C—No. 1.

Mr. Beighton. Continued,

until half of the first is occupied, which, from its character, it never will l>c ; consequently, the land on the Run will never be available until the lease of the Run expires. With respect to this last block, I am aware of several parties who have been anxiously waiting—in some cases for a couple of years—for the opening of this laud, it order that they might settle upon it. There are several other places in this district well suited for Agricultural Settlement ; but as regards character of soil and situation, more particularly on Speargrass Flat, at the upper end of Oargill and Anderson's Run, on West Clutha—a good large flat. There are squatters on it already, without legal title. They are cultivating, and going to great expense in fencing and buildings, without any legal title. There is also a very tine block on Mr. W. Miller's Run, known as Miller's Flat. This would immediately be taken up, if open under the provisions of the Gold Fields Act, in small allotments. It is a great evil that the Regulations allowing only 50 acres, while applications for 200 (or for four fifties) are received, the deposit of .£lO has to lie paid on each. This cripples the would-be settler at the very commencement. Within this district I •believe there are not less than 2000 head of cattle belonging to miners and settlers, the average number held being about sor (!. There are two persons holding as many as 150 each, ohe lot at the Beaumont and the other at the Teviot. One of these parties runs his cattle on a Run with the knowledge of the runholder. Messrs. Cargill and Anderson have just recently issued notices to all parties having cattle on their Runs to reduce the numbers to about 4 or 5 head for each person, and threatened legal proceedings should they continue to keep more than that number. I produce a notice to that effect, addressed to me. They charge 10s a head for the cattle allowed to run. Mr. Clark Charges at the rate of £ I per head. There are no facilities for grazing to any amount under the present system adopted by the Government, as the Government lias arranged to give compensation only according to the amount of ground actually taken up within these blocks, thus reserving the residue of the block for the runholder to depasture his stock upon. With respect to the Township land, it is now fully three years since it was first surveyed. It has been announced for sale on two different occasions, and withdrawn from sale, and bhe Township lias been re-surveyed. 1 have gone to a considerable expense in the erection of buildings, including the Hotel we are now in, and the Store opposite, which have cost about £2000. I have always been willing and anxious to purchase this land. For various frivolous reasons it lias been refused. Owing to this delay, I have been compelled to pay .£3O or .£-10 for Business Licenses. The property is not worth one-half what it would be if the ground it is upon was freehold.

(Notici referred to Iα foregoing evidence.) Teviot Station, February 10, 18G9. Messrs. Cargill and Anderson hereby give notice to Messrs. Beighton Bros, that they must remove from their Run No. 309 by the 13th March, 1869, all their cattle above the number of eight head. If more than eight head of cattle belonging to them are found depasturing on the aforementioned Run, Messrs C. and A. will not allow them to keep the aforesaid eight head on their Run. and will also take legal proceedings against them. To Messrs. Beighton Bros., Teviot.

Notice referred to bg Mr. Brighton,

Wednesday, Febbuaey 24, 1800. ■ No. 21 Mr. David Anderson, being duly sworn examined:—- -[ am working as a miner, with Miner's Right. I have applied for 25 acres in the Agricultural Reserve (Roxburgh). lam residing there, under a certificate from Warden Wood. I have fenced hi about 12 acres. Every foot of this block was applied for the first day it was thrown open. All the applicants are residents in the district. The greater part of them are miners. Some keep cows and follow other pursuits, None of them had or have other land so far as lam aware. They would have no room for running cattle'on the block alluded to—nothing but the allotments of land they apply for. I believe that it is the idea, of a, good many that by taking up this laud they may get some pasture land for cattle afterwards. I believe they intend to cultivate all that they can cultivate to advantage. There were'pretty nigh two applications for every allotment open to be taken up. Some applied for 30, some 2") —a few for 50. When it was known that the land was to be given out. people went and pegged out pieces of land, distributing it among themselves by arrangement, few getting as much as they wanted. As to the Moa Flat Block, every bit of it is taken up. I believe most of it is in 50-acre allotments. Most of them are bowl fide settlers, actually farming. A good many of them have been shepherds and miners, but they are all farming. None of them, J think, in that block are both farming and mining at the same tims. They have no other land in that bio:-!; for depasturing cattle. They pay .£1 a-head to Mr. Clark for leave to depasture their cattle on his Run. I think more that carry on farming and mmm" together could get on if they had run for 30 head of cattle. It is different when they carry on fanning exclusively If ;i, man were farming 50 acres of land without following any other pursuit, anything less than GO head of cattle would be not of much use to him, which, round about here, would require about eight acres each head of cattle or 480 acres. lam perfectly satisfied that several people must leave the district if they do not get more land than is , at present offered. I find I made a mistake about Moa Flat. All the "<'ood land is taken up ; but not all the block. The portion not taken up is principally a bed of shingle.

No. 21. . Mr. Anderson. 24th Feb., 1869.

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ADMINISTRATION OF CROWN