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1878. NEW ZEALAND.

WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE. (REPORTS ON THE SOUTH DUNEDIN RESERVE BILL; TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.)

Reports brought up and ordered to be printed, Bth and llth October. 1878.

REPORT. The Select Committee on Waste Lands, to whom was referred the Bill intituled " The South Dunedin Reserve Act, 1878," have the honor to report that, in the opinion of this Committee, the land referred to in the South Dunedin Reserve Bill was set aside by the Provincial Government of Otago for the use and benefit of South Dunedin, and that the Harbour Board obtained the Crown grant of same in an improper manner. The Committee therefore recommend that the Bill should pass, so that the laud may vest in the municipality for which it was originally intended, as an endowment. Osavald Curtis, Bth October, 1878. Chairman. The Select Committee on "Waste Lands, having, in accordance with the order of the House, reconsidered the South Dunedin Reserves Bill and taken further evidence thereon, direct me to report that they confirm the recommendation contained in their former report. Oswald Curtis, 11th October, 1878. Chairman.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Thursday, 10th October, 1878. G. McLean, Esq., M.H.R., being in attendance, was examined. 1. The Chairman.] Mr. McLean, I believe you were a member of the Government at the time this land was dealt with, and that you have some knowledge of the circumstances. Will you be good enough to tell the Committee what you know of it, as far as you are officially concerned?—Tes; I will state to you the circumstances of which I have a knowledge. AVhen the resolution was put, I sent tho following telegram to the Secretary of tho Harbour Board. [Telegram read.] I see Mr. Macaudrew says that the Government issued a Crowu grant in defiance of the Solicitor-General's opinion. My explanation of that is this : That the Board applied, if I recollect rightly (of course the quantity of land may turn out not to bo exact), for a Crown grant for 140 acres under " The Otago Empowering Act, 1875." I submitted that to the Marine Engineer and Secretary to the Marino Office, and they recommended that we could not do that under the Act. 1 then referred it to the Solicitor-General, and he agreed with that opinion; and I myself agreed with that opinion, and told them then that they could not have a Crown grant. Afterwards, when I understood the land between Anderson's Bay Road and tho Ocean Beach Railway could be considered as reclaimed, after verbally discussing and