PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE TARANAKI IRON SAND QUESTION.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1866 Session I, D-08

D.—Ko. S.

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE TARANAKI IRON SAND QUESTION.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF THE GENEHAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OF

HIS EXCELLENCY.

WELLINGTON.

1860.

D.—No. 8.

No. 1. Copy of a Letter from Mr. F. A. CAnnixoTON to Mr. Gisborxe. Sue, — New Plymouth, Taranaki, 17th July, 1866. I beg leave to state that I hear " the Government are going to make inquiry into the Iron Sand question of Taranaki." I therefore do myself the honor to enclose herewith the copy of a letter which I addressed to Mr. Beckham, in reference to the Iron Sand of New Plymouth, on the 23rd November, 1864 As no notice whatever has been taken of my letter to Mr. Beckham, or the documents it contained, I think it right to ask the favour of your calling the attention of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary to the fact I have stated ; and, at the same time, I wish to make known that, by reference to my evidence before a Select Committee of the House of Commons in June, 1844, and that which I subsequently did up to the year 1856, as shown in the documents sent to Mr. Beckham, it will be clear that I was the first person who, after expenditure of money, time, and labour, brought to light, ascertained, and made known the real worth of Taranaki Sand. Under the Stannary Law of England that which I have done in this matter is not allowed to go unrewarded. I trust that the New Zealand Government will render me like protection. I have, &c, Vm. Gisborne, Esq., Under Secretary, &c. Peed. A. CARRHf&TON. Enclosure in No. 1. Copy of a Letter from Mr. P. A. Caehingtok to Mr. Thomas Beckiiam. Sir, — New Plymouth, Taranaki, 23rd November, 1864. Seeing that you are making inquiry respecting certain rights and merits in connection with the Iron Sand question of this Province, I beg leave to submit for your information, and for the information and consideration of the Government, the facts contained in the accompanying letter which I had the honor of addressing to the Eight Hon. the Earl Grey in February, 1850; and I will now merely observe that this letter was followed up by action and correspondence, and finally by a memorial, a copy of which is herewith enclosed, which resulted in my being told at the Colonial Office, that if I desired it a letter would be written to the Governor that would ensure my obtaining " the Grant" on arrival in this Colony, provided the beach had not been previously granted. As this necessarily involved the locking up of the capital required for the enterprise until I could report from New Zealand the result of my mission, which at that time would have occupied eight or nine months, the smelting of the Iron Sand was consequently not carried out. In 1856, I resolved on leaving England and returning to New Zealand, having arranged with a gentleman, a connection of my own, who had successfully carried out some of the largest railway contracts in England and "Wales, and who had smelted the New Plymouth Sand at his own works and knew its value, to erect smelting works and foundry at New Plymouth, provided I could obtain from the local authorities a license to collect and use the sand. On my arrival in the Colony in July, 1857, I found to my dismay, that so far from being in a position to ask or obtain the said license from the local authorities, I was obliged to spend my time and money, and to use all my efforts to obtain some little consideration and redress for the unmerited and unjust wrongs which had been done me by the passing of certain clauses in the Land Orders and Scrip Act of 1856. I will now only add that the Iron Sand of New Plymouth is perhaps infinitely more valuable than the Government are aware of. I most satisfactorily and conclusively ascertained its market value, and officially and publicly made known its worth. Iron made from the New Plymouth Sand is worth from £37 to £42 per ton. In New Zealand there are other large deposits of Iron Sand beyond Taranaki, and I have reason to believe of equal value. What, therefore, will be the effect produced in this Colony if this mineral be rightly worked ? Thomas Beckham, Esq., I have, &c, Commissioner of Taranaki Claims, &c, New Plymouth. Fred. A. Caeringtojt. Note.—ln returning to New Zealand, in 1857, I had two grand objects in view—one, as I have already stated, was the smelting of the Iron Sand, the other was the constructing of a harbour at New Plymouth, and in this last matter I had the promise of co-operation and aid in all that was needful, on most favourable terms to this Government, from Sir John Bennie, the eminent harbour engineer, to whom lam well known. The unhappy differences which arose through the passing of certain clauses in the Land Orders and Scrip Act of 1856 frustrated these two great and important works. 23rd November, 1864. Fred. A. Caeringtos. Remark, July, 1866. —Mr. Beckham has not favoured me with any reply to this letter, neither has he notified to me any remarks on the documents it contained. Ido not know whether he has or has not submitted it to the Government. Last session, Mr. F. N. Gledhill, of this town, was one of the Taranaki representative Members. On his leaving this place for the House of Representatives I gave him duplicate copies of all the documents relating to the Iron Sand question (which I had given to Mr. Beckham for the Government

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CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE TARANAKI IRON SAND.

•P.-iNo. 8.

in November, 1864), and I requested him to make known the matter to the House. On asking Mr. Gledhill what he did for me in the matter of the Iron Sand, he says he really does not know what ho did with my documents, but he thinks he gave them to Mr. J. C. Richmond when that gentleman was Colonial tseeretary. He says "they had better look among the papers in the Colonial Secretary's room!"' 16th July, 18GG. Fred. A. Careington. No. 2. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Gisborjje to Mr. F. A. Cabbington. (No. 604.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Slß,— Wellington, 7th August, ISG6. I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Stafford, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th ultimo, referring to the proposed inquiry into the Taranaki Iron Sand question, and enclosing the copy of a letter which you addressed on the 23rd November, 1864, to Mr. Commissioner Beckham on that subject. Your letter has been submitted to the Select Committee of the House of Representrtives, now inquiring into the claims of Dr. Samuel and Mr. Morshead, with respect to the Taranaki Iron Sand leases, and that Committee states that an inquiry into your claim does not come within the scope of the order of reference appointing the Committee. I have, &c, F. A. Carrington, Esq., W. Gisbohne, New Plymouth. Under Secretary. No. 3. Copy of a Letter from Mr. P. A. Caeriugton to the Hon. E. W. Stafford. Slß,— New Plymouth, 14th August, 186 G. I have this day had the honor of receiving a letter from the Under Secretary, dated the 7th instant, in answer to mine of the 17th ultimo, in reference to the Iron Sand question of Taranaki. By your direction 1 am informed that my " letter has been submitted to the Select Committee of the House of Representatives now inquiring into the claims of Dr. Samuel and Mr. Morshead, with respect to the Taranaki Iron Sand leases, and that the Committee states that an inquiry into my claim does not come within the scope of the order of reference appointing the Committee." In reply, I beg to state that I have used every proper means in my power, since the 2:Jnl November, 1864, to show to the Colonial Government and the House of Representatives my claim upon the Iron Sand, —I trust an equitable claim upon the Colony, —and that I was the first person who, after expenditure of money, time, and labour, brought to light, ascertained, and made known the real worth of Taranaki Sand. If my claim has not been brought before the House of Representatives, so as to ensure to me justice in this matter, I submit that the fault is not mine. I now again repeat that which I stated in my letter (which letter I sent to the Government and to the House of Representatives) dated 23rd November, 1864, viz.: —lron made from New Plymouth Sand is worth from £37 to £42 per ton. In fact, from the Iron Sand of Taranaki the most valuable iron of commerce can be made. It is not generally known, even in the iron trade, that England imports annually about five thousand tons of iron at the high price I have named. This fact I ascertained after no little perseverance, time and trouble. From the year 1844 to the year 1856 (twelve years), I devoted more or less of my time and money in developing and endeavouring to bring into use this valuable article of commerce, —Taranaki Iron Sand, and had it not been for the great wrong I sustained by the passing of the Land Orders and Scrip Act of 1856, as is clearly shown in my letter to Governor Gore Browne, of the 21st September, 1857, and my letter to yourself of the 13th July, 1866, there cannot bo a just doubt but that I should have obtained the grant of the beach, giving me a right to collect the sand and to erect smelting works and foundry, as was the avowed object of my returning to New Plymouth, together with the construction of a harbour at the Sugar Loaves. I now, therefore, earnestly solicit your kind interposition in this my case, and I trust that you ■will be pleased to make known the whole of the facts elucidating my claim upon the Taranaki Iron Sand to the Honorable the House of Representatives. I have, &c, The Hon. E. W. Stafford, Colonial Secretary. Fred. A. Carrington. No. 4. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Gisboene to Mr. F. A. Caerington. (No. 651.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Slß,— Wellington, 29th August, 186 G. Referring to your letter of the 14th instant, I have the honor, by direction of Mr. Stafford, to inform you that, in accordance with the request made in that letter, copies of the correspondence relative to your claim in connection with the Taranaki Iron Sand, will be laid on the table of the House of Representatives. I have, &c, W. Gisborne, E. A. Carrington, Esq., New Plymouth. Under Secretary.

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CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO TARANAKI IRON SAND.