C—No. 1

COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS

No. 58. THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER TO MR. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON. Chief Land Purchase Commissioner's Office, Auckland, October 19th, 1857. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 30th ult., reporting the exploration by you of a large block situated behind the recently purchased Kaurihohore block, and which is estimated by you at from 15,000 to 20,000 acres. I am directed by His Excellency to convey to you the authority of the Government for negociating the purchase of this land at any price not exceeding seven pence per acre, a sum which is considered to be sufficiently high for land which is described by you as being very poor and hilly with few exceptions. 1 have, &c, Donald McLean, Chief Commissiouer. J. G. Johnson, Esq., J.P., District Commissioner, Whangarei.

To purchase a block of ]5,00U acres at not more than ?d. per acre.

No. 59. THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER TO MR. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON. Chief Land Purchase Commissioner's Office, Auckland, 12th November, 1857. Sir, — It having been observed that there is a difference of sixty acres (60) in the acreage of he Tamaterau block as given by Mr. Sinclair in his description of the boundaries, three thousand eight hundred and twenty acres (3,820 acres), and the area of the block on the plan attached to the Deed of Sale, three thousand seven hundred and fifty-two acres (3,752 acres), I have the honor to request that you will be good enough to inform me how the discrepancy occurred, and which of tho two areas given is the correct one. I have, &c, J. G. Johnson, Esq., J.P., &c, &c; Donald McLean, Whangarei. Chief Land Purchase Commissioner.

Tamaterau. Te explain discrepancy of area in Tamaterau block.

No. 60. MR. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON TO THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER. Otaika, Whangarei, 19th November, 1857. Sir, — With reference to the subject of the purchase of the Kaiwa block of one thousand three hundred and seventy-two acres, and the payment of the money to the Chief Tirarau, about which I had the honor to address you on the 30th September last, I have to report that I had a long conference with that Chief on the 6th instant; and, as he promises to procure the signatures of the other claimants to the Deed, and pay them a share of the money for the land, I handed him over the money, taking, in the meantime, a Deed of Conveyance from him, which I have the honor to enclose herewith. I had observed lately that the opposition of Pohe's party to Tirarau's receiving the money had much diminished ; and I told Edward Pohe a few days since that Tirarau had been paid, at which he did not express any marked dissatisfaction. It would have been more agreeable to me to have received your instructions officially notified before taking this step ; but Tirarau was so impatient of any delay, and so bent on an immediate compliance with his wishes, and I being apprehensive of his quarrelling with the other claimants who had opposed him, and still further complicating the question, that I felt satisfied the course I took was the best for the public welfare. I told him that I was awaiting the further instructions of the Government on this matter; and be agreed that the money was to remain untouched in his possession until the final decision of the Government is obtained and communicated through me to him. I have, &c, Donald McLean, Esq., John Grant Johnson, Chief Land Purchase Commissioner. District Commissioner.

Parua; Reporting that he has paid for Parua block. V. Letter No. *7.

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