C—No. 1.

district generally. Just before Mr. Justice Richmond left this district, in conversation with him, he male a suggestion which struck me as a very useful one. It was that one or more Euns about the Goldh'elds should be purchased by a Joint Stock Company, and shares issued as in any other Company to persons desirous of investing their money in cattle. The cattle and run would then be under a manager and directors, and would be managed properly on a uniform system as by an individual runholder. I wish to refer the Commissioners to another matter. It is the case of a person occupying land on sufferance, wiio brought an action against other persons for cattle trespass upon his garden and cultivation. The case had to be decided against him as he had no title, although Mr. Loughnan was present, and acknowledged him as a tenant, lie could get no redress in the Magistrate's Court, because he had no title.

Mr. Badger, Continued.

No. 44. Mr. Patrick Kelly being duly sworn, examined :— lam a publican, and member of the Town Council. I have been some sax years in the district. I was a miner for three or four years—a bond fide miner. I know that the Cromwell district is suffering very much for want both of Agricultural Land and Commonage. I know that there is a deadly strife going on between two neighbors about a piece of laud at this moment. One appears to have tlie sanction of the runholder, and the other applied to the Government for the same piece of land. It is a piece of 50 acres, under Mount Pisa, two miles from Cromwell. Both want to use it immediately for agricultural purposes. One is extensively cultivating (some 150 acres) ; the other wishes to become a cultivator. He has no legal title to the 150 acres, the Government not yet having arranged to obtain the land from the runholder. Mr. Shanly is the person alluded to, and the land is on Mount Pisa Run. I can also state that persons have, to my knowledge, had to drive away their stock from this district, who would otherwise have kept their cattle here. There are many in Cromwell wlio are waiting for an agricultural and pastoral district to be opened, in order to embark in farming of both kinds. I know two, and there are others who would leave the town for tins purpose immediately. There lias been a petition from this district to the General Assembly on the subject. I have invested a good deal of capital in Cromwell, and if there were land I should invest in cattle. One thing would help the other, and there would be more population in the district. Mr. Loughnan has been very kind to us. I have nothing to say against him. Most undoubtedly the runholder should be compensated if his Run be taken from him.

No. 44. Mr. Kelly. Ist March, 1809.

No. 45. Mr. William Smitham being duly sworn, examined : — It was in June last that in consequence of a resolution of the Mayor and Council I was instructed to call on the Superintendent, and ask him what commonage he could give us, as there had been so many complaints in the district. He said, he did not know ; but he asked what amount of commonage we should require. I said the Dunstan (Clyde) had between 11,000 and 12,000 aires, and I thought we were entitled to as much. His reply was, that he had had so many applications from small outlying districts for commonage, that he thought he could not procure so large a quantity. It would cost the Provincial Government to give each district applying, 2500 to each, £25,000. I said 2500 acres would not keep four head of cattle on this flat, the land being nothing but sand and shingle. I went the next day with Mr. Fraser. I could not see the Superintendent, but Mr. Duncan, the Secretary for Land and Works, told me me much the same—that he did not think we could get more more than 2500 for agricultural land and commonage combined. Mr. Fraser told Mr. Duncan it was almost folly to talk of giving such small blocks of land when it was of such inferior quality. He (Mr. Duncan) said they would write to the runholder to see what land he could give for commonage and agriculture. This was in last June. Mr. Fraser and Mr. Loughnan called next day on the Superintendent, and Mr. Loughnan offered to give up a block of land if the Government would fence it. He said the fencing would be about eight miles, and ■would cost about £1000. The Superintendent declined to give so much. The block offered was the flat from the Gorge to the Lowburn Creek, on which the cattle of the district are now running, and are to be paid for at £1 per head, or turned off the Run, and are in a state of starvation from the poverty of the land. Mr. Loughnan also stated he was not nice to a mile or two of his country if the Government would fence it, but he would not allow the cattle to go upon his hills, nor give up any of his valley, even if Government would fence it. A letter has been received from the Superintendent (about a month ago) desiring the settlers to come to terms if possible with Mr. Loughnan for'the block alluded to. We do not want this block, and Mr. Loughnan declined having any further communication with the Government on the subject, as he had made them a fair offer and they had declined it. I think Mr. Badger has over-estimated this block in considering it contains 60,000 acres. I think tlnre are about 20,000 acres in it, and it consists of hills covered with snow in winter —only, in fact, summir country. There is .not a particle of agricultural land in it. The only block of agricultural land on. Mr. Loughuan's Run is about 18 or 20 miles from here—on the Nineteen-Mile Creek, on the banks of the Clutha. It contains about 1000 acres of good agricultural land. It is about eight miles away from his station, and on the Government road. It is a long strip of country, and if we could get that block it would be of very great benefit to the district. One person was speaking to me only yesterday (who has a farm at Clyde), and he would take up 100 or 200 acres of it immediately. This was Mr. George Kenny. He considered the distance from this place was nothing, there being a good road to it all the way. lam a publican and contractor myself, and want to become a farmer. I have already a small piece of land under cultivation (10 acres), the only piece I could get. lam there only on sufferance, Mr. M'Lean having given me permission to cultivate it. I wanted permission to run cattle also, but he refused, having given orders to the shepherds that no cattle

No. 45. Mr. Smitkam. Ist March, 1869.

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ADMINISTRATION OF CROWN