of time for report until Tuesday next. Resolutions to be moved were handed in by Mr. Seddon and Mr. Macandrew, and were ordered to be printed. The Committee then adjourned.

Monday, 28th August, 1882. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. J. E. Brown, Mr. Conolly (Chairman), Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. Hursthouse, Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Shephard, Mr. Sutton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The order of reference giving leave to the Committee to postpone making their report u Tuesday next was read. The motion of Mr. J. E. Brown was again under discussion. The returns called for by Sir J. Hall and Mr. Seddon were presented by Hon. Major Atkinson,, and ordered to be printed. Resolution to be moved by Mr. Hursthouse was handed in, and ordered to be printed. The Committee then adjourned.

Wednesday, 30th August, 1882. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present; Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. J. E. Brown, Mr. Conolly (Chairman), Sir J. HaU, Mr. Hursthouse, Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Shephard, Mr. Sutton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Order of reference giving leave to the Committee to postpone making their report until Friday next was read. Resolution to be moved by Hon. Major Atkinson was handed in. The returns called for by Sir J. Hall and Mr. Seddon having been printed, were produced, and circulated amongst the members of the Committee. (See Appendix.) The motion of Mr. J. E. Brown, with Mr. Sutton's amendment thereon, was again the subject of discussion, and further adjourned until the next meeting. Besolved, That the Committee adjourn until Thursday, the 31st instant, at 11 a.m. Special notice to be given that it would be final meeting to consider report. The Committee then adjourned.

Thuesday, 31st August, 1882. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. J. E. Brown, Mr. Conolly (Chairman), Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. Hursthouse, Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Shephard, Mr. Sutton. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Besolved, That the debate on Mr. Brown's resolution and Mr. Sutton's amendment thereon be adjourned, to be resumed presently. Hon. Major Atkinson then moved the following resolution : — 1. That the original proposal of the Immigration and P üblic Works scheme, as embodied in the nineteenth section of the Immigration and Public Works Act of 1870, was that the interest upon the cost of construction of railways (nothing being said about profit or loss upon working account) was to be charged against the Land Fund of each province in which such railways were constructed, after deducting one-half of the stamp duties collected within each such province. 2. That in the following year the nineteenth section of the Act of 1870 was repealed by the twelfth section of " The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1871," and it was enacted in lieu thereof that, after deducting one-half the stamp duties collected within each province from the interest upon the cost of the construction of railways, and adding thereto any loss which might be made upon working the lines or deducting therefrom any profit upon the said working, the balance was to be charged against the Land Fund of the province; and further provision was made that "in the event of the Land Fund of