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away ; the exclusion, for the future, of all instalments prior to the completion of the sale of the land. As almost every new purchase of land has a history of its own, differing somewhat from the last, it is impossible that the officer entrusted with this important duty can rigidly follow one undeviating plan in all cases. .... . 'no ■ « tii ttjhfti -. t!v:br!i <it ! u : y <r\i r.■ I 54. As soon as the Government has decided on the parts of the country which it is necessary to procure. The Chief Commissoner should then divide it into conveniently sized Districts, and in each station an Assistant Commissioner who should remain permanently in it and not be changed from one District to another. He would thus gain a knowledge of all the claimants and their boundaries. ' 55. If not a Surveyor himself he should always have one stationed with him. The duty of the Assistant Commissioner on first taking charge of the District should be to obtain the cooperation of. the natives with a view of setting forth on a sketch, or survey, the boundaries of their claims, and accompanying it with a complete list of the names of all the individuals who have a claim to land. 56. The nature of each persons claim should be stated, and should refer to the particular locality on the district sketch or survey, by means of distinctive letters and figures whereever it was not practicable from want of space to write the name in full upon it. 57. This work should be proceeded with whether the land was offered for sale or not, for if not immediately required, it would facilitate subsequent transactions. 58. Copies of such sketches and lists should be forwarded to and registered in the office of the Chief Commissioner, for future reference. In this manner a complete Registry of the native lands would be compiled. 59. When a portion of land was offered for sale;, the Assistant Commissioner should with the surveyor perambulate the boundaries accompanied by the native sellers, who should be required to dig holes in the earth at the corners, mark trees, and set up poles, as is their custom. The surveyor should take the bearings of all the boundary lines, note the particular mark made at each intersection of these lines, giving the native names to such places, but take no part in setting up poles or cutting marks in the ground or on trees. The whole of the transaction should be the act of the natives themselves. They should however never be sent to cut lines or make marks by themselves. When this had been done, and the quantity of the land estimated and all the particulars respecting it ascertained. The Assistant Commissioner should then agree upon the price to be paid, and issue a notice giving the following particulars—the names of the piece of land offered for sale, a description of the boundaries—the price agreed upon and a list of all the claimants which he had been able to ascertain. 60. This notice to be published in the " Maori Messenger," or in a Special Maori Land Gazette, to be printed for the purpose. 61. It should call on other claimants if any existed to send in their claims on or before a certain day to be fixed (at least three months from the date of the notice) otherwise their claims would be considered as forfeited. 62. If any new claimants appeared they should have their claims investigated in the presence of the persons proposing to sell, and if in the opinion of the Assistant Commissioner they appeared to be based upon the usual customs of the natives, the persons btinging them forward should be permitted to participate in the payment agreed upon, or the purchase should not be proceeded with. 63. That as soon as possible after the adjustment, of the claims, a meeting of all the claimants ehould be called. 64. At this meeting the whole sum or any part agreed upon should be produced and divided by the natives under the superintendeuce of the Assistant Commissioner in parcels containing the sum to which each individual or head of a family was entitled. 65. That each parcel should be labelled with the name of the person for whom it was intended, and this person should receive the same upon signing the Deed of Sale. 6(3. The Deed of Pale should in addition to the description of the boundari s, have delineated upon it a carefully prepared sketch or plan setting forth the names of the places referred to, as well as every other particular, connected with the land so as to make it as intelligible as possible to the native&. ; t J',. .. .. .•• i .i. 67. The survey of the land should after the completion of the purchase be proceeded with as soon as possible.