I.—4c.

1885. NEW ZEALAND.

WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE (MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BY THE) ON THE CLAIMS OF OLD SOLDIERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND OTHERS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Wednesday, 2nd September, 1885. Colonel Haultain examined. 1. The Chairman.] Colonel Haultain, you were the Chairman of the Commission of 1882 to inquire into the claims of military settlers ?—Yes. 2. Since that time a large number of petitions have been presented to the House —this session, for instance, there were eighty : there are twenty that are in reference to cases that were not before the Commission at that time, and some sixty that were rejected by the Commission; thus showing that there is a widely-spread feeling among these settlers that they have not received justice. Whether this feeling is groundless or not is what we now wish to find out. These settlers are evidently dissatisfied, and the Waste Lands Committee are desirous of obtaining your evidence, in order to satisfy them as to whether further legislation is required on the subject. You are, no doubt, fully aware of the circumstances in connection with the forming of the Commission, and we desire to get information from you as to whether you consider the evidence which was received at that time was felt by the Commission to be sufficiently satisfactory as to be able to say that the work of the Commission at that time was exhaustive with the evidence before it ?—The evidence taken by the Commission was considered entirely satisfactory in every case. They considered it would be a final hearing of these claims, and that no further recognition would be admitted. 3. Hon. Mr. Ballance.] How many claims were heard before the Commission altogether?— About fifteen hundred altogether. It is stated in the Commission. 4. The Chairman.] One thousand five hundred and eighty-two ? —Yes. They are not merely claims by old soldiers but also by Volunteers. 5. Hon. Mr. Ballance.] Did you admit any claims from Volunteers ?—Yes ; I think one hundred and nineteen claims altogether were admitted. 6. Of Volunteers ? —No; altogether. I can give you the number of the old soldiers if you wish it. 7. It is not necessary. Do you remember the terms of the Commission under which you acted?—Yes; I have them here. 8. On what principle did you proceed to admit or reject these claims?—The Commissioners stated that they were guided by two considerations—(l) That it was not within their province to go beyond the law by entertaining claims that might have been valid had they been preferred at the proper time and in the proper manner, but which had been allowed to lapse through the manifest neglect or indifference of the claimants themselves; (2) that we were required to do justice to those who, from purely technical difficulties, excusable ignorance, or from the neglect or error of those in authority, who ought to have forwarded the claims and furthered the interests of their men, had failed to secure those advantages which the law allowed to them. Amongst these last we have included a number of discharged soldiers, who, from having no one to inform them of their privileges or to advise and assist them in obtaining the land to which they were entitled, either omitted to make their applications within the stipulated time, or were reriutted by difficulties and technical objections often raised by Crown Lands Commissioners. Those were the considerations which guided the Commissioners. 9. Then, you drew a line, I suppose, between neglect and ignorance ?—Yes. 10. When it was shown that they had erred through ignorance, and not through culpable neglect, did you admit the claim ?—Yes; up to a certain date we dfew the line, We satisfied purl—l. 4c