A.—No. 2A.

Patea at the Government expense) of a thickness of not less than two inches, to be driven at least one foot into the ground, and projecting at least six inches above. At corners of street blocks, a lockspit, three feet long and one spit deep, to be dug in the direction of either street. No street to be less than 100 links wide. Streets to run as much as possible at right angles to each other. Rough plan of township to be approved by Chief Surveyor before the blocks are cut up into allotments. Plan to be on mounted paper, plotted on a scale of 3 chains to the inch ; the page and number of the field-book shewn; linkages of the boundaries of each allotment, and the contents to be distinctly written on the plan, which is to be so completed that Crown Grants can be prepared immediately after it is handed over to this office. PAYMENTS. Fifty per cent, on total amount of work done will be advanced on approval of Chref Surveyor after examination on the ground. On completion of the survey of a block of ten thousand acres, more or less, and handing over the plans of the same, payment will be made in full. No sub-lotting of contract allowed without permission of Chief Surveyor. ■ We have read the conditions as above, and agree to them. S. Percy Smith. G. W. Williams. No. 22. (No. 205.) Copy of a letter from the hon. c. w. Stafford to His honor h. r. Richmond. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 26th May, 18G6. I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter, No. 26, of tke 28th ultimo, on the subject of the Patea surveys. I trust that any expression in my letter of the 23rd of April of disappointment that the surveys at Patea had not been sooner commenced will not be considered as intended to impute to you any want of zeal in this matter. lam fully sensible of the assistance which your Honor has gratuitously afforded to the General Government with respect to the settlement of the confiscated lands m Taranaki, involving as that settlement does many works not ordinarily coming within the scope of the duties of that Government, and for the execution of which it has no suitable machineiy. At the same time, I have been unable to feel otherwise than disappointed at the delay which has taken place, not only in commencing the surveys at Patea, but also in completing other surveys necessary for the immediate location of the military settlers at Taranaki, and also at the very high price, amounting to upwards of three shillings per acre, which these surveys have cost. With reference to the last paragraph of your Honor's letter, the Government desires that other surveyors should be invited to commence work on the northern block. It is believed that persons can be found willing to undertake this survey on the same terms as those made with Messrs. Smith and Williams, which are, I may observe, the highest rates you were authorised to agree to, and which -exceed those paid by the Provincial Government at Auckland for the Tauranga and Opotiki surveys. Major McDonnell has recently stated that his brother and two other surveyors were on the point of leaving Auckland for Wanganui in search of employment, as surveyor's in other parts of New Zealand are known to be. It is absolutely necessary, for the reasons I have stated in previous letters, that no avoidable delay should take place in completing those surveys, and, judging from experience of the contract surveys in Waikato, it would occupy two surveyors fully twelve months to survey sufficient land for four hundred military settlers. In making arrangements for further surveys it must be stipulated that the woi'k contracted for shall be completed within a specified limited period, say three or four months. I have to request, for the sake of convenience, that all communications on the subject of surveys, and the location of military settlers, may be addressed by your Honor to the Minister for Colonial Defence. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Taranaki. E. W. Stafford. No. 23. (No. 36.) Copy of a Letter from his honor h. r. Richmond to the hon. c. w. Stafford. Sik, — . Superintendent's Office, New Plymouth, Bth May, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th ult., in answer to mine of the 28th March last. I endeavoured in that letter and the enclosed Memorandum to place my own opinions in as definite a form as possible, in order to bring the consideration of the state of the country between Patea and Stony River under the immediate attention of His Excellency's Government, but was at the same time fully aware that His Excellency's Government has the power of obtaining information bearing on the subject, from many sources to which I have not access, and hoped to have been informed in reply whether the Government regarded my views as in the main well founded, and if not, what other course than that

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OF THE CONFISCATED LANDS.