The Short Title of this Act shall be “The Railways Act, 1874.”

In this Act, the expression “the said Act” shall mean “The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870.”

In addition to the sums specified in the second columns of Parts I. and II. of the First Schedule hereto, being the sums heretofore authorized to be issued and applied in the construction of the railways and other works mentioned in the said Schedule, there may be issued and applied in the construction of such railways and other works any sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole the sums set forth in the third columns of the said Parts I. and II. of the said Schedule, and therein set opposite to the name of the railway or other work to which the same applies; and the said sums specified in the said Part I. shall, as between the colony and the province in which the railway or other work is or is to be constructed, be charged against the Land Fund of such province.

The Governor may construct and maintain, or cause to be constructed and maintained, the railways mentioned in the first column of the Second Schedule hereto, or any of them, under the provisions of the said Act and the Acts amending the same; and to meet the cost of such construction there shall and may from time to time be issued and applied, in the construction of each railway mentioned in the said first column of the said Second Schedule, any sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole the sum set forth in the second column of the said Second Schedule, and therein set opposite the name of the railway to which the same applies; and the said sums shall, as between the colony and the province in which the work is constructed, be charged against the Land Fund of such province.

Out of the moneys appropriated hereby to the construction of a railway from Foxton to Manawatu, there shall be paid to the credit of the Public Works Account on account of roads in the North Island all such sums as have been expended out of the said account in the construction of the tramway from Foxton to Manawatu.

The said several sums authorized by this Act to be issued and applied to the construction of any railway or other work except coal field railways in any province in the Middle Island, shall and may be issued and applied out of any moneys available from the Middle Island Railway Fund in respect of such province; and so far as the moneys for the time being available from the said fund for such construction are insufficient to meet any of such costs as shall for the time being come in course of payment, then such deficiency shall and may be issued and applied out of any moneys for the time being standing to the credit of the Public Works Account on account of railways.

As to such of the said railways and works as are to be constructed in the North Island, and as to such of the said railways and works as are coal field railways, the said several sums authorized by this Act to be issued and applied shall be issued and applied out of any moneys for the time being standing to the credit of the Public Works Account on account of railways.

Whereas it is expedient that the lands known as “the Buller Reserves,” and referred to in the Act of the Provincial Council of the Province of Nelson passed in the last Session thereof, and the Short Title whereof is “The Buller Reserves Administration Act, 1874,” should be a security to the colony for the construction of the coal field railway from Mount Rochfort to Westport: And whereas the said Act of the Provincial Council of Nelson was passed for the purpose of enabling the Superintendent of the said province to give to the colony security for the cost of the construction of the said railway by a charge upon the said lands, but doubts are entertained as to the validity of the said Act:

It is therefore enacted that the said Act of the Provincial Council of Nelson, and all the provisions thereof, shall be as valid as if contained in an Act of the General Assembly.

Whereas it is expedient that authority should be given to the Governor in Council to make the lands described in the Third Schedule hereto, known as “the Colliery Reserve,” and the proceeds thereof, a security to the colony for a portion of the cost of the construction of the railway from Mount Rochfort to Westport:

Be it therefore enacted that the Governor in Council may declare the said lands and the proceeds thereof to be a security for the whole or any portion of the cost of the construction of such railway.

The Governor in Council may lease sell or otherwise dispose of the said lands as he thinks fit, but the proceeds of all leases sales or other dispositions of the said land heretofore or hereafter made effected or confirmed shall be paid to the Public Account

The line of railway from Riverhead, in the Province of Auckland, to Auckland, in the said province, shall be excepted from the provisions of “The Railways Act, 1872,” in like manner as the portion of the Waitara and Wanganui Railway which lies between New Plymouth and Waitara is excepted therefrom.