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With an adequate staff, I suppose it would take from five to eight years. roKkTS" « 0f aboUt TVrS't land that expenditure Mould be in a great measure for surveys m subdividing that land f° r seUleracnL of th(; purchage of lands frora the Natives ? In this Northern Island, in round numbers, Is. per acre. What is the general selling price by the Government. Under the regulations of 4th March, 1853, the prices of rural land, with the exception of Canterbury and Otago Settlements, is ss. and 10s. per acre. Do vou think the Company's debt ought to be charged o:i the Colony I think not I think it a most unfair debt, because the colonists have derived verv little benefit from it, and it has been paid at a time when the colonising operations of (hat body were about to cease, and exceedingly unfair in being charged upon lands which were not acquired from the natives previous to the date on which that deb was contracted. It is also unfair in diminishing the price which the natives would otherwise receive for their land. Mr. KING was then examined by the Chairman. Name, residence, etc. ? , Thomas King, of Taranaki, farmer, resident in ?sew Plymonth thirteen and a half Will vou state your opinion, and such facts as you are acquainted with, relative to the claims of the New Zealand Company upon the Settlement of Tsew 1 lyn'oUyes xhe Settlement of New Plymouth was founded by the Plymouth Company of New Zealand in 1840. It consisted of 60,000 acres of land purchased from the New Zealand Company. In 1841, the Plymouth was merged in the New Zealand Company. In 1840 the number of resident natives was inconsiderable, but after the arrival of the colonists great numbers returned from the South, whither they had fled when defeated by their enemies, the Waikato tribes ; and from the North came large bodies who were released from slavery through the efforts of the Missionaries. I hese men disputed the purchase by the Company, annoyed the settlers in possession, and in some cases seized lands which had been improved by the occupants. In 18-4 4, Mr. Commissioner Spain awarded that the 60,000 acres claimcd by the Company had been fairly purchased from the native owners ; but this award was sborily after set aside by Governor Fitzroy—the whole of the land was returned to the natives, and a small block of 3,800 acres, known as the Fitzroy block, was re-purrhased with difficulty for the Company. This block comprised a town site of 800 acres, and a town belt and parks containing 250 acres. The residue, which had not been already selected by land purchasers, was then offered to actual settlers who had been ejected from land outside the block. A promise was at the same time held out that additional purchases would be made by the Government to enable the Company to satisfy the claims of such settlers as were unable at that time to obtain land. A money compensation was given by the Government to the ejected occupants for the loss of their improvements, in consequence of the suspension of the Company's operations, resulting from the embarrassed state of the land question and the contest between the Government and the Company, the Settlement was reduced to the verge of ruin. The capital of the land purchasers was exhausted, and in many instances they had no land. There was no employment for labour. Settlers were daily leaving in search of more promising fields for their enterprise, and those who remained had to struggle on amid difficulties of no ordinary character. In 1847 and 1848, two blocks of land were acquired by Governor Grey, containing about 20,000 acres, and numerous re-selections took place; the majority of the claimants, however, including most of the absentees, preferred waiting for the purchase of Hie more valuable lands which they had originally selected. During this liine—viz., from 1844 to 1847 —the Government refused or were unable toassist the settlers in consequence of its relations with the Company, and the latter body abandoned them to their fate, while >t made the plea of their losses and sufferings a very strong engine for extorting favourable terms for itself from the British Government. After the Company had completed its arrangement oi' 1847 with the Government, and ithadgrauled compensation to its settlers at Wellington, an agreement was entered