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Report from Commissioners at Nelson. Native Reserves, Nelson, 2nd June, 1858. Sib,— In compliance with an Order of the House of Representatives, contained in your despatch dated 19th April, 1858, we have the honor to enclose " A Return of all Lands held by the Commissioners " of Native Reserves, under the 'New Zealand Native Reserves Act, 1856,' down to Ist July, 1857 ; " also, statement of monies received and expended from Ist January, 1857, to 31st December, 1857 ; " and Report, furnished in compliance with the 11th section of the Act. We have, &c, (Signed) Alfred Domett, l „ » JohnPotntek, Trustees oi Thos. Brunner, J Natlve Eeserves - The Houourable The Colonial Secretary. Nelson, New Zealand. Sir,— In accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of the 3rd December, 1856, we have now the honor to furnish the following Report on the present state and proceeds of the Native Reserves within this Province ; and the manner in which the Reserves should, in our opinion be dealt with, and their proceeds disposed of in future. The whole of the Reserves within the Province of Nelson, are situated either in the Town of Nelson, and the original Suburban districts of Moutere and Motueka ; or in Massacre Bay, a block at Wakapuaka, and the new district of the Pelorus, which includes Queen Charlotte's Sound, and the Kaituna, with other valleys. The first class of Reserves, in Nelson, Motueka and Moutere, are the only ones at present under the management of the Trust ; the remainder having apparently been excepted from the lands sold by the Native owners to Government ; either at the period of the original negotiations, or on the completion of the purchase of them ; so that the Native Title to the Reserved Lands must, we presume, be considered as not yet extinguished. In the town of Nelson there are 54 sections, of which 47 have been let at various times by the former acting Trustees ; the total amount of annual rental accruing from these sections is £441 17s. 7d. Most of these sections have been let for terms of 14 years ; a few for 21 years ; and some for 7 years. Several of them having been let some years back, when the settlement was in a comparatively depressed state, and rents of land accordingly very low, are still subject to leases which have some years to run, at rents almost nominal. As they have however risen greatly in value, we propose with the sanction of Government, to sell these as opportunity offers, because the sums they would realize, if put out at Interest on good security, would yield a considerable annual revenue to the Trust, to which the present rents would bear no comparison. The following Table shews the numbers of the sections which should be sold, the rent they yield at present, and the prices which they would probably realize. It would be highly for the benefit of the Public, the Natives, and the Trust Fund, if the change that has been proposed could be effected with respect to those sections on the Haven Road on which the Native Hostelries stand. Many complaints are made of the nuisances caused by the Natives in these houses to residents in the neighbourhood. Their nasty mode of living, the various stenches about their habitations ; occasional through perhaps slight indecencies from exposure of their persons ; their cooking fires close to adjoining fences, are the subject of these complaints. As the Hostelries themselves are becoming delapidated, it would be advisable to remove them altogether, or build new ones on some Native sections near the mill built by Dr. Bush on the banks of the Maitai River. There they would have fresh water in plenty,—a convenience they are deprived of in their present habitations ; would be out of the way of the public ; both parties freed from their mutual annoyances, while their canoes could still come up by water to the new places of residence.* But we should state that some of the Natives themselves have expressed objections to this change; and as it is possible that the future enclosure of part of the mud flat, —(from Green Point, for instance, to the Maitai, by the mill alluded to above,) might effect a considerable change in the relative value of the acres on Haven Road, and those by the Mill,—it would perhaps be as well to leave the question of the alteration of the site of the Hostelries, an open one for the present ; but of course it is obvious that a much greater lent could at present be obtained from the Haven sections than from those by the mill. The management of the Suburban sections, at Motueka and the Moutere involves a different ■principle from that of the Town sections. In these districts Natives have always been permanently resident ; consequently it may be presumed that many of these sections must have been chosen with the idea of providing land for the future occupation and cultivations of the resident Natives. Whether this was the original intention or not, many of these sections have always been actually taken possession * Since the above was written, the Native Hostelries have been put in thorough repair; they have been reehingled and new floored, —the old sleeping places exchanged for separate bunks, as on shipboard,—the fire places improved,—the windows shifted to more convenient positions,—and the whole buildings made light, clean, and comfortable, to tfie great satisfaction of the Natives who visit them.