The Short Title of this Act is “The Appropriation Act, 1895.”

The Colonial Treasurer may issue out of the Consolidated Fund, and apply towards making good the supplies granted to Her Majesty for the services of the year ending on the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, the sum of one million one hundred and eight thousand three hundred and seventy-four pounds, together with the amount of the fees hereinafter mentioned.

All sums granted by this Act and the other Acts mentioned in Schedule A annexed hereto out of the Consolidated Fund, amounting, as appears by the said Schedule A, to two millions three hundred and ten thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven pounds, together with the fees collected by such public officers as are authorised to retain the same in lieu of salary, are appropriated for the purposes and services expressed in the several votes in the Schedule B annexed hereto.

And whereas by the thirteenth section of “The New Zealand State Forests Act, 1885,” it is enacted that the salaries of all officers and servants engaged in or about the administration of the said Act, and all other expenses whatsoever to be incurred in such administration, shall be subject to the appropriation of the General Assembly: Be it enacted that the salaries and expenses for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amount set forth in Schedule C annexed hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of three thousand one hundred pounds.

And whereas by the twenty-second section of “The Cheviot Estate Disposition Act, 1893,” it is enacted that the residue of moneys at credit of the separate account mentioned in the said Act shall be subject to the appropriation of the General Assembly: Be it enacted that out of such residue as aforesaid, and in addition to all such sums as shall be payable under the said Act, the balance of purchase-money of the Cheviot Estate and other expenses for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amount set forth in Schedule D annexed hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of eight thousand one hundred and forty-four pounds.

And whereas by the second section of “The Land for Settlements Act Amendment Act, 1895,” it is provided that the salary of the Land Purchase Inspector shall be fixed and appropriated by the General Assembly: And whereas it is expedient to make provision for contingent expenses incident to the administration of “The Land for Settlements Act, 1894”: Be it therefore enacted that the salary and contingent expenses for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amounts set forth in Schedule E hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of one thousand six hundred pounds.

And whereas by the eighth section of “The Public Trust Office Consolidation Act, 1894,” it is enacted that the salary of the Public Trustee and of the other officers and servants in the Public Trust Office shall be such as shall be fixed by the General Assembly: Be it enacted that the said salaries and expenses for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amounts set forth in Schedule F annexed hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of eight thousand four hundred and ninety-seven pounds.

And whereas by the thirty-ninth section of “The Government Insurance and Annuities Act, 1874,” and the fourth section of “The Government Life Insurance Act, 1886,” re-enacting the same, it is provided that the salary of the Commissioner and other officers and other contingent expenses shall be paid out of moneys from time to time appropriated from the Government Insurance Account for the purpose by the General Assembly: Be it enacted, the said salaries and expenses for the period ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amounts set forth in the Schedule G annexed hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of fifty-seven thousand one hundred and twenty-three pounds.

And whereas by the ninth, eleventh, and forty-ninth sections of “The Government Advances to Settlers Act, 1894,” and the second section of “The Government Advances to Settlers Act Amendment Act, 1895,” it is provided that the salaries of the Superintendent and staff, and the remuneration, salary, or fees of the valuers, and of the member of the General Board, and the other moneys required in order to meet the charges on the Management Account, shall be fixed and appropriated by the General Assembly: Be it therefore enacted that the said salaries, remuneration, fees, and charges for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, shall be for the amounts set forth in Schedule H hereto, not exceeding in the whole the sum of thirty-eight thousand nine hundred and fifty pounds.

Whenever it becomes necessary that money should be expended on account of the Government Insurance Department or of the Public Trust Office in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament, the Government Insurance Commissioner, or the Public Trustee, or either of them, may, with the sanction of the Colonial Treasurer, but not otherwise, pay such money in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament; and such expenditure shall be charged to the Unauthorised Expenditure Account, and a statement thereof, certified by the Controller and Auditor-General, shall be laid before Parliament within ten days after the then next meeting thereof.

The Colonial Treasurer is hereby authorised to issue and pay out of the Consolidated Fund all moneys lawfully payable to any Natives under and by virtue of the agreements validated by “The Auckland Gold Fields Proclamations Validation Act, 1869,” or to any persons lawfully entitled to the lands from which the revenues accrue in virtue of any such agreement.

There shall be issued and paid by the Colonial Treasurer out of the Consolidated Fund to the Council or Board of each county, road district, town district, and borough, in respect of the general rates described in the Schedule to “The Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Act, 1885” (in this section referred to as “the said Act”), levied for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, and actually collected on or before the thirtieth day of June ensuing next after the said thirty-first day of March, one-fourth of the amounts to which they would be entitled under the plan of distribution described in the Schedule to the said Act:

Provided that upon the application of the local body setting forth the amount of general rates collectable for the year ending the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, and showing separately how much thereof is in respect of Native lands, seventy-five per centum, and no more, of the amount which it is estimated by the Commissioner of Taxes may become payable to such local body for rates other than rates on Native lands may be advanced to such local body within that year:

Provided also that on receipt by the Commissioner of Taxes of returns, duly verified by the declaration of the Chairman or Treasurer of a local body, showing the amount of the rates aforesaid actually collected to the thirtieth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-six, the amount of subsidy found to be payable in respect of such rates, less the amount (if any) advanced as aforesaid, shall be paid to such local body; and any sum advanced in excess of the amount so found to be payable shall be repaid by the local body to the Public Account or be recovered by the Colonial Treasurer out of any moneys payable to such local body.

In case any doubt arises as to the several payments to be made under this section and the Schedule to the said Act, or as to payments to be made in respect of newly-formed districts wherein the Board has not had sufficient time to levy and collect rates, the Governor in Council may authoritatively decide the amounts of such payments.

And whereas the Colonial Treasurer has, under the authority of section forty-eight of “The Public Revenues Act, 1891,” issued, during the twelve months ended the thirty-first day of March, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five, in excess of or without the appropriation of Parliament, the sum of eighteen thousand one hundred and thirty-three pounds and four shillings from the Consolidated Fund, and a further sum of two hundred and five pounds three shillings and threepence from the Government Insurance Account, and a further sum of one thousand six hundred and eighty-five pounds four shillings and twopence from the Public Trust Office Expenses Account, and has discharged from the Public Accounts of the colony the sum of one thousand four hundred and fourteen pounds six shillings and ninepence, due to but irrecoverable by the Crown, and has caused the said sums to be applied to the several purposes and services mentioned in the Schedule I hereto annexed: Be it enacted that the application and discharge of the said sums are hereby sanctioned.

The moneys payable under this Act for roads or other public works 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 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.

The Colonial Treasurer is hereby authorised to issue and pay out of the Consolidated Fund, by way of temporary advance, any sum or sums, not exceeding one thousand pounds in the whole, for the purpose of defraying any charges or expenses incurred by or on behalf of any local governing body.

All such advances shall be repaid to the Consolidated Fund out of the first moneys thereafter accruing to such local governing body, and may be deducted or recovered by the Colonial Treasurer accordingly.

For the purposes of this section the expression “local governing body” means a County Council, Borough Council, Town Board, Road Board, River Board, Harbour Board, and an Education Board, and includes any other body or persons however designated to whom any moneys are paid or payable out of the Consolidated Fund.

From and after the passing of this Act the cost of collection referred to in section three of “The Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Act, 1885,” shall not be defrayed out of the revenues which by virtue of that section form part of the county fund, and that Act is hereby amended accordingly, and this enactment shall be and remain in force until the General Assembly shall otherwise provide.

The Colonial Treasurer may transfer any sum or sums not exceeding in the whole one hundred and fifty thousand pounds from the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund, to be issued and applied to the purposes and services provided for in “The Public Works Appropriation Act, 1895.”