E.—No. .5.

of Hawke's Bay on account of the interest of the permanent debt of the original Province of Wellington. The amount required in London to pay the dividends due on the Ist July next has to be remitted by first mail. I have, &c, (for and in the absence of the Superintendent,) W. Hickson, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Provincial Secretary and Treasurer.

No. 23. His Honor D. McLean to the Hon. E. W. Stajtobd. Superintendent's Office, Sic,— Napier, 21st April, IS6B. Pending the adjustment of the amount of interest payable by Hawke's Bay on account of the permanent debt of the original Province of Wellington, and having reference to the correspondence which has recently taken place on the subject, I have the honor to request that you will have the goodness to cause a refund to be made to this Province of the sum of £1,250, the unauthorized payment of which to Wellington is referred to in your letter to His Honor the Superintendent of that Province, of the 7th December last. I have, &c, Donald McLean, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Superintendent.

Col. Sec. to Supt. Wellington, 7tli Doc, 1867. Col. Sec. to Supt. Napier, 9th Dec, 1867. Supt. of Hawke's Bay to Col. Sec. 11th Feb., 1868. Col. Sec. to Supt. Hawke's Bay, 29th Feb., 1868.

No. 24. His Honor I. E, Ejsatheeston to the Hon. E. W. Staitobd. Superintendent's Office, Sir, — Wellington, 30th April, 1808. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd ultimo, enclosing a copy of a letter addressed to you by the Superintendent of Hawke's Bay, in which His Honor requests that the General Government will decline to make, on behalf of the Province of Hawke's Bay, any further advances for payment of interest and sinking fund on the Loans of £100,000 contracted by the Province of Wellington at the time that Hawke's Bay formed part of it. In reply, I beg to bring the following facts under your consideration: — 1. In 18G1, by agreement between the Representatives of Wellington and Hawke's Bay, the following resolution was passed by the House of Representatives : — " (7.) Resolved, that-pending the final apportionment of the permanent debt of the Provinces of Wellington and Hawke's Bay, this House will authorize out of the moneys which will accrue, due to the Treasury of Hawke's Bay during the current financial year under " The Surplus Revenue Act, 1858," and " The Land Revenue Appropriation Act, 1858," an advance to the Treasurer of the Province of Wellington of the sum of two thousand five hundred pounds (£2,500) on account of the interest accruing upon such permanent debt —such payment to be taken into account on the final apportionment of the said debt as aforesaid, together with the advances of £2,500 on the 9th June, 1860, of £2,500 on the 12th February, 1861, and of £3,000 on the 11th May, 1861, respectively, heretofore made by the Colonial Treasurer on the same account out of the Land Purchase Sixths of the Province of Hawke's Bay; provided that such payment shall not prejudice the question of amount, either of principal or interest, on the final settlement of the whole question." This agreement has hitherto been carried out by the General Government without any demur on the part of the Government of Hawke's Bay. 2. In 1862, the Provincial Council of Wellington passed an Act, Session 9, No. 5, appointing Commissioners "to adjust the amounts payable by the Provinces of Wellington and Hawke's Bay in discharge of the loans raised by the Province of Wellington as originally constituted, and for the adjustment of all matters of account between the two Provinces." 3. So far from repeated efforts having been used on behalf of the Province of Hawke's Bay to adjust the claim advanced against it by this Province, the Commissioners of Hawke's Bay, on the only occasion on which an attempt was made to adjust the accounts, refused to go into the case unless the principles which they insisted should form the basis of adjustment were assented to by the Commissioners of Wellington. 4. Mr. McLean and Mr. Ormond, two of the Hawke's Bay Commissioners, have been repeatedly in Wellington —sometimes attending sessions of the General Assembly—and yet they have never broached the subject of the adjustment of the debt between the two Provinces. 5. The Government of Wellington always have been and still are desirous of effecting an adjustment, and will agree to any proposal that may be made by His Excellency's Ministers to accomplish this object. Under these circumstances, I respectfully submit that it would be unfair on the part of His Excellency's Government to refuse to pay, on behalf of the Hawke's Bay Government, the amount mentioned in the resolution of the House of Representatives as the sum for which Hawke's Bay should be held liable, pending the final settlement of the whole question. I have, &c, I. E. ]?EATIIEESTON, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Superintendent.

No. 25. The Hon. T. M. Haultain to His Honor D. McLean. (No. 127.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Sib,— Wellington, Ist May, 1868. I Lave to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the 21st ultimo, requesting that, pending the adjustment of the amount of interest payable by the Province of Hawke's Bay on account

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OF WELLINGTON AND lIAWKE'S BAY