A.-No. 4.

No. 2. .THE. f HO>-OBABL.K. COIQJtIA.L SICBEJABI ,TO THE SUPEBIKTENDENT WELLINGTON. Colonial Secretary's Office, ..... . Auckland, 2nd Sept., 1864. Sib, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of you* Honor's letter, No. 351, dated the 28th of July last, in ■which you forwarded to His Excellency the Governor, copies of nine Acts passed in the last Session of : the Provincial Council of ■Wellington, and to which your Honor had assented, on behalf of the Governor.There is no legal objection to the undermentioned five Ordinances, and His Excellency has been advised to leave them to their operation. " The Patent Slip Act, 1864." '• The Patent Slip Site Act, 1864." " An Act to provide for the Branding of Horses," Session XI., No. 5. " The Scab Amendment Act, 1864," and "The Appropriation Act, 1864-5." "With reference to the Appropriation Act, 1864-5, I have to request your Honor to be good enough to transmit with Ordinances of that kind Estimates of the Eevenue for the same period as the Ordinances themselves relate to. The following four Ordinances, namely : — " The "Wairarapa Bacecourse Act, 1864." " The Hutt Eacecourse Act, 1864." " An Act to grant a piece of land to the Ancient Order of Forresters, Session XI., No. 7." "An Act to grant a piece of land to the Society of Freemasons, Session XI., No. 10." purport to deal with certain land. I have to request your Honor to be good enough to inform mo whether the several lands have been granted by the Crown, and if so, to whom, and at what dates. If they are still Crown Lands, the Provincial Legislature cannot deal with them; it would be convenient in Ordinances of this kind, tb recite in the Preamble the nature of the estate in the land affected. I have, &c, "William Fox. His Honor The Superintendent, "Wellington. ___________^^_ -: - No 3. BVPEBIKTENDENT WELLINGTON TO THK HONOBABLE COLONIAL SECBETABT. Superintendent's Office, "Wellington, 24th Sept., 1864. Sib, — In reply to the queries raised in your letter of the 2nd inst., I have the honor to state that the pieces of land authorised to be granted to the Ancient Order of Foresters, and to the Society of Freemasons, form part of the land below high water mark in this harbour; vested in the Superintendent by a Crown Grant. "With respect to the "Wairarapa Eacecourse, the land was under the land regulations of the Province, set apart for that purpose by me in a Proclamation dated the 16th day of April, 1862 ; that an Act providing for its management was passed by the Provincial Council in 1863, and was left to its operation by His Excellency the Governor. The Act of last Session simply makes other provision for its management. The same remarks apply to the Hutt Eacecourse Act of last Session. I have, &c, I. E. Feathebston. P.S. —I enclose a copy of the estimated revenue and expenditure for the year ending March 31st, 1865, as requested. I. E. F. The Honorable The Colonial Secretary, Auckland. THE HONOEABLE COLONIAL SECEETABY TO THE STJPEEIXTENDEXT WELLINGTON. No. 4. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 17th October, 1864. Sic,— "With reference to your letter of the 24th ultimo, no. 416, 1864,1 have to inform your Honor that His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to leave the two Acts noted in the margin to their operation. With respect to the "Wairarapa Eacecourse Act, I have to remark, that the provisions of the Provincial Act of 1863 were unobjectionable, as provision was made therein for securing a grant for a Eacecourse, and thus the Act would apply ; but the Act of 1864 is clearly beyond the power of the Council as affecting Crown Landi. The same remark applies to the " Hutt Park and Eacecourse Act," and His Excellency will be advised to disallow these two Ordinances.

Freemasons Grant Act, Sess. 11, No. 10. Foresters Grant Act, So 8. 11, No. 7.

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