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Sess. 11.—1897. NEW ZEALAND,

LAND FOR SETTLEMENTS ACT. (RETURNS RELATIVE TO THE PURCHASE OF THE OTAHU ESTATE, SOUTHLAND.)

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated 19th October, 1897. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House a return setting out the negotiations for the purchase by the Crown, under the Land for Settlements Act, of the estate known as ' Otahu,' in Southland, and the reports of the Valuers and of the Land Purchase Board thereon, together with a statement as to what has been done as to the settlement of the land up to the 29th September last."—(Mr. G. Hutchison.)

OTAHU ESTATE. Statement showing what has been done as to the settlement of the land: — The estate has been subdivided, and is advertised as open for selection on the 4th November, 1897.

Wellington, 4th October, 1897. His Excellency the Governor is respectfully advised to sign as approved the attached Proclamation declaring land to be Crown land subject to " The Land for Settlements Act, 1894." John McKenzie, Minister of Lands. Signed.—E., 9th October, 1897. For Gazette.— J.F.J. 12th October, 1897.

(1.5.) Eanfuely, Governor. A Proclamation. Wheeeas the land described in the Schedule hereto has been acquired under the provisions of " The Land for Settlements Act, 1894" (hereinafter termed "the said Act"), and the purchase thereof has been concluded as by the said Act is provided: And whereas it is enacted by the said Act that all land so acquired shall be proclaimed as Crown land subject to the provisions of the said Act: Now, therefore, I, Uchter John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, in exercise and pursuance of the power and authority conferred by the said Act, do hereby proclaim and declare that the land described in the Schedule hereto shall, on the date of the publication hereof in the New Zealand Gazette, be and be deemed to be Crown land subject to the provisions of " The Land for Settlements Act, 1894." Schedule. Otahu Settlement. All that area in the Southland Land District, containing by admeasurement 6,044 acres and 29 poles, more or less, being Sections numbered 5, 15, 9, 10, 13, 24, 1, 97 (P. 8.), 17, 31, 2, 14, 39, and 40 of Waiau Survey District; as the said area is delineated upon the plan marked S.G. 19195, deposited in the Head Office of the Department of Lands and Survey, at Wellington, in the Wellington Land District, and thereon coloured red. Given under the hand of His Excellency the Eight Honourable Uchter John Mark, Earl of Eanfurly ; Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George ; Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies ; and issued under the Seal of the said Colony, at the Government House, at Wellington, this ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven. John McKenzie, Minister of Lands. God save the Queen !