G—No. 40b

STATEMENT OF CLAIMS MADE BY PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON AGAINST THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.

First Claim. The price of the portion of the Beclaimed Land taken as the site of the Custom House and Post Office, at the same rate as was paid by the General Government to the Province for the adjoining portion of the Reclaimed Land on which was erected the Telegraph Office. Second Claim. Duties upon leases granted under the Native Lands Act, with penalties incurred for non-payment, as per Treasury statement dated 31st March, 1872, and forwarded by the Honorable the Colonial Secretary Ist May, 1872,—£7,438 18s. Bd. _ The Provincial Government claim credit for the above amount as Provincial revenue, which, under the Acts noted below, it is the duty of the Colonial Treasurer to collect. Acts referred to. —Native Lands Act, 1865, sections SG, Go, and GG ; Native Lands Act, 18G7, section 24 ; Native Lands Act, 1868, section 2. The Provincial Government has been charged, contrary to law, with the expenses under the Native Lands Acts, amounting to the sum of £13,252 19s. 2d., and has not received the revenue, which under such Acts is made Provincial revenue. Third Claim. £3,600 to be paid in February next, being price of 3,600 acres of land at Palinerston, taken in February, 1871, by the General Government, for location of Scandinavians. Fourth Claim. Compensation for lands given by Mr. McLean to Natives, being portions of the Manawatu and Hangitikei Block, after the Native title had been declared extinguished. For the above land so taken out of the Provincial estate, the present Provincial Government has made no specific claim of price per acre; but, inasmuch as the Manawatu and Hangitikei block of land has cost the Province, up to the present time, the sum of £41,655 4s. 2d., exclusive of surveys, it is submitted that valuable and extensive selections of land ought not to be arbitrarily taken by the Colony out of territory so purchased, without reasonable compensation being awarded to the Province.