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4.—Statutory Declaration of G. P. Richards, M.D. In the matter of " The Land Act, 1877," And In the matter of Suburban Allotment No. 8, Opunake. I, G. P. Richards, M.D., of Hawera, in the County of Hawera, do solemnly and sincerely declare— 1. That, I attended upon Walton Pell, contractor, of Hawera, during June and July, 1881. He was suffering at that time from chronic, and followed by acute, lumbago and rheumatism. I recommended him to remove to a warmer climate for the benefit of his health, as this climate was not suitable for him. I hold that it was necessary for him to leave this district. S^^fSAnd, I make this solemn declaration conscientiously, believing the same to be true, and, by virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled " The Justices of the Peace Act, 1866." G. Pickering Richards. Declared at Hawera, in the County of Hawera, of Hawera, this 7th day of July, 1882, before me — J. C. Yorke, J.P., A Justice of the Peace in and for the Colony of New Zealand.

s.—Statutory Declaration of William Courtney. . In the matter of " The Land Act, 1877," And In the matter of Suburban Allotment No. 8, Opunake. I, William Courtney, of New Plymouth, in the County of Taranaki, in the Colony of New Zealand, auctioneer, do solemnly and sincerely declare — That, on or about the twenty-fourth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and eightyone, Walton Pell, of Hawera, in the County of Patea, contractor, became the purchaser under the deferred-payment system, of the allotment No. 8 on the map of the suburban lands, at Opunake. That, the first two instalments, on account of the purchase of the said allotment, were duly paid to the Receiver of Land Revenue, the second payment being made on the thirtieth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one. That, on or about the second day of August, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, the said Walton Pell being desirous, on account of ill-health, to sell and transfer his license to occupy the said allotment, agreed with me this declarant to take over the same from him ; and I agreed to do so, and paid to him the sum of thirteen pounds four shillings, being the amount of the instalments paid by him on account of the purchase of the said land. That, on or about the eighteenth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, I applied to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, at Hawera, for a transfer of the said allotment, from the said Walton Pell, to me, which application was refused by the said Crown Lands Commissioner, on the grounds that— 1. I, having already held and forfeited a section, Lcould not again become a selector under the deferred-payment system. 2. That, Mr. Pell had himself failed to comply with the conditions of his license, and was, therefore, not in a position to transfer his interest. That, on or about the eighth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, I took up on the deferred-payment system, allotments numbered 187, 188, and 189 in the Moa Block, containing two hundred acres (more or less), on which allotments I expended in payment of instalments and for improvements, the sum of two hundred and twenty pounds ; but native affairs at that time having a depressing influence on trade, and land in this district being unsaleable, I was unable to continue the payments and improvements, and the said allotment of land was forfeited, and all the moneys I had expended thereon were wholly lost. That, Walton Pell, the original purchaser of the said suburban allotment numbered 8, purchased the same, with the bond fide intention of settling upon and cultivating the same, but was prevented from doing so by ill health, on account of which he disposed of his interest in the land, and left this colony for Sydney. That, immediately after purchasing the right and interest of the said Walton Pell in the said land, I purchased and had delivered on the premises, materials for the erection of stock- and saleyards, with the intention of at once occupying and improving the property, which material is now ready for erection on the land. That, in the event of the transfer of Walton Pell's interest to me being agreed to and ratified, I will at once cause to be erected on the said land convenient stock- and sale-yards, and will, within three calendar months from the time of being put in possession, enclose the whole section with a substantial fence, and erect on the said land a dwelling-house or cottage of the value of one hundred and fifty pounds. And, I make this solemn declaration conscientiously, believing the same to be true, and, by virtue of an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled " The Justices of the Peace Act, 1866." Wm. Courtney. Declared at New Plymouth, in the County of Taranaki, this twelfth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-two, before me— H. Weston, A Justice of the Peace in and for the Colony of New Zealand.

By Authority: Geobge Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB2.

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