8.—6

4

With 20,000 acres settled at Katikati, north of Tauranga, and 20,000 to 25,000 acres settled at Te Puke, south of Tauranga, by a class of settlers such as I am prepared to introduce, I believe will considerably add to develop the resources of the entire East Coast, and enhance the value of all the Government lands in this extensive area. I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Lands, Wellington. Geo. Vesey Stewart.

No. 10. The Under-Secretary for Crown Lands to Mr. George Vesey Stewart. Sir, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 7th January, 1879. I am directed by the Hon. the Minister of Lands to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 20th ultimo, asking for a portion of the Te Puke Block to be set aside for a special settlement, and that you be instructed to proceed to Wellington for the purpose of making arrangements ; and to inform you that there is no law under which your request can be complied with, but there can be no objection to your visiting Wellington to consult with Ministers. The Hon. the Minister of Lands is expected here about the end of the current month. The Government are very much pleased with the satisfactory report of the Crown Lands Ranger on the first Katikati settlement. I have, &c., G. V Stewart, Esq., Katikati. H. J H. Eliott.

No. 11. Mr. George Vesey Stewart to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir, — Mount Stewart, Katikati, 19th January, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated the 7th instant, and regret that there is no law under which my request can be complied with; but I think that the Waste Lands Bill, passed in 1876, gives the Government such power I would refer you to a short debate on the motion of the Hon. G. M. O'Rorke, reported in Hansard, p. 676, October 27th, 1876, wherein it is stated by Major Atkinson that the clauses of the Waste Lands Bill would make provision for Mr O'Rorke's request, and under which the Government did subsequently sell me 10,000 acres for the present flourishing settlement of Katikati. I should feel exceedingly obliged by your kindly looking into this matter, as, if the settlement is still to be further increased, the question of time is a most serious consideration in bringing it to a successful issue; and it will afford me much pleasure to wait upon you in Wellington so soon as you are settled there, and confer with you on the matter. Hoping you will kindly excuse the trouble I am giving, I have, &c., The Hon. the Minister of Lands, Wellington. G Vesey Stewart.

No. 12. The Under-Secretary for Crown Lands to Mr. George Vesey Stewart. Sir, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 28th January, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, in which you require that further extension of the Katikati Settlement may be allowed, and expressing your opinion that the Waste Lands Administration Act of 1876 gave necessary power to do so. In reply, I have to point out to you that the above-named Act was repealed, with the exception of a few sections —which do not bear on this question, however—by " The Land Act, 1877," copy of which I enclose for your information, I have, &c., G. V Stewart, Tauranga, Auckland. H. J H. Eliott.

No. 13. Mr. George Vesey Stewart to the Hon. the Minister of Lands. Sir,— Mount Stewart, Katikati, 10th February, 1879. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo, enclosing me a copy of "The Land Act, 1877," for which I t'eel obliged. As I feel it is a matter of the greatest importance to keep up the stream of immigration to this colony of the class I have lately introduced, I would respectfully suggest that an agreement should be entered upon for a further special settlement, subject to the sanction of Parliament, which would effect a considerable saving of time; and, if this proposition should receive the sanction of the Government, I am satisfied that the Opposition members would also support it. This having been the course suggested by Major Atkinson when Premier, as reported in Hansard, page 676, 27th October, 1876, he could not now oppose a similar proposal.