17

G.—9

Names of the Fifteen Persons considered New Claimants, whose Names were not in either Mr. Mackay's or Mr. Pearson's original Lists, but who are in Mr. Mackay's List of 1875. (E alphabetical.) Anglem, Christopher Owen, Ann Conor, Jack Palmer, Hannah Fyffe, George Perkins, Sarah Fyfi'e, Sarah Palmer, Jenny Newton, Ann Shepherd, William Newton, Mary Smith, Jane Newton, Andrew Taylor, Madeline. Number, George

No. 14. Mr. Alex. Maceat to the Hon. the Seceetaet for Cbown Lands. Sic, — Native Eeserves Office, Nelson, 6th March, 1875. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 25, of 2nd March, and, in reply, to explain, with reference to the twenty-seven persons excluded in the alphabetical lists of claimants under " The Stewart Island Grants Act, 1873," forwarded under cover of my letter of the 15th ultimo, that those persons belong to the class of claimants arising out of promises made by Mr. Mantell, and will be returned in a separate list, in accordance with the instructions contained in your letter No. 88, of 23rd December, 1874. The only persons included in the alphabetical list of claimants are those that come within the provisions of the Act of 1873. I have, &c, The Hon. H. A. Atkinson, Alexandeb Mackay, Land Claims Commissioner, Wellington. Commissioner.

No. 15. Mr. A. Mackay to the Hon. the Seceetaey for Cbown Lands. Sib, — Native Eeserves Office, Nelson, 15th June, 1875. In continuation of the information relative to half-caste claims forwarded under cover of my letter of the loth February, I have the honor to forward under separate cover the under-mentioned returns:— No. 1. Eeturn of half-castes living within the Ngaitahu and Murihiku Blocks in 1848-49 and 1853 ; the date of those purchases. No. 2. Eeturn of half-castes residing at places outside the Ngaitahu and Murihiku Blocks at the date of those purchases and subsequently for whom provision should be made. No. 3. Eeturn showing how the names of the half-castes included in the list of 1868 have been arranged in the new lists. No. 4. Eeturn of half-castes eliminated from a census compiled by Mr. Mantell in 1848-49 and 1852-53. No. 5. Schedule of application for lands for half-castes in the Province of Otago. No. 6. Eeturn of half-castes in the Province of Otago said to be provided with land. I have endeavoured in compiling the above-mentioned returns to make the information on the subject of these claims as full and reliable as possible, and trust that it may be found sufficient. It will be found that eleven additional names have been included in the list of claimants in Eeturns 1 and 2, viz., — Return. No. Bates, Lydia ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 5 Friday, Betsey ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 21 Freeman, George ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 22 Joyce, William ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 35 Karetai, Pepe ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 37 Orbell, Louisa (Laura?) ... ... ... ... ... 2 47 Phillips, James ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 52 Eussell, "William ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 58 Eussell, Ellen ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 59 Eussell, Patrick ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 60 Eiki, Hannah ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 61 Of these, Nos. 5,21,22,35,47, and 61 have been eliminated from Mr. Mantell's census of 1852-53, and Nos. 52, 58, 59 and 60 have been heard of in the course of the present inquiries ; No. 37 has not yet been satisfactorily identified with the person named Pepe in the census of 1853. Twenty-five persons out of the twenty-seven enumerated in the Schedule attached to your letter of March 2nd are now included in Eeturns 1 and 2. The other two cannot be identified. Susanna Groombs is probably identical with Hester Groombs (No. 50, Eeturn F) ; and of James Surman nothing has been learnt. Besides the persons enumerated in Eeturns 1 and 2, it is possible that further inquiry will prove that it will be necessary to make provision also for some of the half-castes included in Eeturn 6, who are said to have received land, but of which there appears to be no record. It may probably be found on inquiry that the plan of granting land to the European fathers of half-caste families, instead of to the persons whom it is intended to benefit, is a disadvantageous one to 3—G. 9.