C—3

2

No. 4,

His Honor J. Macandeew to the Hon. the Colonial Secbetaey. Sic, — Province of Otago, New Zealand. Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 3rd January, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th December, 1872, transmitting copy of the report of the Gold Fields Committee of the last Session of the General Assembly, and calling my attention to the paragraph relating to the sale of land at Switzers. In reply, I have to inform you that the Provincial Government has requested Mr. T. L. Shepherd. M.H.R., to proceed to Switzers to examine into this matter, and I shall be glad if Mr. Maitland, R.M., should be appointed to accompany him on behalf of the General Government. I have, &c, J. Macandbew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 5. The Hon. J. Hall to His Honor J. Macandeew. Sik, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 14th January, 1873. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 12,791-12, of the 3rd of January, 1873, and in reply to inform you that Mr. J. P. Maitland has been instructed to inquire into the sale of auriferous land at Switzers, in conjunction with Mr. T. L. Shepherd, M.H.R., and to place himself in communication with your Honor. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Otago. John Hall.

No. 6. His Honor J. Macajtdeew to the Hon. the Colonial Seceetaey. Province of Otago, N.Z. Sib— Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 10th April, 1873. I have the honor to forward herewith report (together with evidence) of Messrs. Maitland and Shepherd, the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the sale of auriferous land at Switzers, in accordance with the recommendation of the Gold Fields Committee of the House of Representatives last Session. The expense of the Commission amounts to £142 16s. Gd., of which I havo to request you will begood enough to direct the payment. I have, &c, J. Macandeew, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

Enclosure in No. 6. Mr. J. P. Maitland and Mr. T. L. Shepheed to His Honor J. Macaitdeew. Sic, — Dunedin, sth April, 1873. In accordance with the request contained in letters from the Provincial Secretary, No. 12,791-9, 21st December, 1872, that we should inquire into the circumstances connected with the sale of certain alleged auriferous land at Switzers, we have the honor to state that, both at Switzers and at Dunedin, we have taken all available evidence likely to throw any light upon the subject. This has been obtained from numerous witnesses at both places, from a careful personal examination of the ground, and an investigation of all the records of the Waste Land Board bearing; upon the matter. The evidence taken by us, together with printed correspondence forwarded, is appended hereto, and we have now to report as follows : — The land in question is a block of fifty acres, originally on run No. 254]), and within the gold fields, and that William Acton applied to the Waste Land Board to purchase the same on 12th May, 186S, he having previously obtained the runholder's consent to the sale. This application came before the Board on 13th May, ISGS, and appears in the first place to have been favourably entertained by it, as the applicant was directed to deposit the amount of cost of the survey. It does not appear that at this time there had been any official report on the land; it even appears doubtful whether the Board knew that it was within a gold field. On the 2nd September, 18G8, it appears that the Warden of the gold field, Mr. Wood, at Acton's request, wrote to the Government, asking that the survey might be proceeded with. We have not been able to obtain the letter, but the Chief Commissioner states that he gathered from it that the Warden was favourable to the sale. The survey was accordingly proceeded with, and Acton applied again through Mr. E. De Carle to purchase. This application came before the Board on 14th October, 18G8, when the report of the surveyor was read and the map produced, which showed no gold workings within the boundaries of application, but some in the immediate vicinity. The Board on this occasion deferred consideration. An application by Acton to purchase came again before the Board on 2Sth October, 186S, when the Board having found that the ground applied for was within a gold field, considered at this time that it had no power to sell under such circumstances, although quite inclined otherwise to give favourable consideration to the application, Acton having made valuable improvements upon the land.