G.—s.

position to do so, I had first to ascertain the fact of each reserve having been promised or being necessary; secondly, in the case of the larger ones, to decide on their subdivision among the several hapus or sections of tribes; thirdly, to decide on the right of every member of the tribe or hapu to have his or her name inserted in the Crown grant; and lastly, to survey de novo, or to subdivide, or to rectify or alter existing boundaries, often very imperfectly and sometimes erroneously defined. Many of these reserves were of large dimensions, from 1,000 to 10,000 acres, and in extremely rugged country, broken by deep and wide gullies, and covered by extremely heavy forest. The surveys proved much more arduous, and consequently protracted, than I had expected, but not more so than was rendered necessary by their character. Of their extent and details, a full report to the Ist February, 1882, by Captain Skeet, the chief surveyor of my Commission, is appended (Appendix 11., No. 1). In addition to this I have, at the request of your Excellency's Ministers, or of the parties concerned, investigated a large number of difficult questions of ownership on the part of European purchasers of compensation lands from loyal Natives, to whom they had been awarded by the Court established under the suppression of rebellion Acts of 1863 and subsequent years. Some of these cases were of an extremely complicated character, requiring an examination of official records extending over a quarter of a century, as well as numerous living witnesses in various parts of the colony. Reports in these cases have been forwarded for your Excellency's information through your Excellency's Ministers ; and some of them, which I thought of sufficient importance, either on their merits, or as illustrations of a class of cases with which I have had to deal (and which, I trust, will never again be allowed to accumulate in the official departments), are appended to this and my previous report (Appendix III.). A return of the Crown grants recommended by me, and which have been forwarded for your Excellency's approval, from the beginning of my work to this date, is also appended. (Appendix I.). 2. During the latter part of the time while I was engaged as above reported, I have found it possible to undertake similar operations to the north of the Waingongoro River. The progress of the work to the south, the adjustment of a large number of reserves to the satisfaction of the Natives there, and the actual issue of many Crown grants, were not without their effect on the minds of those to the north of that river; while the political events of the period, the arrest of Te Whiti and dispersion of the largest part of his adherents, would not fail to shake their confidence in the promises of territorial restoration held out by him. Erom one cause or from both it became apparent a few months ago that many of the tribes to the north of the river were becoming as anxious for the settlement of their reserves and their guarantee by Crown grants as they had before been indifferent or opposed to their survey and issue. I am glad to report that much satisfactory progress has been made in this direction, of which the following is a brief summary:— 3. The Government having determined to reduce the Continuous Reserve on the Waimate Plains by 5,000 acres on account of the continued complicity of the Native residents with Te Whiti, requested Major Parris and myself to decide in what part of the reserve the deductions should be made. Having, after consultation together, decided to do it in the manner which we thought most fair to the several hapus, and most economical as regarded surveys, Major Parris, accompanied by Mr. Humphries, the Chief Surveyor of the Provincial District of Taranaki, went to the spot, and the result is that the deductions are made, divided into sections, and in a week or two Avill be ready for sale; the hapu subdivisions have all been decided on and are under survey, and Major Parris has carefully ascertained the names of all the grantees in every hapu, to, I believe, the general satisfaction of all concerned. It will, I hope, therefore, be a very short time before I shall be in a position to recommend to your Excellency the issue of Crown glints for the hapu subdivisions of this reserve. On the north of the Waimate Plains, between the Oeo and Taungatara Rivers, is a block of confiscated land containing 20,000 acres or thereabouts; 750 acres of the seaward portion of this have already, on my recommendation to your

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