REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE PETITION OF OFFICERS OF THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.

Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, 1856 Session I

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE PETITION OF OFFICERS OF THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.

EXTRACTS FROM THE VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Votes, No. 52, Thursday, July 3-, 1856. 2. Petitions of Officers of the Survey Department:—Mr. Williamson presented a Petition from Officers of the Surveyor-General's Department, praying for compensation for loss of office, consequent on the management of the Waste Lands being transferred to the Provincial Governments. Petition read and received.

Votes, No. 55, Wednesday, July 9, 185 G.

9. Survey Department:—Mr. "Williamson, pursuant to (amended) notice, moved, That the Petitions of Officers of the Surveyor-General's Department be referred to a Select Committee, to enquire and report upon the prayer of the Petitions; Committee to consist of Messrs. Smith, East, Brown, Ward, Beckham, Lee, and the mover. Report to be brought up on 22nd July. Question put and passed.

Votes, No. 63, Tuesday, July 22, 1856. 7. Surveyor-General's Department Committee :—Mr. Williamson, Chairman of the Committee to whom the Petition of Officers of the Surveyor-General's Department had been referred, brought up their Report, which was read, and ordered to be printed.

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REPORT.

The Select Committee of the House of Eepresentatives, appointed July 9th,' 1856, to enquire and report on the prayers of the Petitions received from Officers of the Surveyor-General's Department, report as follows : — 1 hat the petitioneis, in anticipation of their services being no longer required so soon as the administration of the Waste Lands shall have been transferred to the Provinces, have appealed to the House, to take into it; consideration their past services in the Survey Department, which have been faithfully rendered for various periods, with a view to some allowance being made to them in the event of their sudden removal from office. The Committee have made enquiries as to whether the petitioners' services are likely to be further required either by the General Government, or the Auckland Provincial Government, and with this yiew have examined the Honorable the Colonial Secretary, and the Commissioner of Waste Lands of the Province of Auckland The Colonial Secretary states" that it is in contemplation to organize two new departments, one in connection with the Native Land Purchase Department, and the other in connection with the settlement of Old Land Claims ; that the gentlemen now in the Survey Department will have a preferable claim, for employment," but that " the whole of this is only under consideration at present; and their employment will be contingent upon the decision arrived at by the Governmentbut in any case " only those who are practical surveyors will be employed." Ihe Commissioner of Waste Lands states, that " he believes that two of the petitioners can be employed at once in the Provincial service, at the same rate of salary they are now receiving." our Committee have therefore grounds to believe that the majority of the petitioners are not likely to suffer any serious loss or inconvenience by the transfer of the Waste Lands to the Provinces the same time they are of opinion that, as these gentlemen have rendered faithful services to the colony during a number of years, it would not be just to them that they should be summarily dismissed from their offices, and their respective salaries stopped, without some more definite notice than they have yet received, in the event of the termination of their services on political grounds. Your Committee therefore recommend that the House shall request His Excellency the Governor to award six months' salary to such of the petitioners as may be deprived of their office by the transfer of the administration of the Waste Lands to the Provinces, unless these officers shall, upon their removal, obtain appointments under the General Government, or the Provincial Government of Auckland. J. WILLIAMSON, Chairman. Committee Room, House of Representatives, July 22, 1856.