A.—No. 4.

No. 11. Copy of a Letter from Mr. BoLLBSTOM' to Major Edwards, E.M. (580.) Native Secretary's Office, Sic,— Wellington, 20th July, 1866. From information which has been received by the Government there is reason to believe that the surveyors employed by Parakaia will be fired upon if they attempt to carry on the survey on the Bangitikei-Manawatu Block, Colonel Eussell desires that you should take instant steps to inform them accordingly, and if you find it necessary, to restrain them. lam to request you to report your own opinion of this matter without delay. I have, &c., W. EoiiIiESTOX, The Eesident Magistrate, Otaki. Under Secretary. No. 12. Copy of a Letter from Major Edwards to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sic,— Eesident Magistrate's Office, 20th July, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of letter No. 580, relative to the probability of the surveyors employed by Parakaia being fired upon. I will at once act in accordance with the instructions given me, but I may remark that I do not think the information is correct. I have, &c, The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington. J. T. Edwabds, E. M. No. 13. Copy of a Letter from the Hon. the Native Minister to His Honor I. E. Featherston. (364.) Native Secretary's Office, Sir,— Wellington, 20th July, 1866. From information which has reached me this day it appears that any attempt to survey, or in any way to interfere with the Eangitikei-Manawatu Block, on the part of the Government, will lead to armed resistance. I have the honor to request that you will instruct all persons acting under your directions to carefully abstain from any act of survey or occupation of which the Government has not been previously informed, and to which it has not assented. This is especially necessary at present, as any steps not authorized by Government might result in war. I have, &c, His Honor I. E. Feathcrston. A. H. Eussell. No. 14. Copy of a Letter from His Honor I. E. Fe.vthehston to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sib, — Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 23rd July, 1866. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 20th instant, m which you state "that from information which has reached me this day, it appears that any attempt to survey, or in any way to interfere with the Eangitikei-Manawatu Block on the part of the Government, will lead to armed resistance." In reply I have simply to observe that in all my reports on the Manawatu dispute, I have invariably recorded my opinion that any attempt to survey any portion of the block, whether by Government or Natives, would inevitably lead to an inter-tribal war. lam therefore not surprised to learn that the tribes engaged in this dispute have threatened armed resistance to the survey attempted by Parakaia, and I would venture very respectfully to suggest the expediency of the Government intimating to Parakaia that they will not permit the survey unless he first obtain the consent of all the tribes who have claims upon the block. I have, &c, I. E. Featiiehston, The Hon. Colonel Eussell. Superintendent. No. 15. Copy of a Letter from Major Edwards, E.M., to the Hon. the Native Minister. Sir,— Eesident Magistrate's Office, Otaki, 21st July, 1866. I have the honor to inform you that Mr. Hughes passed through this place, en route for Wellington, on Wednesday last, having completed the survey of Parakaia's land iv the EangitikeiManawatu Block. My authority for this statement is a Mr. White, a surveyor, now up here, who saw Mr. Hughes, and spoke to him as he passed through Otaki. Several Manawatu Natives have arrived hero within the last day or two, but they know nothing of the report that the survey was to be stopped. The report may have arisen from a speech said to have been made by Ihakara (who is a paid assessor) of the Eangitane, to the effect that " it was very well for the surveyors to survey Parakaia's land, but if they attempted to survey land outside his boundary they would be driven off." 9

33

THE MANAWATU BLOCK.