G.—l3

15

SCHEDULE. All that piece or parcel of land situate in the District of Waikato, iu the Provincial District of Auckland, called or known by the name of Patetere, containing by estimation 300,000 acres or thereabouts, bounded as follows: Commencing on the eastern bank of the Eiver Waikato at the junction of the Huihuitaha Stream; thence by the southern boundaries of the Waipa and Okoroire Blocks to the Eiver Waihou or Thames ; thence by that river to a point opposite to the Tapapa Settlement; thence by a straight Hue to Te Whakatutu ; thence by the boundary of the block reserved at the Native settlement at Te Whetu ; and thence following the edge of the Patetere Forest to Painuiorehua ; thence by a straight line to the source of the Mangaharakeke Stream ; thence by that stream to its junction with the Eiver Waikato ; thence by that river to the point of commencement: except such parts of the said piece or parcel of land as are defined or described by two several orders .of the Native Land Court, each dated the eighth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, by which orders it was declared that the said excepted pieces or parcels of land are the property of Her Majesty As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this ninth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one. Wm. Eolleston.

No. 40. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 17th March, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd of February, received in this office on the 11th instant, in reply to mine of the 9th ultimo upon the subject of the memorial from three gentlemen at the Thames to His Excellency the Governor in reference to the matter of the land known as the Patetere Block. Adverting to the subject of the delay in answering your first letter of the Bth December, I do myself the honor to offer you the following explanation: — Tour letter dated the Bth reached this department on the 20th December, having occupied twelve days in transit. It was laid before the Governor, with other papers bearing on the subject which had to be got together for His Excellency's information, on the 3rd January; returned by His Excellency to Ministers on the sth, and its receipt duly acknowledged to you on the 7th. On that day, the 7th January, His Excellency left Wellington for Auckland, returning to the seat of Government on the 3rd February On the 7th February Ministers forwarded a memorandum to His Excellency, and on the 9th the reply to your letter was written. That letter, however, though dated the 9th, was not signed till two or three days later, as it had to be rewritten, and the date was inadvertently not altered as probably it ought to have been. The letter thus missed the mail which left Wellington on the 11th, and there was not another opportunity by which it could be despatched until the 17th. I trust the above explanation will show you that the delay in replying to your first letter was accidental and not unreasonable; and that you will accept my assurance that the Government had not the smallest intention of delaying matters until the Land Court was sitting on the Patetere case, and thus of rendering any proceedings on your part, and on the part of others who think with you, out of the question. I have, &c, Sir G. Grey, K.C.8., M.H.E., Kawau, Auckland. Thomas Dick.

No. 41 Sir,— 7th June, 1881. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th instant (sic) explaining the causes of delay which prevented a reply to my letter of the Bth December last being made at an earlier date. In thanking you for the trouble you have thus taken, I venture at the same time to state that, if any official causes led to the consequences to which you allude, I think that some steps should have been taken by the Government to delay the final closing of the transaction. This would have afforded time to the very many persons who were shocked at what was being done in this matter, to take proceedings to prevent the accomplishment of an act which they believe was in breach of the rights of the Queen's subjects and most prejudicial to their interests. I will state the grounds on which this conclusion has been arrived at. Two races of men are now in contact here: the one, highly civilized and comparatively numerous; the other, not yet fully reclaimed from barbarism, few in number, but owners of large tracts of fertile lands. The civilized race, following the example set by all other civilized nations who have been similarly circumstanced, endeavoured to provide by enactment that the lands of the least numerous race shall be disposed of in such manner as shall be for the common good of all. This they also do partly for the preservation of that race which is least civilized: to preserve them from being made drunkards by speculators who desire to get possession of their lands, and to protect them from other cognate evils. It is also done in great part to protect the interests of the civilized race; for it is clearly just that such a thing as land, so precious to the entire nation, the origin of all wealth, the sustainer of life, should be acquired, dealt with, and held in a manner which is for the general advantage. This is the more necessary because land is also a main source of political power, for it makes those who own it —especially if held in vast quantities—the absolute disposers of the destinies of those who do not own land. The Legislature of New Zealand therefore provided by law that the Government might purchase tracts of land from the Natives, which, when purchased with the money of the general public, became