A—No. 2

PAPERS RELATIVE TO

4

bare equitable title conferred on them by their Land Orders without having1 obtained Crown Grants. It is the business of the Commissioner under the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Ordinance to investigate the claims of parties to Crown Grants of such Lands, and great practical difficulty arises in determining who are the parties entitled to receive Crown Grants, and some risk to the Government from the necessity of recognising derivative transactions and subdivisions of land without limit of time. To put a limit to these, it is intended to fix a day (the 31st December, 1861), after which the Commissioner shall not be bound to recognise any such derivative transactions. Recommended for confirmation. " Law Practitioners Act." —This Act lias been framed mainly upon the advice of the Judges of the Supreme Court, a copy of whose Report is herewith forwarded, and to carry out their recommendations. Recommended for confirmation. " Balneavis Remission Act." —Removes a question raised as to the issue of a Crown Grant to Captain Balneavis, to which the Legislature, on full consideration, admitted him to be equitably entitled. Recommended for confirmation. " The Lost Land Orders Act" applies a remedy in cases where Land Orders have been inadvertently lost, whereby parties are disabled from obtaining Crown Grants. Recommended for confirmation. "Registration of Electors /Itt" provides an additional facility for Electors registering themselves as voters. Recommended for confirmation. " Standing Orders for Private Bills" enable an ad interim provision to be made for regulating the practice in regard to Private Bills. It will be merely in force for the next Session. Recommended for confirmation. "Arms Act Continuance Act, 1861," continues "The Arms Act, 1860," with a proviso enabling the Governor in Council to relax or suspend the provisions of that Act. Recommended for confirmation. " The Otago and Southland Public Debt Apportionment Act" supplements a defect in "The New Provinces Act" as regards the apportionment of the debts between the old and the new Provinces —the Province of Southland having been created out of the Province of Otago. It is intended to leave the apportionment of the debts to arbitration. Recommended for confirmation. ■' Hawke's Bay Naval and Military Settlers Act." —The object of this Act is precisely the same as the Marlborough Naval and Military Settlers Act. Recommended for confirmation. " Nelson Waste Lands Regulations Amendment Act." —The " Waste Lands Act, 1858," having fixed the power of legislating in the matter of the waste lands in the General Assembly, it is necessary that changes of regulations from time to time desired by the Provinces should be effectuated by Act of the Assembly. The Superintendent and Provincial Council of Nelson lately proposed some changes of regulation (substantially the same as the enactments of the present Act). The main objects were, first, that, to a limited extent, power should be give» to appropriate land in payment for public works. To this the General Assembly fixed a limit, viz., that the total amount so appropriated should not exceed in value £2,000 in any one year, so as to prevent the power from being abused to the detriment of the Land Fund. A more important object was to give the Provincial Government the power to grant leases of mineral lands without binding the lessees to work the minerals (see sec. 14). The Superintendent and Provincial Council of Nelson allege that experience has shewn that any such conditions are an effectual bar te mining enterprise in the Colony. They have, therefore, decided on fixing an acreage rent (see sec. J 2), and trusting to the ordinary motives of self-interest in the lessees to induce them to work the mines effectually. If they are worked a royalty becomes payable to the Government (under sec. 13). If the rent be unpaid, the lease may be forfeited (sec- 15). The General Assembly added a proviso, that no land should be so disposed of which was adapted for agricultural purposes. The effect of this restriction will be practically t9 limit the application of the new law to mountainous districts unavailable for agricultural settlement. The Act has been reserved for Her Majesty's assent. Ministers, though not holding themselves responsible for it, recommend it for confirmation. " Protection of Birds and Animals." —The object of this Act is to encourage the breeding of imported birds and animals. Recommended for confirmation. " Auckland Representation Act." —The object of this Act is explained by the preamble. Recommened for confirmation. " Official Administrators Act." —Under the rules of the Supreme Court, in cases of intestacy the Court grants Letters of Administration to the person who happens to be the Registrar of the Court for the time being, and who becomes thereby what is termed the Official Administrator. The object of the Act is to provide for the case of changes in the office of Registrar of the Supreme Court. Recommended for confirmation. " Parliamentary Costs Taxation Act." —This Act requires no explanation. Recommended for confirmation. " Land Registry Amendment Act," and " Survey Correction Act." —A separate Memorandum explains the object of these Acts. " Civil Service Superannuation Act." —Dispenses with the necessity of a medical certificate of bad health or infirmity in the case of persons aged 50 and upwards. Recommended for confirmation. " Appropriation Act." —Needs no explanation. Recommended for confirmation. " The Auckland Immigration Certificate Act," " The Pensioners Claims Act," and " The Auckland Immigration Certificate Act Amendment Act. —These Acts relate to sundry cases of land claims arising within the Province of Auckland. The first Act extends the benefit of an Act (confirmed by the Waste Lands Act, 1858,) to a meritorious class of immigrants from Nova Scotia, placing them on the same footing as immigrants from the United Kingdom. The second Act is intended to get rid of