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" I, John James Meikle, do hereby acknowledge to have received from the Colonial Treasurer, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen and the Government of the Colony of New Zealand, the sum of five hundred pounds (£500), of which the sum of two hundred and fifty pounds (£250) is now paid to me, and the further sum of two hundred and fifty pounds (£250) is about to be paid at my request to George Esther, of Dunedin, in full satisfaction, release, and discharge of all claims and demands or alleged claims and demands which I now have or at any time heretofore have had against Her Majesty the Queen or the Government of New Zealand, upon or in respect of the prosecution and conviction of myself for sheep-stealing, or the prosecution and conviction, at my instance, of one William Lambert for perjury, and in respect of any expenses, costs, or charges incurred in or about the said prosecutions, or either of them, and any losses sustained or alleged to be sustained by me thereby. " 15th December, 1897. ''John James Meikle. " Witness to signature— J. W. Kelly, M.H.R." The Committee is of opinion that the request of the petitioner to have his name removed from the prison records of the colony is a reasonable one, and your Committee strongly recommend that ii be carried out, either by attaching tags to the pages containing J. J. Meilde's name, or by such other method as may be found practicable. Eespecting the request for an inquiry re the alleged forged document, the Committee inquired exhaustively into the merits of the document in question in 1903, and found that it was not genuine, but that the petitioner was in no way responsible for the same, and therefore has now no further recommendation to make. Petitioner also prays for compensation for losses entailed in his business and for false imprisonment. In view of the payments and receipts referred to above, the Committee has no further recommendation to make. 26th September, 1905.

No. 422.—Petition of J. A. L. Meikle and 9 Others, of Wellington. Petitioners pray for (1) the removal of John James Meikle's and Arthur Meikle's names from the criminal records of the country, and (2) that compensation to the extent of £5,000 be granted to the petitioners for 17J years' degradation and suffering. I am directed to report that the Committee strongly recommends that the first prayer of the petition be granted, and that it has no recommendation to make in respect tp the second. 26th September, 1905.

No. 151.—Petition of Walter Rutherford, of Newmarket, Auckland. Petitioner prays for compensation for military services. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 19th September, 1905.

No. 403.—Petition of G. A. Stott and Another, of Wellington. Petitioners pray for an amendment to " The Dentists Act, 1904." I am directed to report that the Committee recommends that the Government bring in and pass this session an amendment to " The Dentists Act, 1904," removing the disabilities referred to in this petition, which have evidently entailed serious injustice on many persons in the colony. 26th September, 1905.

No. 296.—Petition of The County Council of Tauranga. Petitioners pray for a subsidy on the rates of the district. I am directed to report that, as the prayer of the petition involves a question of public policy, the petition should be referred to the Government for consideration. 26th September, 1905.

No. 415. —Petition of The Waihi Branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation. Petitioners pray for a subsidy on the rates of the district. I am directed to report that, as this petition involves a question of public policy, it should be referred to the Government for consideration. 26th September, 1905.

No. 908, 1904.—Petition of James Walker, of Waiwaka, near Rakanui. Petitioner prays for an inquiry into the justification of his committal to a lunatic asylum, I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 29th September, 1905,