$20,000 worth of copper coins which your youth have found considerable difficulty disposing of. You have $70,000 of arrears of Revenue, of which the greater part appears to be land Revenue, with respect to which there is no information to show how far or how speedily any portion of it is likely to be recovered. I entertain grave doubts whether the proposal to draw such a considerable sum from the present balances of this Colony is prudent.
It is inevitable that there should occur in the course of the year some causes for unforeseen lapses in expenditure not provided for in the estimates. In the last two years, this supplementary expenditure has been considerable, and this year you have already submitted to me a note for $5000 for repairing the roof of the Cathedral, which I have sanctioned since the estimates were prepared.
To meet this expense and other emergencies, I am of the opinion that there should always be left untouched by the appropriation of the year a sum of $50,000, after carefully deducting from the assets probable balance any items that are not likely to be available in the course of the year.
I am glad to learn from your despatch that an increase of Revenue is anticipated.