This Act shall be called "The Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Act, 1881,” and shall be deemed to have been in operation on and after the first day of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.

Towards defraying the expenses hereinafter mentioned, the Colonial Treasurer may issue and apply any sum or sums of money not exceeding in the whole the sum of one million eight hundred and ninety-two thousand five hundred and fifty-four pounds eight shillings and eleven-pence out of the several Ways and Means mentioned in the Fourth Schedule to this Act.

All sums so issued shall be applied, as mentioned in the several votes set forth in the Fifth Schedule to this Act, towards defraying so much of the expenses incurred or to be incurred in the several works and services in the said Schedule mentioned as shall come in the course of payment during the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two, and to no other purpose whatsoever.

Whenever it is not possible to determine at the time of payment to which particular vote mentioned in the Fifth Schedule hereto the cost of any material or other expenses should be charged, the Colonial Treasurer may notwithstanding issue and pay the same out of the several Ways and Means mentioned in the Fourth Schedule hereto: Provided that he shall from time to time carry each such payment to and charge the same against the vote on account of which such payment was made, so soon as the same can be ascertained: Provided also that all such expenditure shall be included in and shall not be in excess of the total sum hereby authorized to be issued and paid under each vote in the Fifth Schedule mentioned.

Nothing in this Act shall limit the authority of the Colonial Treasurer to issue and pay any moneys which he may be otherwise authorized to issue and pay under the authority of the thirty-seventh or forty-fourth section of “The Public Revenues Act, 1878.”

And whereas the Colonial Treasurer has, under the authority of the forty-fourth section of “The Public Revenues Act, 1878,” issued from the Public Account, during the twelve months ended the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, moneys in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament, amounting in the whole to thirty-four thousand one hundred and thirty-three pounds seventeen shillings and threepence, and has applied the said sum to the several purposes and services mentioned in the Sixth Schedule hereto annexed: Be it enacted that the application of the said sum is hereby sanctioned.

The moneys appropriated by this Act for the construction of works and for other purposes may be paid over to such local governing bodies as the Minister for Public Works or other Minister may determine, upon such terms and conditions as shall be agreed upon between the said Minister for Public Works or other Minister and any such local governing body; and the Colonial Treasurer shall make all such payments in accordance with any such agreement.

And whereas by “The Public Revenues Act, 1880,” it was provided that all moneys issued and paid under the authority thereof should be included in the estimates for the year or other period in which the same were paid, and in the accounts of such period:

Be it enacted:

The several sums granted and appropriated by this Act shall be taken and deemed to be inclusive of and not in excess of the moneys issued and paid during the three months ended the thirtieth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, under the authority of “The Public Revenues Act, 1880.”

And whereas by “The Immigration and Public Works Appropriation Act, 1878,” provision was made for the loan to local governing bodies of a sum of fifty thousand pounds, to enable them to repair damages caused by the then floods, on such terms and conditions as might be agreed on between the Minister for Public Works and the Council or Board of the local body concerned:

And whereas of the sum so appropriated forty-eight thousand four hundred and thirty-five pounds have been lent to local governing bodies for the purposes aforesaid: And whereas many of such bodies are not in a position to repay the money so lent, and it is expedient that provision should be made relieving them from their obligation so to do, and also that such of the said bodies as have repaid the said loan or any part thereof should be refunded the same:

Be it enacted:

The several local governing bodies to whom portions of the said sum of fifty thousand pounds were lent as aforesaid, and the revenues and property of such bodies, and the several Councils or Boards representing such local bodies, are hereby respectively released and discharged from the repayment of the moneys so lent, and from all liability in respect thereof.

If any local governing body, or any authority or person on its behalf, has repaid any money so lent as aforesaid, or any part thereof, the Colonial Treasurer may repay the same to the Council or Board representing such local governing body, and all such moneys shall be issued and paid by the Colonial Treasurer out of the Public Works Fund.

Whereas certain debentures, amounting in all to the sum of eight hundred thousand pounds, issued under the authority of “The Immigration and Public Works Loan Act, 1870,” (throughout this section called “the said Act,”) and guaranteed by the Imperial Parliament, as mentioned in the nineteenth section of the said Act, were created prior to the thirteenth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, but such debentures have never yet been sold or issued to the public: And whereas the same have from time to time been pledged for loans for short periods: And whereas doubts have arisen as to the power so to pledge them and otherwise to deal with them, and it is therefore desirable to remove such doubts and to make certain provisions respecting such debentures:

Be it therefore further enacted:

The Governor in Council may specially appoint any one or more persons or any bank, or any bank and one or more persons, to be Agents for the purposes of the said Act, who shall be empowered to retain in their custody all or any of such debentures which are not for the time being hypothecated, mortgaged, pledged, or sold as hereinafter appears, and also from time to time to borrow any sum or sums of money, not exceeding the said sum of eight hundred thousand pounds, by the hypothecation, or mortgage, or pledge of all or any of the said debentures, and to repay the same sum or sums of money so borrowed by again hypothecating, mortgaging, or pledging all or any of the said debentures, or by the sale of such debentures, in one or more lots, and at such time or times and in such manner, as the Agents or Agent so appointed shall think fit, but subject always to any specific direction as to dealing with the same which the Governor in Council may give to such Agent or Agents.

The Agents heretofore appointed under the second section of the said Act shall be deemed to have been authorized to exercise the powers hereinbefore set forth.

This Act shall be and be deemed to be a sufficient authority to the Governor, in the manner provided by “The Public Works Act, 1876,” to enter into all or any contracts that may be necessary for the execution of any public work for which moneys are appropriated by this Act.

The Schedules from one to seven, both inclusive, annexed hereto, with the notes, if any, to such Schedules, shall be deemed to be part of this Act, in the same manner as if they had been contained in the body hereof.