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1889. NEW ZEALAND.

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. Extract from the Journals of the House of 'Representatives. Tuesday, the 25th Day of June, 1889. Ordered, " That a Select Committee of fourteen members be appointed to consider all Bills and petitions that may be introduced into this House affecting the waste lands of the Crown, and to report generally on the principles and provisions which they contain, with power to confer or sit together with any similar Committee which may be appointed by the Legislative Council, and to agree to a joint or separate report; to have power to send for persons, papers, and records; five to be a quorum: the Committee to consist of the Hon. Mr. Ballance, Mr. Cowan, Mr. Fulton, Mr. Jo»es, Mr. Kerr, Mr. Macarthur, Mr. J. McKenzie, Mr. Ormond, Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Saunders, Mr. Smith, Mr. R. Thompson, Mr. Whyte, and the mover."—(Hon. Mr. G. F. Richardson.)

No. 22.—Petition of J. C. Soall. The petitioner claims to have inyented a new system of musketry instruction, as also a new method of sighting rifles, &c. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom was referred the above petition, have the honour to report that they recommend that it be referred to the Public Petitions M to Z Committee, as it does not come within the order of reference of this Committee. 4th July, 1889.

No. 502, 1888.—Petition of William Scobie and 13 Deferred-payment Settlers. The petitioners state they are holders of deferred-payment and perpetual-lease sections in Southland. They pray that an abatement may be made in their rents and the prices of their land. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom this petition was referred, have the honour to report that, as a measure is to be introduced by Government during the present session dealing with these and similar leases, the Committee have no recommendation to make. sth July, 1889.

No. 6. —Petition of John Voakes. The petitioner states that he arrived in the colony in the year 1864; that he received a grant of forty acres of land near Warkworth; that said land was entered in the Crown Lands Office, Auckland ; that Government inadvertently sold said land to another party; that in 1887 he was notified by the Crown Lands Department that he might select the same quantity of land elsewhere in the locality ; that he has not been able to do so to his satisfaction. He prays for relief. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom this petition was referred for consideration, have the honour to report that they recommend that the petitioner be allowed to select land of equal value to that which he lost within the Land' District of Auckland. 18th July, 1889.

No. 45.—Petition of John Jackson. The petitioner states that in the year 1870 he received a promise from the Office of Confiscated Lands that a lease would be given him of six hundred acres on the Wairoa Stream ; that the said land has all been alienated except seven acres, on which he has built a flax-mill. He prays for a lease of the seven acres. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom this petition was referred for consideration, have the honour to report that, having read a report from the Under-Secretary of Crown Lands on the subject-matter of the petition, they approve of the action of the Government in the case, and therefore have no recommendation to make. 18th July, 1889. I—l. 5.

REPORTS OF WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE. (Mr. PULTON, CHAIBMAN.)