Otago Association relative to the disposal of six hundred thousand (6000,000) acres of land external to the Otago Block. I would request ypu to submit this statement to the Governor-in-Chief, in order that I may be furnished with such instructions on the subject as His Excellency may deem necessary ; but until the receipt of such instructions, I do not conceive that lam empowered to recognise any such agreement. With reference to the schedule, I may mention that I have registered as received on the 21st November, all such applications noted in it as I had not received at an earlier date, and shall so advertise them on my return from Foveaux Strait, so soon as I shall have been able to examine the district and verify or correct the boundaries. I have, &c., &c. t (Signed) Walter Mantell, Commissioner of Crown Lands Southern District N, Z. The Hon. ihe Colonial Secretary, Wellington.

Dunedin, 19th November, 1851. Sir, — Having had the honour of a call from you this morning, notifying your arrival to assume the duties of Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Southern District of New Munster, excepting the Otago Block, I beg leave to enclose, as per annexed list, the applications for Pasturage Runs which I mentioned to you as having been lodged with me as Commissioner for the Otago District before the knowledge of your appointment. The parties having acted entirely of their own accord, and for their own interests, were informed that I could only place their applications on a file, with note of the dates and order in, which they were received, to be afterwards dealt with in terms of such instructions as might be issued by the Government. My impression is that they are all bona fide; that some of the applicants w ill be found to have occupied the Runs for a series of years, down to that of a few months; and that others have live stock on the wav from Australia and Van Diemen's Land. The parties, moreover, may be classed as follows :— Land owners in Otago 14 About to purchase in Otago 2 Inspector of Sheep having live-stock near Port Chalmers .... 1 Holders of stock at Moeraki, Waikowaite, &c 5 Total applicants. 22 I state these circumstances in connexion with the last arrangement, of date the Ist of August, 1549, between the New Zealand Company and the Otago As<sociation, a copy of which I had the honour to hand to His Excellency the Go-vernor-in-Chief, and whereby it was agreed, in consequence of enhanced value given to adjacent pasturage at the expense of the purchasers and settlers in Otago, that 600,000 acres external and in addition to the pasturage within the block, should be assigned to supply the wants of the Otago colonists, and on the following terms, namely—" That the fee and yearly charge be one-half of the fee and yearly charge at the time on licenses for pasturage of the general Demesne Lands of the Crown in the Southern Provinces of New Zealand and allotted to any settlement." I have the honour, &c., &c. : (Signed) W. Cargill, Commissioner of Crown Lands Otago District, Walter Mantell, Esq , J.P., Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Southern District of New Munster,