I.—7a.

18

Exhibit A. Public Works Department, Wellington, 26th August, 1896. Sic, — Be Midland Railway Company's Petition. I have the honour to forward to you herewith the statement showing the mining reserves proclaimed before 9th August, 1892, and the respective areas objected to and not objected to by the Midland Eailway Company, which I referred to in my address before the Committee on Friday last. The figures in the columns headed " Justifiable " and " Unjustifiable " are not quite the same as those I read to the Committee. You will probably recollect that I stated that the return had been placed in my hands during the sitting of the Committee, and I had not therefore had any opportunity of satisfying myself as to its correctness, and when examining it at the office after the adjournment of the Committee I discovered several inaccuracies. The return now furnished is correct, however, and still shows that only 169,503 acres had been proclaimed as mining reserves up to 9th August, 1892, and that the great bulk of these reserves are admitted by the company to have been justifiably made. I have, &c, The Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary. House of Eepresentatives, Wellington. p.S,—When correcting my evidence I will see that the necessary alterations in the figures I specially referred to in my address are duly made. H. J. H. Blow.

Statement showing Mining Reserves proclaimed prior to 9th August, 1892, and the respective Areas which the Midland Railway Company regards as having been "justifiably" or "unjustifiably" proclaimed: vide Statement submitted by Company's Counsel to Arbitration Court (see page 16 of Parliamentary Paper D.-4b of 1896).

H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary. Public Works Office, Wellington, 26th August, 1896.

Numi ier. .rea reservei US' le.' njusf _ /estland District— I II Ill IV V VI VII VIII IX. ... X XI. ... XII XIII., 8a XIV. ... elson District— 81 77 74 70 69 65 62 59 54 53 51 Acres. 5,250 9,900 8,250 5,700 10,000 3,500 10,000 10,000 3,000 5,000 3,000 2,000 1,700 3 Acres. 800 9,900 8,250 5,700 5,400 370 9,000 10,000 1,900 5,000 130 1,336 200 3 Acres. 4,450 4,600 3,130 1,000 1,100 2,870 664 1,500 4,500 7,500 8,800 6,500 9,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 7,000 9,000 9,900 1,100 1,770 5,500 3,200 3,620 1,270 3,110 7,150 6,620 4,100 5,700 3,400 5,730 3,300 3,300 5,380 8,730 6,890 2,850 380 4,900 4,200 Totals 169,503 101,129 68,374