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G—2b.

which you cannot drive them by force. I understand, indeed, that the local Government has already acted upon this plan, and also anticipated the suggestion of the Committee to lease to Europeans, if they ■can be induced to take them, portions of the land reserved for the benefit of the aborigines, which they may not require for their immediate occupation. With regard to the reserves within the Company's territory the Committee express an opinion by their 10th resolution 'that these reserves ought not to be included in calculating the amount of laud due to the Company'; but Ido not find this subject adverted to in the report, nor any reason assigned for the conclusion at which the Committee appear to have arrived." In October, 1840, Air. Edmund Halswell, a member of the English bar, was appointed by the New Zealand Company to the office of Commissioner for the management of the lands reserved for the Natives in their settlements, and general directions were given him for the administration of the property. Mr. Halswell was a member of the " New Zealand Association" formed in 1837, and after the irregular acts of the New Zealand Company had been sanctioned by the Government in the arrangement made by Lord John Russell, he resolved to visit the Colony. The Company accordingly, as he had always taken a lively interest in the welfare of the aborigines, asked him to undertake the management of their plan of reserves for the Natives, of which, as a member of the Association of 1837, he was one of the authors. The Company directed Mr. Halswell in managing the reserves to take into consideration the existing wants of the Native race, and to point out those objects to which in his judgment the revenues of the reserves may be most fitly appropriated to the end of promoting the moral and physical well being of the Native chiefs, their families and followers, to the utmost extent that these means would admit, and as the appropriation of land to purchasers proceeded, he was directed to select an eleventh or a quantity equal to one-tenth of the lands from time to time as Native reserves, the land so chosen to be the most valuable then open to appropriation. A list of the number of choice of the 110 sections reserved for the Natives at the preliminary sales of lands in the first settlement, was enclosed in the letter of instructions to him, dated 10th October, 1840. List of the orders of choice determined by ballot in London at the preliminary sales of land, for the selection of the Native reserve tenths in the town of AVellington, viz :— Nos. 7, 15, 20, 22, 28, 51, 54, 68, 73, 100, 106, 109, 123, 131, 138, 150, 151, 167, 173, 175, 185, 192, 193, 196, 197, 202, 214, 220, 223, 230, 237, 248, 254, 271, 272, 275, 281, 306, 319, 323, 337, 358, 375, 376, 415, 423, 459, 472, 475, 482, 484, 488, 493, 496, 516, 535, 540, 541, 552, 561, 564, 566, 571, 575, 580, 585, 587, 589, 590, 620, 622, 632, 638, 645, 646, 652, 675, 680, 688, 702, 704, 708, 721, 722, 728, 730, 733, 796, 787, 789, 805, 821, 854, 894, 899, 903, 929, 974, 1010, 1012, 1013, 1016, 1020 1030, 1031, 1036, 1042, 1066, 1070, 1086. Total 110. Under these orders of choice and land orders Captain Smith, the New Zealand Company's principal surveyor, selected the following sections on behalf of the Natives, viz : — Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 49, 89, 90, 109, 111, 113, 270, 271, 272, 278, 279, 287, 514, 539, 542, 543, 545, 574, 580, 584, 591, 592, 593, 594, 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 659, 660, 864, 893, 972, 973, 974, 975, 976, 977, 978, 979, 980, 981, 982, 983, 984, 985, 986, 987, 988, 989, 995, 996, 997, 998, 999, 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1081, 1082, 1098, 1099, 1100. Total 110. Mr, Halswell landed at Wellington in 1841, and proceeded at once to Auckland. The Government at that time had just been made independent of New South Wales, and being in need of legal assistance to prepare the various Legislative Ordinances called for by the new position of the Colony, Governor Hobson asked Mr. Halswell to become a member of the Legislative Council and to assist in the preparation of these enactments. Subsequently he was appointed a Commissioner of Quarter Sessions and Court of Requests at AVellington, with a salary of £300 a year, as well as Protector of Aborigines for the southern district, and Commissioner of Native reserves, but without salary for the two latter offices. The two courts were afterwards amalgamated under a separate Ordinance and called the County Court, of which Mr. Halswell was appointed Judge by letters patent [commission under the seal of the Colony dated, 12th March, 1842]. Mr. Halswell was gazetted as Commissioner of Native reserves in May, 1841, and general directions were given him by the chief protector of aborigines under date of 28th September, 1841, regarding the management of the Native reserves for the southern district of the North Island, and the appropriation of the rents and profits thereof, to which additional instructions were added by Governor Hobson (Colonial Secretary to Air. Halswell, 24th December, 1842), in the following terms :— " The document alluded to has already instructed you that certain of the lands reserved by the New Zealand Company for the benefit of the aborigines at Wellington, shall be let on lease for periods not exceeding seven years, in the following manner :• — " You will forward an advertisement of all lands to be let, to this office, for insertion in the Government Gazette, at least one full month prior to the day fixed for leasing them, stating that tenders for renting the proportions of land therein described will be received by you on a certain day. This -advertisement you will also cause to be inserted in the local papers. Your advertisement will further state the terms on which the leases will be granted, namely,—quarterly payments of rent, and an advance on the first year's rent in the shape of a fine equal to 10 per cent, thereon. The tenders are to be opened in the presence of Committee already appointed for the purpose, formed of Mr. Murphy, the Police Magistrate; Air. Hanson, the Crown Prosecutor; and yourself; and having decided on those tenders to which in the opinion of the Committee preference is to be given, you will cause a schedule of the whole to be made, and forward them with your remarks and reasons for accepting or declining them, to this office, together with a notice for insertion in the Gazette." * * * . * ***************** " You will pay into the hands of the Colonial Treasurer, every quarter, without deduction or delay, all -sums received by you on account of the reserves." ***** Air. Halswell retained the office of Commissioner of Native Reserves up to June, 1842, when he was