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Coal and Mineral Leases.

* This mine is being worked, the year's output of coal being 4,200 tons 9owfc. ; the royalty received, £105 os. 3d., from which the rent, £37 155., is deducted. t The lease provides that the mine shall be in good working-order within twelve months from the date of the lease ; and that the lessees will thereafter keep continuously employed in the working thereof not less than six men for the whole term of twenty-one years. { Prospector's mining lease. § These leases have been granted, but the mines cannot be worked until access is given to the land by the Midland Railway Company.

J. W. A. Makchant, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

OTAGO. It will be seen that the year's transactions have exceeded those of 1890-91 in some particulars to a considerable extent, the total for the year in respect of Crown lands being 436 purchasers or selectors, taking up 665,346 acres, with a total revenue of £86,968 11s. 6d., as against 351 purchasers or selectors, 372,332 acres, and £82,096 11s. 4d., for the previous year. The principal increases have been in perpetual leases and small grazing-runs : of the former, there was an increase of ninety-two selectors, 26,920 acres, and £2,292 145.; of the latter, thirty-two selectors, 64,404 acres, and £2,493. As compared with the estimate, there was a deficiency in the Land Fund of £904 11s. 5d., and an excess in territorial revenue of £2,848 2s. lid., thus giving in the total revenue an excess of £1,943 11s. 6d. I will now briefly refer to such of the tables as require explanation or remarks, taking them in their order. Summary. —ln this table a slight adjustment has been necessary, in consequence of an oversight in last year's return on account of 304 acres 2 roods 20 perches of agricultural-lease land made freehold, and 92 acres 1 rood 10 perches of perpetual-lease land made freehold, which, as I pointed out in my last year's report, were included in cash lands. These areas were also rightly included in the column " Total Area made Freehold " in their respective lines, but also wrongly included in the " Cash " line of that column. In like manner, in the present return, " Cash Lands " includes 1,064 acres and 23 perches of perpetual lease-lands sold for £819 10s., and 390 acres 2 roods 3 perches of agricultural-lease land sold for £391; and the total of the column, " Area taken up during the Year," is given as less the sum of those areas, although they are included in the area of cash lands, being lands sold for cash, and there being no other way, in the table, of showing the transaction. Lands sold for Gash. —The explanation given above with regard to Table A has to be kept in view in dealing with this one. Having regard to the quantity of land about to be notified for selection during the year, it was expected there would have been a larger number of transactions in cash lands; but it is not an easy matter to estimate, under the optional system of tenure, what proportion may be taken up in either of the three classes. Deferred Payments. —This return shows a slight increase over last year, both in the quantity of land taken up and the amount of revenue received ; but it has to be noted that the area selected includes four holdings, containing 1,284 acres 1 rood 9 perches, exchanged from perpetual lease, while the forfeitures include one holding of 103 acres 1 rood 5 perches exchanged for perpetual lease. Eevaluations have had the effect of further reducing the annual payments by £398 13s. Perpetual Lease. —As I have already pointed out, there has been a large increase in the number of leases taken up under this system. The area selected includes the one holding above referred to as exchanged from deferred payment. The annual rental has been further reduced by revaluations to the extent of £264 6s. The areas of four leases were made freehold during the year, amounting in the aggregate to 1,045 acres and 4 perches. Village Homestead Special Settlement. —Thirty-six holdings, embracing 783 acres and 28 perches, have been taken up since the new regulations came into force, the selectors availing themselves of the provision allowing the first two years' rent to remain in abeyance. In the special return of these settlements about to be prepared it is expected that satisfactory details as to their progress in places where work is obtainable will be given,

No. of Lease. Area. Situation. Purpose. Date of Lease. Annual Conditions and Eent. Royalties. Lessee. 3* A. R. p. 301 3 0 Hororata District Coal Nov. 16, 1882 & s. d. 37 15 0 30years. Royalty, 6d. per ton on output 21 years. Royalty, 6d. per ton 21 years. Royalty, 6d. per ton 21 years. Royalty, 6d. per ton 21 years Messrs. Leeming. 14f 200 0 0 Aug. 81, 1891 25 0 0 James Goss. 15t 200 0 0 Sept. 1, 1891 25 0 0 James Goss. 16t 75 1 22 Alford District, on Run 103 Alford District, on Run 103 Grasmere District Sept. 1, 1891 9 8 G Frederick Duncan and David Stott. Frederick Duncan and David Stott. Messrs. Cloudesly, Williamson, and McDonald. Messrs. Cloudesly, Willamson, and McDonald. It 36 0 0 Limestone Sept. 1, 1891 4 10 0 11§ 640 0 0! Coal 32 0 0 12§ 360 0 0 18 0 0