C,—Mp. L,

No. 1. Copy of Telegram from tho Honorable tho Peemieb to tho Commissioner of Ceown Lands, Nelson. Wellington, 25th October, 1869. Send full report on subject of sale of auriferous land at Wangapeka, showing names of purchasers, whether holding Government offices, and what offices, and date of sales; and state when and how it became known that the land was auriferous. Eeply by telegraph. William Fox* Premier.

No. 2. Copy of Telegram from the Commissioner op Crown Lands to tho Honorable tho Peemiee. Nelson, 25th October, 1869. On Wednesday tho 13th instant, a miner named Culliford applied to me for a gold-mining lease, or some other protective document for quartz crushing and general gold-mining purposes in the District of Wangapeka. By the seventieth section of " The Nelson Waste Lands Act, 1868," gold-mining leases may be issued by the Waste Lands Board over lands not within a gold field. To this section he was referred; but the latter clause of it was a bar to his obtaining under it the protection he required, and which was necessary in such a case as his, being that of the discoverer of an auriferous quartz reef. He was then referred to the thirty-fifth section of tho same Act, which provided that certain' lands may be bought at two pounds an acre. Under this section he purchased sixteen acres. The two members of the Waste Lands Board in town —the Superintendent and the Commissioner of Crown Lands —immediately decided to summon the third member, the Speaker of the Council, who resides in the country, to hold a meeting the next morning, for the purpose of bringing I he district under the operation of the ninth section of the same Act. The meeting was held the next morning, and the Gazette withdrawing the land from sale published at twelve noon. On the afternoon and evening of Wednesday, tho fact of Culli ford's purchase was generally known in the town, and immediately on tho opening of the office on tho Thursday, there was a rush of people to purchase land at Wangapeka under the said thirty-fifth section. The sales continued until tho Gazette appeared. How the matter becamo known I can only report from hearsay, which is to tho effect that Culliford himself published abroad his purchase. The officers who, by reason of their official position, were aware of the discovery, were tho Superinlendent, tho Provincial Secretary and his clerk, Commissioner, Receiver of Land Revenue, and Draughisman. The officers who purchased: C. L. McLean, Registrar of Supremo Court.; J. Sharp, Treasurer; J. Harley, Clerk to Magistrate; H. D. Jackson, Auditor; R. Shalcrass, Inspector of Police ; T. Brunner, late Chief Surveyor. H. C. Daniell, To W. Fox, Premier, Wellington, Commissioner of Crown Landa.

No. 3. Copy of a Report by the Commissionee of Crown Lands, Nelson, on the recent Sale of Auriferous Lauds in the Wangapeka District. Crown Lands Office, Nelson, 30th October, 1809. In forwarding a detailed report on the subject of the late sales of auriferous lands in the District of Wangapeka, and the questions connected therewith, it seems most fitting to commence with the sales themselves. . On the morning of Wednesday, the 13th instant, Mr. Greenfield, the Provincial Secretary, came to me, stating that a gold-miner had come to his office with specimens of gold-bearing quartz, purporting to have been taken from a reef which lie had discovered in the district of Wangapeka, and over a portion of which he was desirous of obtaining a gold-mining lease, or some other document which would at once protect his discovery. I showed Mr. Greenfield the section in " The Waste Lands Act, 1863," which empowers the Waste Lunds Board to grant gold-mining leases over land not within a gold field, at the same time pointing out that the latter clause of the section would not meet the necessities of the present case ; and then referred him to the thirty-fifth section, as being the only one which would secure to tho miner tho protection he needed. Shortly after, Mr. Greenfield brought the man himself (Culliford), when I pointed out to him the clauses of the Act referred to above. Culliford naturally declined to run the risk of losing the benefit of his discovery by allowing it to go to auction, which could not have taken place without a survey, or under a month's notice at least. He, however, hesitated to avail himself of tho thirty-fifth section, and wont away for a short time, presently returning in company with Mr. E. Everett, having decided to buy. Tho purchase of sixteen acres waa then duly effected.

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE WANGAPEKA LAND SALES AND INQUIRY RESPECTING THE SAME BY THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.