I have further to request your attention to what appears to be a great improvement in the Canterbury Settlement, that of having the road lines carefully laid out in the first place, and the allotments afterwards laid off under certain regulations, and as the purchasers from time to time come forward to choose thenlands. It has always appeared to me that the arbitrary method of marking off roads in connexion with parallelograms, and which in most cases will be found impracticable, must lead to future difficulty and expense in the construction of our roads—the main line in particular. So far as we have gone in road-making, it has been absolutely necessary to study the features of the country, and to cut through allotments of land as they stand on the map in various directions ; and I anticipate complaints at an early date, even as to the additional expense of the increased amount of fencing to which the owners of these allotments will hereby be exposed, besides the more serious evil arising from the disjunction of small and irregular patches of their land. In these circumstances, and as we have still a large amount of suburban allotments to be picked out in small blocks from the unappropriated lands, I would submit to your consideration how far it would be advisable in this case to adopt the Canterbury plan, or such modification of it as may be found compatible. Dunedin, 25tli November, 1851. Sir, — With reference to my letter to Walter Mantell, Esq., of date 19th instant, handing over to him the applications for Runs that were lodged with me before Mr. Mantell's appointment was made known, I have the honour to submit for the information of His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, in regard to the official document of Ist of August, 1849, on the subject of pasturage, and to the existence and terms of which it was my duty to call the Commissioner's attention. Yet, as regard the reduced rates of fees and assessments, as I had ventured to demur to the propriety or necessity of the same, that I have abstained in the hope of such reduced rates having been cancelled by Lord Grey, from making any allusion to them to the public, and that my advertisement on the subject, as per Otago Witness of 22nd instant, is simply as follows : —"The Commissioner of" Crown Lands for the Otago district, desires to notify that all applications lodged with him for Pasture licenses external of the Otago Block, have been handed over with note of the dates and order in which they were received, to Walter Mantell, Esq, who has been appointed Commissioner for the Southern District of New Minister, excepting that portion known as the" Otago Association's Block," as per Government Gazette 11th October, 1851. " Also that Mr. Mantell's attention has been called to the arrangements between the New Zealand Company and the Otago Association (of date Ist August, 1849), whereby in consideration of the expenditure and labours of the Land Purchasers and the founders of the Settlement, thereby opening up the adjacent ountry for grazing, and giving an enhanced value to pastures in contiguity with he Settlement, it was agreed that in addition to the 400.000 acres comprising the ilock, 600,000 acres of the adjacent pasturage should be assigned to supply the equirements of the Land Purchasers in Otago " I have the honour, &c., &c., (Signed) W. Cargill, Commissioner of Crown Lands District of Otago 'ie Hon. the Colonial Secretary of New Munster, Wellington. « Dunedin, November 22nd, 1851. ir,— I do myself the honor of enclosing the copy of a letter and schedule addressed to me by the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Otago District, im which that gentleman makes allusion to an agreement which he states to have been entered into in August, 1849, between the New Zealand Company and the B