We had no idea last session that these large proposals were to be made to us ; and I say that last October, when the Colonial Treasurer began to mature the scheme—or so soon as Minis ters had made up their minds with regard to it—the Government should, through the Commissioners, have brought out competent engineers and surveyors. After taking upon themseives the great re sponsibility of launching this scheme, it would surely have been but a small respon sibility to have incurred the expense of bringing out from Great Britain such gentle men as I have indicated. So to have done would have been only to act the part of prudent men. Those engineers and sur veyors, under the instructions of the Go vernment—with the assistance of men of capacity and of local knowledge—in con ference also with the different Superinten dents—should have gone through the length and breadth of the land, so as to have brought before the House such well ar ranged and accurate details as to the proposed railways, based on measure ments and not originating in guess, as would have satisfied the minds of the most captions and the most cautions. This is the poiat on which I think the Colo nial Treasurer has committed a very grave mistake. I think of the effect which that mistake will have at home. lam not alarmed at the magnitude of the scheme, nor at the nature of the proposals; but Ido feel alarm from the shape in which, lacking such support as I have indicated, the scheme will appear at home, and the great disadvantage under which—unnecessarily, I think—we shall go to the British capitalists. I further point out an unfortunate discrepancy in the statement. What we read in its last paragraph is not consistent with what we find in the calcula tion of expenditure and receipts at page 17 respecting the railways. There we find expenditure during the tenth year estimated at £444,125, and receipts at £465,000, show something like £21,000 to the good, whilst in the concluding paragraph we are told that the proposals will entail enormous burdens on posterity. The points to which I have re ferred are such as will be “ spotted ” so soon as the statement is read in England. 