CORRESPONDENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 316, 19 December 1857, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

I BETWEEN N His Honoe the Superintendent, the Chief CosiMissiokEß of Cbown Lands, and the Chief StnavEYOß, respecting the Boundaries of Sheep Runs within the Province of Otago. Superintendent's Office, Dunedin,' 3rd December 1857. Sie — Referring to my letter of 20th November last, I now enclose copy of Mr. Thomson's Report, by which you will observe that the furnishing of your office with Maps of Runs, on which the "boundaries should be so defined as to enable you iv each case to append tracings of them to the Leases, is out of the question, the cost alone being thirty-seven thou- .. sand pounds, and that only a fifth part of what will be the whole, and that therefore you can only, as heretofore, give such general description of boundaries as your Maps on the present system may furnish. This, as a general rule, enables lessees to adjust a mutual boundary between each other, and in such wise as to have no room for mistake in the shepherding. But for the exceptional cases in which the parties cannot so agree, there should be a rule entitling them to demand a survey at their joint expense — such survey to be recorded in your office, and a tracing of it appended to the leases of each. And you will therefore prepare rules accordingly for circulation. As it appears that respectable parties, especially in the south, in the absence of such rules, and as occupants of a new country, are being exposed to unnecessary surmises and dissatisfaction, I have instructed the two Chief Inspectors to apply to you for a list of such parties, and jointly to visit them, for the purpose of fully explaining the common rule, and also, by means of their experience in such matters, to use every effort for the adjustment of differences. They should be furnished with, printed copies of this correspondence, enclosing my letter of 20th ult., and of the Rules of your Board in connection with it, and give as much notoriety to their visits in each case as possible, — having in view also, that the Inspectors should afterwards do the same thing, • individually, in other parts of the Province. Meanwhile, I think you wonld do well to apprise the parties by circular of the proposed visit and its objects. Mr. Inspector Logic informs me that he can be at Invcrcargill by the . 15th December current, if that time should be found to suit. — I have the honour to be, Sir, ■ Your most obedient Servant, W. Cakgixl, Superintendent. W. H Cutten, Esq., Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land Board. Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 20th November 1857. Sis — With reference to your observations' of yesterday, it appears to me that immediate steps must be taken to define and adjust by authority the precise boundary line between Runs in cases where the two parties cannot agree upon it themselves. The Maps of Runs supplied by the Chief Surveyor do not pretend to give" more than the relative position and approximating average, and which is generally sufficient to enable the occupants, practically, and according to the country, to agree with each other. But to enable you in all cases critically to define such boundaries (as in the case of land sales), would require maps of a very different construction ; and in order to a settlement of this question, I shall now call upon the Chief Surveyor to report at what cost to the public, provided he could command a force to effect it, such maps could be supplied to your office, so as to enable you to deal with all parties alike, and at the public cost. On the other hand, if such expense should prove impracticable, and also unnecessary because of the general agreement of parties with . each other, there must follow a rule that disputing parties may, at their joint expense, call for a special survey in presence of the Chief Inspector of the district and the parties interested, and to have the boundary line thus determined laid down upon your office map. And this process in the meanwhile I' think to be the only course that is open to you. Your personal visit in such a matter would be futile, insomuch as you could neither act as a • Surveyor, nor carry the weight of an Inspector having full experience in such matters. And I would take occasion to add my opinion, that hardly anything should detach you from the close attendance and supervision of your own important office in Dunedin; outdoor work being fully provided for by the Chief Surveyor and Inspectors, whose services can always be made available for your Department. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant, W. Cargim,, Superintendent. W. H. Cutten, Esq., Chief Commissioner of the Waste Laud Board Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 30th November 1857. J. T. Thomson, Esq., * Chief .Survey or. Sib, — Referring to the annexed copy of a letter. -to the Chief Commissioner of the Waste Land. Board, I have the honour to request j'ou will report to me, in the event of your being required to furnish Maps of Runs, with the boundaries minutely defined, as in the case of land for sale, — . 1. At what additional cost to the public such maps could be supplied in respect of the liuns you have already surveyed and laid^dowja.-Qi^

the existing maps, being probably about onelifth .(l-stbj of what may be the Runs of the "whole Province. 2. Whether, in the event of such surveys being determined upon, you could command a sufficient force for the work, in addition to what you have on hand for the ensuing two years. — I have the honour to be, Sir, . • Your most obedient Servant, (Signed) W. Cargill, Superintendent. To His Honor Capt. Cargill, Superintendent of Otago. Sir — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, dated 30th ult., with reference to furnishing of Maps of Runs, with the boundaries minutely denned, as in the case of land for sale, and in reply beg to state — First, that in respect of the Runs already surveyed by Reconnaissance, and laid down in the existing maps, being probably about one- fifth of •what will be the Runs of the whole Province, the additional cost to the public of such maps will amount to £37,500 sterling. Second, if such surveys are determined on, surveyors must be procured from abroad, a sufficient force not being available in this Province for the work, in addition to what we have in hand for the ensuing two years. — I have, &c. (Signed) J. T. Thomson, Chief Surveyor. Survey Office, 2nd Dec. 1857.