D.—No. 20.

No. 1. Memorandum as to certain Surveys executed by Messrs. "Williams and Gkaham. 9th November, 1868. At the commencement of 1868, a ]arge number of surveys of extensive Native land claims at Poverty Bay, had reached this office in the ordinary course, surveyed chiefly by Messrs. Williams and Graham, McDouall, and Bousfield. As these maps generally showed no connections, I was wholly without the means of compiling them together or checking them. On the 14th January, I received from the Native Secretary's Office a copy of a letter addressed to Captain Biggs, informing him that he could not be relieved of very large advances made to him, until the surveys for which these advances had been made had been submitted to me. This letter also showed that Mr. Locke had in some way been employed by Captain Biggs to get these surveys done. Up to July I had received no information about these surveys ; then finding that Mr. Graham, who I learned had been employed about them, was in Auckland, I communicated with him with a view to learn where I might hope to receive the information required. He wrote me a letter intimating in substance that he and the surveyors who had done the work had only received from Mr. Locke a small sum on account, and that they declined to give up the maps until they were assured of being paid the balances they claimed. I forwarded a copy of this letter to the Hon. the Native Minister, and in reply was informed that a sum of £1,800 had been paid to Mr Locke for these surveys, and that the surveyors had agreed to furnish the general map required. In the meantime the Native Lands Court had been opened at Poverty Bay, and in the ordinary course all the maps of claims were sent to the Court from this office. These maps having been entered on the books of Record in this office, and having on them my certificates and memoranda, were, as I havefalways maintained, official documents, the property of the Native Lands Court, and, as in every other case, ought not to have been allowed to go out of its custody. But when the Court adjourned, Mr. Preece, now Mr. Graham's partner, got possession of all the maps, and, on the plea that they belonged to the Native claimants for whom and at whose expense they were executed, refused to give them up, and Mr. Fenton did not feel in a position to compel their restitution. I have at length received from Mr. Graham the general map so long promised, but I find that it is simply a compilation of some of the Native land claims referred to which were formerly in this office, and which I maintain are its property. Nor can I find on the whole map any work except that which must have been executed in ordinary course for the Native land claimants, except a few roads, the cost of surveying which, supposing them to have been laid out at the orders of the Government, could hardly have exceeded £250 at the outside. It appears therefore to me —Ist, That the surveyors in the ordinary course executed these surveys for the Native land claimants. 2nd, That finding that the claims were not going to pass through the Native Lands Court they possessed themselves of the maps, and charged all the work to the Grovernment, and, as I understand, got paid for it. If this be so then the surveys belong to the Government, and now at least the original maps ought to be restored; and if the claims are after all brought into the Native Lands Court, then the surveyor's ordinary charges for the survey ought to be charged to the claimants, and be secured as usual by a lien on the Crown Grants, to be repaid to the Grovernment so as to recoup their outlay. I have some reason to believe that this is not in accordance with the views of the surveyors, and that they still hold the Natives their debtors ; if this be so, I am utterly at a loss to know what work has been done for the £1,800 paid by the Government, a sum twice as great as all the Taupo and Bay of Plenty surveys have yet cost. Theopii. Heale, Inspector of Surveys.

No. 2. Copy of a Letter from Mr. T. Heale to the Hon the Native Mihtsteb. Inspector of Surveys' Office, Sib,— Auckland, 26th November, 1868. I am now about to proceed to Tauranga with a view to testing and checking the triangulation in the Bay of Plenty District and especially its closure with Tauranga, and to arrange the operations of the several parties now resuming the work of last year. It appears to me, however, that this work being now in full progress, and its success demonstrated, especially in the proof it affords of the great economy of the system, it is not desirable for me to again undertake the carrying it on in person, as I apprehend that my services may be required in other parts of the Island. Simultaneously with the triangulations initiated by me, I understand that similar works have been carried on from Hawke's Bay, towards the cost of which the General Grovernment has advanced a large sum of money. Extensive surveys have been executed for the General Government at Poverty Bay. A sum is annually paid to the Provincial Government at Wellington to aid in the same work, and triangulation has also been commenced at Taranaki.

REPORTS BY THE INSPECTOR OF SURVEYS.