On travelling over the hitherto used Maori track from A.pepe on Kaingaroa plain to Napier, I have been struck with tht» conviction that no permanent road could be made on that line, the natural surface of tbecountry presenting highly objectionable obstacles; and looking to the future, when peace shall have been permanently established, and the Bay of Plenty be the sice of thrmng settlements, I have always had an opinion that a practicable dray road, avoiding the two great difficulties— the river Mohaka and the central range of mountain! — would somewhere be found 'which, when completed, would be of the greatest possible importance to the East Coast, espe cially to Napier. ' 'Impressed with this belief, I devoted considerable trouble to the examination of the country, and hav ing discovered an easy practicable route, entirely avoiding the ascent of the main range, and also the fording of the Mahaka, and all the other creeks and rivettfc—presenting, moreover, through its entire length between Napier and Taupo plain, no engineer ing difficulty whatever — I have felt it to be my duty io acquaint his Excellency the Governor with the wdstence thereof. I have therefore taken, the liberty of sending you this communication, in the lope that you may deem it of sufficient importance So lay before the Colonial Secretary for presentation ;o his Excellency. "I will, as briefly, as possible, state the principal Matures respectively of the present route and the one C propose. * ' Starting from Napier by the present Maori track, here are six miles of toft beach to traverse to the md of the Petane valley. This valley is then fol owed, crossing the river about thirty times, until

calibre to determine how to vote on the most ' important measure of tlie session, and therefore declined to vote for or against it, he surely does not expect anyone to believe him. Mr. Carleton cannot suppose anyone would insult him by believing any soch statement, even though it proceeds from himself. But -While the fact that the Auckland members did turn over to the si<7 e of Ministers is not disputed, the reason why is called in question. The reason we gave was the popular ore, aud the only one which men of ordinary observance in politics could give, True, Mr. 