a.

6

PETITIONS.

That as at present situated, they are entirely at the mercy of the runholders, one of whom is now imposing a charge of twenty-four (24) shillings per head of cattle per annum for the privilege of grazing, and at the same time restricting the number of beasts to be depastured by any one party to four (4), which your petitioners consider unjust, extortionate, and equal to a prohibitory tax upon industry. That owing to the scattered nature of the Gold Fields population, "The Gold Fields Act, 1866," in making no provision for commonage, and in restricting the quantity of land to be taken up on any one run to five thousand (5000) acres, is totally inadequate to the requirements of your petitioners, chiefly for the following reasons : — That under present regulations your petitioners are permitted to occupy only the limited area of fifty (50) acres for both agricultural and grazing purposes, aud no provision being made in giving facilities for depasturing cattle. That your petitioners earnestly desire to impress upon your Honourable House the urgent necessity there exists for affording the utmost facility for depasturing cattle in combination with agricultural pursuits ; in support of which they would point out the invaluable benefits conferred upon the early settlers of the Province by the system of hundreds. That with the view of encouraging such settlement, your petitioners deem the repeal of the thirty-third and thirty-fourth clauses of "The Gold Fields Act, 1866," absolutely necessary, and in lieu thereof respectfully suggest that the principle of hundreds bo extended to the said district. Tour petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honourable House will be pleased to take the foregoing facts into its earnest consideration, and adopt such course, with the view of redressing the above grievance, as to it may seem best. And your petitioners will ever pray. [Here follow 576 signatures.]

No. 5. PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE DUNSTAN DISTRICT. To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled, The Memorial of the 504 undersigned Landowners, and Householders in the District of the Dunstan, Humbly Peayeth,—■ That a Bill be introduced into your Honourable House for the purpose of providing a means whereby Landowners and Householders may be enabled to obtain the formation of Shire Councils and Municipalities in the outlying districts of the Province of Otago ; and that for the purpose of carrying out the principles of local self-government, provision to be made in such manner as may seem to your Honourable House wise and just for the endowment of such local bodies either from the General Revenues of the Colony, or by vesting in them all funds accruing from the Waste Lands in the several districts to be hereafter proclaimed. Your Memorialists would respectfully urge upon your Honourable House the urgent necessity which exists for giving speedy effect to such a measure. And your Memorialists will ever pray. [Hero follow 504 signatures.]

No. 6. PETITION OF JOHN TOPI PATUKI, CHIEF OF THE NGAITAHU AND NGATIMAMOE. To the Honourable House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, The Petition of John Topi Patuki, of Ruapuke, in the said Colony, Chief of the Ngaitahu and Ngatimamoe, Humbly Sheweth,— That in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-four, with the sanction of Her Majesty, the Government of this Colony directed negotiations to be entered into with the representative Chiefs of the Ngaitahu and Ngatimamoe Tribes for the sale to the New Zealand Company of a portion of their hereditary possessions, since known as the Otago Block, and containing four hundred thousand acres, for the consideration of two thousand four hundred pounds. That from the lands comprised within the general boundaries of that block, certain portions at Otokau, at Taieri, and at Karoro, were withheld from sale by those Chiefs as dwelling places and possessions for themselves and their descendants. That the said Chiefs further demanded that there should be made at that time and guaranteed to them certain small reserves, including two at Otepoti, now known as Dunedin, namely, —one near the stream which crosses Princes Street, near Rattray Street, and the other fronting a small sandy cove to the eastward of the site afterwards occupied by the nianse, and the land adjoining.