Crown Land Office, Otago, July 12th, 1853Sir,— In connexion with the subject of my letter of 25th April, I have the honour to draw your attention to the pressing and increasing necessity for causing to be laid out in suitable allotments the Town and Suburban Reserves at Onekakara and the Kuri Grove. Since my visit to Waitaki reported in my letter of 19th March, the whole country then explored has been applied for and will probably be stocked in six months, when there will be besides purchased lands, eighteen stations between Pakehiwitahi peak and the Gorge dependant ou Moeraki for supplies and final shipment of produce. Already eight persons have severally begged permission to erect stores, woolsheds, and houses of accommodation at the Onekakara landing place, a permission I do not think it expedient, nor myself competent, to give. Meantime I cannot be blind to the serious inconvenience and loss which the settlers experience, unless some steps be immediately taken to render fully available to them the natural capabilities of that spot, I am unwilling that they should ever find in the present deserted state of the bay, reason to regret that dispersion of its former occupants. To store the wool of the coming season there is at that place only an old ruinous barn and a small building near it, totally inadequate to the quantity of storage which will be required and these (being Crown property) I have promised to destroy if I hear of any spirits or smuggled goods being deposited in them ; the justifiable belief that I shall keep my promise operating as a slight and as yet the only check against the continuance of the old system. Doing myself the honour to enclose suggestions as to the surveys for which your sanction is requested, T would remark that the immediate sale of the whole or of any considerable part of these towns, while so few could be expected to compete, would tend to place the monopoly of the best sites in the hands of one or two speculators. When, however, the allotments have been marked ont it would be easy to permit building upon any not required for public edifices, at a yearly giound rent to be fixed by tender or auction ; the estimated value of the buildiug to an amount not exceeding £—to be added to the upset price (as in the case of homesteads) whenever the land rn&y be advertised for sale which the Government should have the power to do at any time. I propose a limit to the value to be allowed for buildings to prevent the acquisition of allotments at the upset price and probably far below their value by the erection of buildings of such expense as would preclude a fair degree of competition for the land. Should His Excellency the Governor be pleased to aHow me the aid applied for in my letter of Ist July, and authorize me to check the employment of an unnecessary number of men, these surveys might be effected at a moderate expense aud at the s&me time a sketch triangulation of the country to the Gorge micht be made. I have in the foregoing remarks applied the names of Onekakara and Moeraki indifferently to the site of the Port town —neither is strictly correct, and I would suggest that, to secure its prompt adoption by the settlers, the Governor be moved to confer upon it such English name as His Excellency may be pleased to select. There are at least half a dozen Moeraki's and the same number of Kuri's in (he Province. I may further do myself the honour of communicating a rumour that it is the intention of the neighbouring Settlers to petition His Excellency to proclaim Moeraki a Port of EntryI have, &c., (Signed) Walter ManteiX, To the Oi.il Secretary, Commi.,ione,. &c., &C., &C. Wellington.

ENCLOSURE REFERRED TO. 1. Onekakara. nY „,I h . a , ve !" lett l er the 25th A P riI ' alluded to the difficulty of laying out practicable streets at this place. However much land might thereby apparently b«