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No. 420.—Petition of Mrs. Sophia Lyon, of Auckland. The petitioner prays for consideration for the services of her late husband, Colonel Lyon. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make on the subject of this petition. 9th November, 1887.

No. 450. —Petition of W. H. Goodwin and Others., The petitioners are village settlers at Firewood Creek and Akatea in the Auckland District. They allege that they are in much distress for want of employment, and that Government has not redeemed its promise to give them partial employment on road-words. They pray for relief. I am directed to report that, in the opinion of the Committee, this petition should be referred to the Government for consideration. 9th December, 1887.

No. 449.—Petition of Alfeed Ball, Town Clerk of South Invercargill. The petitioner complains that the Government, for want of legal power to hand over deferred-pay-ment thirds to any Borough Council, is retaining in the Treasury the accumulations of certain de-ferred-payment thirds which are equitably payable to the South Invercargill Borough Council for the purpose of making roads within the borough. He prays that Government may be empowered to pay over such thirds to Borough Councils and other local bodies, and not only, as at present, to County Councils. I am directed to report that, as the question involved in this petition is now under the consideration of the House, the Committee has no recommendation to make. 12th December, 1887.

No. 26, Sess. I.—Petition of A. J. Allom, of the Thames. The petitioner makes a claim for compensation for service under Provincial Government. I am directed to report that the petitioner has received retiring-allowance for the whole of his service under the General Government, and does not appear to the Committee to be entitled to any further payment. 14th December, 1887.

No. 60.—Petition of Mrs. Eliza Haegeeaves, of Parnell. The petitioner is the widow of John Hargreaves, who died suddenly of heart-disease in 1883, after being employed in the New Zealand Railway Service for nearly nine years. She states that he left her to provide for seven children—four of them not her own. She prays for consideration and relief. I am directed to adopt the report of the Public Petitions Committee of the 23rd July, 1886— namely, " that the Committee cannot recommend the prayer of the petitioner." ■ 14th December, 1887.

No. 421.—Petition of James A. Connell, of New Plymouth. The petitioner is patentee of a contrivance for unloading the upper compartments of sheep-trucks, and complains that the Railway Department is infringing his patent-rights by using this contrivance at Waitara Station without having paid him royalty. He prays for relief. I am directed to report that, in the opinion of the Committee, the petitioner has no claim against the colony. 14th December, 1887.

No. 451.—Petition of John Fobd and Others. The petitioners pray that the new road between Waikaka and Kelso may be opened without delay. I am directed to report that, in the opinion of the Committee, this petition should be referred to the Government for consideration. 14th December, 1887.

No. 457.—Petition of Sir Geoege Geey, K.C.B. The petitioner states that the Government took, for defence purposes, the whole of an estate of over four acres at Point Resolution, belonging to the St. Stephen's Orphanage Trust, and let by the trustees on lease ; that only three-quarters of an acre was eventually used for defence purposes; and that the remainder of the land, instead of being restored, as the law directs, to the trustees, was unlawfully conveyed to the lessee. The petitioner prays that the Government will make inquiry and restitution. I am directed to report as follows : The evidence before the Committee appears to show that the Government, by arrangement with the lessee, took a larger area of land than was actually needed for defence purposes, and that the balance not wanted was conveyed to the lessee, whereby the trust lost the whole of the property, receiving in compensation the sum of £632. The Committee is therefore of opinion that the Government should inquire further into the case, with the view of restoring the trust, if possible, to the position it would, have occupied if the Government had taken only so much of the land as was absolutely necessary for defence purposes. 14th December, 1887.

No. 458.—Petition of William Henshaw, of Wellington. The petitioner states that an auctioneer's license was granted to Mr. N. J. Isaacs in April, 1887, and transferred by Mr. Isaacs to the petitioner by indorsement in October, 1887, with the consent of