15

1.—2

Repoet on Petition of A. J. Willis (No. 2). The petitioner prays that compensation be given him because he did not receive leave of absence on full pay granted to him by the Superintendent of Otago. I am directed to report with respect to these petitions that the Committee are of opinion that the petitioner is not entitled to further compensation, but consider that if any suitable employment is available in the Civil Service the petitioner's case ought to be considered by the Government. T. Kelly, 25th September, 1877. Chairman.

Report on Petition of David Andeeson, Chairman of the New Zealand Titanic Steel and Iron Company (Limited). The petitioner prays that the House recommend the Government to issue a Crown grant for 5,000 acres of land to which the Company is entitled under the provisions of " The Taranaki Iron-sand Smelting Works Lands Act, 1874," on the conditions imposed by the said Act having been fulfilled. From inquiry made by the Committee, it appears that " Tho Taranaki Iron-sand Smelting Works Lands Act, 1874," under which the Company claim the land, impose the following conditions, which were to be fulfilled by the Company before the Superintendent was authorized to issue a certificate to the Company declaring they were, entitled to a Crow-n grant:— 1. That the Company make a selection of the land, and complete a blast furnace for smelting iron ore before the 31st December, 1875. 2. That the Company pay the sum of five shillings per acre for the said land to the Provincial Treasurer. 3. That the Company have a nominal capital of £50,000. 4. That the Company have an actual capital of £30,000. 5. That the Company expend £10,000 in erecting and completing a blast furnace, and in the purchase of plant and labour charges. All the above conditions are admitted to have been fulfilled by the Company except the 4th, which is the question in dispute. The Superintendent issued a certificate to the effect that he was satisfied that all the conditions imposed by the Act had been fulfilled by the Company. This certificate appears to have been based on a declaration made by the Chairman, Secretary, and Auditors of the Company that, among other things, the Company had an actual capital of £30,410. The Superintendent appears to have assumed that shares to this amount had been sold, and, being advised that the sale of shares constituted actual capital within terms of the Act, he was satisfied that this condition had been fulfilled. It subsequently transpired that the Company included in this £30,410 of actual capital £3,000 worth of paid-up shares agreed to be issued and given in payment for a patent to smelt the Taranaki iron-sand; but as the interest on these paid-up shares was subsequently bought by the Company, the shares were not issued. The Superintendent and the General Government appear to differ as to what constitutes actual capital within terms of the Act, the Superintendent being advised that uncalled capital constitutes actual capital; the Government being advised that uncalled capital is not actual capital within the meaning of the Act. With respect to the £3,000 worth of paid-up shares agreed to be paid for patent rights which the Company claim for the purposes of the Act to be actual capital, both Governments appear to consider that this amount cannot be considered actual capital within the meaning of the Act, and the Superintendent states that when he issued the certificate he understood that there was a sum of £30,000 available for expenditure. Having taken all the circumstances of the case into consideration, I am directed now to report that the Committee are of opinion that the Company have not strictly complied with the terms of " The Taranaki Iron-sand Smelting Works Lands Act, 1874," in not having an actual capital of £30,000, this being one of the conditions to be fulfilled before the Company became entitled to a Crown grant for 5,000 acres of land. But, taking into consideration the fact that the Company have expended a large sum of money on plant, and paid £1,250 for the land iv question, the Committee recommend that a grant be issued for the land to the Company when they have manufactured, to the satisfaction of the Government, one hundred tons of marketable cast iron from the Taranaki iron-sand. T. Kelly, 25th September, 1877. Chairman.

Report on Petition of John Jackson. The petitioner prays that compensation be given him for damage done to his allotment of land, in the Town of Port Chalmers, by the Public Works Department, in the reclamation of land in the said town. I am directed to report that, if the allegations contained in the petition are true, the petitioner has a remedy at law for the damage sustained. The Committee have therefore no recommendation to make in the petitioner's case. T. Kelly, 25th September, 1877. Chairman.

0 Report on Petition of Dr. C. B. Chalmers. The petitioner prays that the House will permit and enjoin William James Mudie Larnach to appear in his own proper person before the Supreme Court at Dunedin, to be examined viva voce upon oath, pursuant to the order made on the 4th day of May last.