C—No. 8.

REPORT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF WESTLAND.

No. 1. Mr. H. H. Lahman to the Hon. AV". Gisborne. Sir, — County Chairmau's Office, Hokitika, 12th September, 1871. Referring to your circular of the 31st of May last, respecting reserves being made for immigration purposes, in reply, I have the honor to forward herewith a copy of a Report by a Select Committee of the County Council on the subject. I have, &c, H. H. Lahman. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Chairman of the County Council. Enclosure in No. 1. Report of the Immigration and New Zealand University Committee. County Council Committee Rooms, 25th August, 1871. TorE Committee, in order to meet the wishes of the General Government to reserve certain blocks of land for immigration purposes, in the vicinity of the lines of railways and roads now constructed in this County, find that there are no blocks of land of any size available along these lines; and, moreover, the land is, in a great measure, supposed to be auriferous, and therefore beg to recommend that an area of 50,000 acres may be selected for immigration purposes out of the blocks set apart under Part 11., " AVestland Waste Land Act, 1870;" and also consider it desirable that the restrictions contained in Section 78 of tho said Act should be cancelled, so as to allow settlements and selections of blocks of land for immigration purposes to be made north of tbe Mikonui River. They also recommend that the consideration of endowing the New Zealand University with any additional grants of land, should be postponed until next Session. H. H. Lahman, Chairman. Adopted, 29th August, 1871. H. H. Lahman, Chairman of the County Council.