A.—No. 3.

No. 3.

COFV OF A LETTER FROM THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO T. BECKIIAM, ESQ. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 17th May, 1864, Sir,— I have the honor to enclose you a Commission appointing you a Commissioner to investigate claims to compensation at Taranaki. You will act under the " Commissioners' Powers Act, 1861," so as to be able to examine witnesses on oath. In the year 1861 Mr. Sewell was appointed a Commissioner for the same purpose, and lie made awards in the cases brought before him. Since then much has been said as to the exorbitant amounts recognized by some of these awards, arising from the alleged fact that claim 9 of an extravagant amount were made, and so supported in many instances as to lead to erroneous conclusions. The people of Taranaki are anxious that the question of the amount of their claims should be determined without delay, and the Government admits the reasonableness of their wish, and desire to comply with it, but, before doing so, feel it proper to clear up the charge of unfairness that has been made. The object, therefore, that the Government has in view in requesting you to undertake the duty of Commissioner is that you should select as many cases as you may think sufficient (probably 5 or C will be so) to test the fairness, or otherwise, of the amounts awarded. If you should come to the conclusion that, upon the wholo, they are reasonably fair, no further steps will be taken, but the amounts awarded will be admitted by the Government. If, on the other hand, you should come to an opposite conclusion, it will probably be necessary that a new Commission should be issued to investigate the claims de novo. I have, &c, William Fox. T. Beckham, Esq., Auckland. No. 4. COPY OF A LETTER FROM T. BECKHAM, ESQ.. TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. Resident Magistrate's Court, Auckland, sth July, 1864. Sir,— Adverting to your letter of the 17th of May, requesting me to undertake the duties of Commissioner for the purpose of testing the fairness of the amount of compensation awarded to the settlers at Taranaki by Mr. Sewell in 1861— I have the honor to report that I at once proceeded to that Province, and, after examining the Records of the claims for compensation, I selected those named in the margin, whicii comprise two of the largest awards, two claims which were fully recognised, and three which were much reduced ; and, after a careful investigation and consideration of the evidence adduced, which from the time elapsed was of an uncertain character, especially with regard to house property, I find that there is little or no reason to differ with the decisions given by the late Commissioner, except in the case of Armstrong, iv which he was, in my opinion, wrongly allowed One Hundred Pounds (£100) in a supplementary claim, to be divided between himself and a Mr. McKellar, for 'the loss of seven acres of potatoes they planted eight months after they were compelled to abandon their homesteads, and lor which land Mr. McKellar was awarded one and a quarter year's rent. From enquiries I have made I believe there is no other case of a similar nature. Assuming, then, the claims I have investigated to be a fair sample of the whole, I feel that it would be undesirable to re-open them. I have, &c, Thos. Beckham, Commissioner. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, &c., &c. No. 5. COPY OK A LETTER FROM T. BECKHAM, ESQ., TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. .Resident Magistrate's Court, Auckland, sth July, 1864. Adverting to my communication of this day's date, relative to the Taranaki claims for compensation, I have the honor to report that I should have been prepared to return to Auckland by the

J. H. Armstrong. W. K. Collins. R. Greenwood. H. Kinir. James Pearce. Henry Shuttleworth. Heury Wright.

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TARANAKI REINSTATEMENT FUND