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No. 6. His Honor the Superintendent, Nelson, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Nelson, 6th January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular letter of the 30th December, informing me that Major Palmer, R.E., has undertaken to examine and report upon the surveys in New Zealand, and requesting me to instruct the Chief Surveyor to afford Major Palmer every information in his power, and also to have prepared for him, on his arrival, certain details and plans showing the existing state of the surveys in this province. The Chief Surveyor has, in accordance with your request, been instructed to prepare the required information, so far as he is able to do so, and also to give every assistance in his power to Major Palmer in the performance of the task he has undertaken. I have, &c., Oswald Curtis, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 7. His Honor the Superintendent, Taranaki, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, New Plymouth, 7th January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular, number and date quoted in the margin, in reference to Major Palmer, R.E., who came to this colony in charge of the party sent out to observe the Transit of Venus, having consented to examine and report upon the state of the surveys in New Zealand, &c.; and you ask me to instruct the Chief Surveyor of this province to afford Major Palmer every information, &c. In reply, I beg leave to inform you that your request shall be attended to. I have, &c., F. A. Carrington, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 33, 30th Dec, 1874.

No. 8. His Honor the Superintendent, Westland, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Hokitika, 9th January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular noted in the margin, requesting me to instruct the Chief Surveyor to afford Major Palmer every information in his power with regard to the present condition of the surveys in the province. In reply, I beg to state that I shall be most happy to afford Major Palmer the fullest information on the matters referred to, and the Chief Surveyor has received instructions to that effect. I have, &c, James A. Bonar, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 33, 30th Dec, 1874.

No. 9. His Honor the Superintendent, Otago, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 15th January, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular letter of number and date quoted in the margin, informing me that Major Palmer, R.E., has kindly undertaken to examine and report upon the state of the survey in New Zealand, and requesting that he may be furnished with certain information by the Survey Department of Otago. In reply, I have to state that the department is now so overworked in the preparation of surveys of land all over the province—lands which are urgently required for settlement, and which have been advertised as open for sale during the next three months—that it will be impossible to furnish the various particulars alluded to in your circular. At the same time, if I might be allowed to express an opinion, I would venture to observe that, in as far as this province is concerned, I fail to see that any great good can result from Major Palmer's report. The Provincial Government has already extended a trigonometrical survey, sufficiently accurate for settlement and record, over seven millions of acres of its best territory ; and if there is any reason to doubt the practical accuracy of this work, the examination thereof, and of the sectional survey (works which have cost the province upwards of £150,000), must in my opinion be done leisurely and thoroughly, both in the office and in the field, in which case it will be advisable that a surveyor of colonial reputation and experience should either undertake or be associated with the investigation. I have, &c, J. Macandrew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent of Otago.

No. 33, 30th Dec, 1874.