Page 2 Advertisements Column 3

Otago Witness, Issue 305, 3 October 1857, Page 2

inconvenience resulted. -By a roughjmeasurement, it would seem that one settler has, from ignorance of the exact boundary, built his house partly on his own and partly on the next section. The four former parties' sections have also been drawn out on the map. Also that no occupation certificates were issued prior to the first meeting, 22nd January, or the commencement of the agitation, nor until the Commissioner had been apprized of the movement by a letter from Mr. A. M'Master ; and only two were issued before our fourth meeting, at which the Petition was adopted on the 28th March. Since that date, John Oughton and James Drummond have obtained theit's, although neither chained nor pegged off. (Signed) Alexander M'Master Francis Hamilton Thomas Robinson ' George Garet. No. 2. Tnvercargill, June 30th, 1857. I hereby certify that I, Alexander M'Master, applied for four sections of rural land in this district on the 14th day of April, 1856; that the Waste Land Board sat in my presence, and granted the lands applied for to me ; that I paid for the said lands on the 27th May, and received the receipts of the following form : — Crown Land Office, Otago, 27th May, 1857. No. 73. Received from Mr. Alexander M'Master, the sum of Twenty-five Pounds sterling, being deposit on application for lands No. 192, as decided on the sth instant. (Signed) P. Proudfoot, Chief Commissioner and Treasurer, Waste Land Board. £25 The words underlined [italics'] are printed, and the others written in. That I repeatedly applied for a survey of these lands, which has been as often promised ; but the attached letter from Mr. Proudfoot will show that on the 2nd January, 1857, it was not all surveyed. The attached answer will show that I did everything in my power to obtain a survey, and that I also acquainted him of our intention to petition his Excellency and the General Assembly for redress ; that his reply acknowledged the receipt of such information, and that Mr. Townsend has been instructed as to adjustment of these claims. I received a note from Mr. Townsend from Jacob's River, which informed me that my survey would not be allowed as was drawn on the sketch alluded to according to Mr. Proudfoot's wishes. I have gone twice to Dunedin about the survey of my land. Since that I got a letter from Mr. Thomson, Chief Surveyor, to bear down to Mr. Townsend, (who was still about Jacob's River), which I was given to understand was further instructions to Mr. Townsend to survey my land on his return to this district, which was expected by me daily ever since.. He has arrived, but I have got no satisfaction from him whether or when my land will be surveyed. That I have been under the necessity of' leaving off farming at a great sacrifice, seeing that from the course the sections were taking, by a rough measurement the greater part of my cultivated land would be cut off from me, although on the land I applied for, and as near the centre of my application as I could judge. The above lam willing to swear to, and also produce witnesses to corroborate the same. (Signed) A. M'Master. No. 3. Waste Land Board Office, Otago, 2nd January, 1857. Sir, — As I perceive that only one of the two 50-acre allotments applied for by you adjoining the Government Reserve at Invercargill or Waiopai- has been marked off by the Surveyors during their late sojourn at that place, I have to request that you will be good enough to inform me as early as possible, by letter, of the position which you would wish assigned for the application in your own name for 50 acres, and also for those in the names of Margaret and Mary M'Master for 100 acres each. I enclose for your guidance a tracing of the map of the district, so as to enable you to point out the required No. of section if possible. Perhaps you would be good enough to inform such other parties as may not have got the position of their allotments fixed by the Surveyors, to write me in the manner above requested, so as to enable the Board to decide the whole matter with as little delay as possible. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, (Signed) P. Proudfoot, Chief Commissioner. Mr. Alex. M'Master, i Invercargill. No. 4. Panney Bush, 27th January, 1857. Sir, — I duly received your very kind letter, 2nd instant, and have perfectly complied with your requests. The tracing will be forwarded by Mr. Thomson, Surveyor, who has been kind enough to draw the sections on the tracing as required. I beg to remind you that I can only give the number of section in the one case, as in the other two none has been surveyed ; you say, so as to enable the Board to decide with as little delay, &c. I confess that is beyond my weak apprehension to xm\\ derstand, as the Board sat in my own presence! and decided the whole matter connected with), me 9 months ago. I have further to confess that I can apprehend no earthly good to come from this move, as you are well aware that I am an applicant for twelve months now, and