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The Assistant Undee-Seceetaby, Public Works Department, to the Chaieman, Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (Limited). Sib,— Public Works Office, Wellington, 10th September, 1886. Be Wellington-Manawatu Railway land endowment.—l am directed by the Minister for Public W rorks to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th ultimo, in which you request that the decision of the Government upon your previous letter, relative to the above-mentioned subject, might be reconsidered, and in reply, I am to state that the matter has again been brought before Cabinet for consideration, but that the Government is unable to give any other reply than contained in my letter to you of the 31st July last. I have, &c, H. J. H. Blow, The Chairman, Acting Under-Secretary for Public Works. Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, Wellington.

The Seceetaby, Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company (Limited), to the Hon. the Ministee of Lands. Sib,— 22nd August, 1887. I have the honour, on behalf of my directors, to inquire whether all the lands which have been purchased by the Government within the boundaries of the area of allocation since tho date of the contract between it and the company will be included in the grants which are now being made out. My directors understand that the purchase comprise Tuwhakatupua (Nos 1 and 2), a portion of Horowhenua, and several other small blocks. lam further to inquire, whether certain sections of Crown land in the Paikakariki, Horokiwi, Ohariu, and Makara Districts, which are not defined in the allocation maps attached to the contract, may now be included in the grants of the company. When the contract was arranged, it was understood that all Crown lands within 15 miles of the railway line had been allocated, but afterwards it was found that the sections above referred to had been omitted, and on application to the chief-surveyor of the district to leave them included, he states he has no power to deal with any, except such as had been defined in map C. My attention has been called to the fact that portions of the land originally allocated to the company, as defined in Map C of the contract, are marked on the maps in the Survey Office as otherwise disposed of by the Government. For your information, I enclose a map, showing in dark red the portions above referred to, viz., at north end of allocation Gorge District, 250 acres ; Bolmont District, Block 13, Section 6, 123 acres ; Okatarawa District, Block 6, Sections 387, 388, and 389, 623 acres; Ditto, Block 16, railway reserve, 4,000 acres. Would you kindly state whether the above has been resumed by the Government, and, if so, in what way the deficiency will be made up to the company. I have, &c, The Hon. Minister of Lands. Jas. Wallace, Secretary.

The Undee-Secbetaey, Crown Lands Department, to the Secbetaby, Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, (Limited). Sib, — General Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 30th September, 1887. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Minister of Lands, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd August, and, in reply, to inform you that the Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company is not entitled to any of the blocks or parcels of land which you enumerate, in terms of the contract entered into on the 20th March, 1882. (Parliamentary Paper, D.-7, 1882.) I have, &c, J. Wallace, Esq., Secretary, H. J. W. Eliott, Wellington-Manawatu Railway Company, Wellington. Under-Secretary.

Memoeandum by Mr. J. W. A. Makchant. Wellington, 22nd October, 1881. In accordance with your instructions I have had a plan prepared for the Hon. Mr. Johnston, showing the proposed West Coast Wellington to Palmerston Railway, and all Native and Crown lands within iifteen miles of the line. The Crown lands (including all blocks whether proclaimed or not) have been valued by me as well as circumstances permit, and may, according to my view, be set down as follows : — Value. Area within fifteen miles limit, inclusive of proposed forest reserve = £ 359,000 acres ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 115,000 Or, deducting this reserve of 123,500 acres ... ... ... ... 16,400 The value, inclusive of lands lying more properly contiguous to the Wairarapa line, is ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 98,600 The latter I set down as worth £34,000. J. W. A. Mabchant, The Surveyor-General, Wellington. Chief Surveyor.