I.—B

III

Saturday, 23ed July, 1881. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Bastings, Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Macandrew (Chairman), Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. William Eraser, runholder, attended and gave evidence. Mr. David Barron, District Surveyor, completed the evidence postponed from previous meeting. Moved by Mr. De Lautour, and seconded by Mr. Bastings, That Mr. McKerrow be summoned to next meeting, for the purpose of giving evidence. On the motion of Mr. De Lautour, Resolved, That all evidence be printed. Moved by Mr. Shrimski, seconded by Mr. Bastings, That the meeting do adjourn till Wednesday next, the 27th instant. Meeting adjourned accordingly

Wednesday, 27th July, 1881. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Ballance, Mr. Bastings, Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Macandrew (Chairman), Mr. Shanks, Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. McKerrow, Surveyor-General, attended, and was examined relative to the gold workings, &c, in the Vincent County Moved by Mr. De Lautour, seconded by Mr. Thomson, That the meeting do adjourn till Wednesday next, the 3rd proximo, at 11 a.m. The meeting adjourned accordingly

"Wednesday, 3ed August, 1881. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present : Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Macandrew (Chairman), Mr. Pyke, Mr. Thomson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The evidence previously taken being still in the hands of the printer, the meeting adjourned sine die.

Friday, 12th August, 1881. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Bastings, Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Macandrew (Chairman), Mr. Oliver, Mr. Pyke, Hon. Mr. Rolleston, Mr. Shanks, Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. On the motion of Mr. Pyke, Resolved, That the meeting do adjourn till Tuesday the 16th instant, at 11 o'clock, to give time to the members to read over the evidence as printed. The meeting adjourned accordingly

Tuesday, 16th August, 1881. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Bastings, Mr. Ballance, Mr. De Lautour, Ml-. Macandrew (Chairman), Mr. Oliver, Mr. Pyke, Hon. Mr. Eolleston, Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Committee proceeded tc consider the several clauses in proposed report, which was as follows: — 1. The Committee is of opinion that the administration of the Crown lands in Otago now held under pastoral lease should be under the control of a Responsible Minister. 2. In deciding what lands are required for sale, settlement, or other public purposes other than endowments, the Minister should obtain the advice of the County Councils, or other elective local bodies, and be guided by such advice wherever reasonable. 3. If the whole of the runs, the leases of which terminate in March, 1883, are offered to the public in terms of the Act, in or about March, 1882, the Committee is of opinion that, however minutely they may be subdivided, the great bulk of the country would be secured by the present tenants at little, if any, increase upon present rentals. 4. The Land Acts now in force would, with a few careful amendments of a detail character, enable a responsible administrator to deal with the whole of these runs to the best advantage. 5. It is unadvisable to amend the Land Act during the present session (except as hereinafter provided) for the purpose of completely dealing with the whole of the runs the leases of which, terminate in March, 1883. 6 The runs containing auriferous deposits in Central Otago should not be offered for sale, but— after all non-auriferous areas have been reserved immediately required for settlement, as lands to be opened for immediate sale, agricultural lease, deferred payments, or pastoral deferred payments, or for other public purposes —should be offered again to the present tenants until March, 1884, at current rents, but without prejudice to the Crown's right to deal with such runs after March, 1884, as may be thought most expedient. 7 Runs not known to contain auriferous deposits, and so situate as to be likely to be immediately required by existing settlers, settlers' sons, or others, for purchase or lease as agricultural or pastoral lands, should be divided —in the case of pastoral lands, in areas calculated to carry not more than 5,000 sheep—according to the configuration of the country, and offered in terms of the Act for sale on pastoral