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I should add, that in all arrangements made by me for the purchase of land at Auckland, no contract of tlvskind has been entered into ; neither had any purchase been made, in this Province or elsewhere, subject to the payment of five (5) per cent, since the month of December 1854. I have, &c., (Signed) Donald M'Lean, Commissioner. W. Gisborne, Esq., Acting Colonial Secretary, ENCLOSURE NO. 1. Crown Land Office, Wellington. 28th January, 1856. g IHj Ido myself the honor, in accordance with the instructions recently received from his Excellency, to transmit you enclosed a Statement, so tar as I have been able to prepare it from the memorandum of Mr. Commissioner M'Lean, also enclosed, relative to the 5 per cents, reserved to the Natives on certain lands at Wairarapa, showing the amount due under that head to the Natives up to the 31st December, 1855. With regard to the future, I feel quite unable to make any reliable estimate or the probable amount that would become due during the remainder of the financial year. I think the best plan is that which will be recommended to his Excellency by Mr M'Lean ; namely, to assume a certain average in the several Blocks subject to the 5 per cents, reserve, calculate what would become due to the Natives ultimately, on the sale of that average, and then come to an equitable arrangement with them for the surrender of the condition for a stipulated sum, payable in ceitain fixed instalments. I have, &c., (Signed) F. D. Bell, Commissioner of Crown Lands. The Honourable The Colonial Secretary, &c., &c., &c. 9 Statement of Amount due to the Natives of Wairarapa and East Coast, under the arrangements for paying them five per cent, on the amount of Land Sales in certain Blocks, specified in Mr. Commissioner M'Lean's letter of January 18th, 1856. £, s. d. Total amount of cash received up to the 3lst December, 1855, for land in the above Blocks .. .. •• •• •• l 5 ° J Amount due to the Natives, being 5 per cent. .. .. •• ?oU ID (Signed) F. D. Bell, Commissioner of Crown LandsWellington, January 18th, 1856. The Blocks of Land on which 5 per cent, is payable in the Wellington Province, are— I. block No. 1, West side of Wairarapa Lake, estimated in all at 200,000 acres ; but of this extent not more than 20,000 acres can be considered as immediately available for sale. This would irive the Natives £500 when all that land is Acres. disposed of 20,000 '2. East side of Lake .. . • • • • • ) 3. McMasters Run, containing of saleable land (say) • • 20,000 4. Tauwharenikau .. . • • • • • 8,000 5. Wilson's Run, on the coast .. •• ••• 7,000 6. Manawatu Block ... •• •• •• 1 7. Part of Block No. 1 (say) .. •• •• 7,000 8. Wairongo .. .. .. •• •• 9. Tautaue .. .. .. •• •• JO. Wharekaka ... .. •• •• •• 11. Part of Whareama Block .. •• *>'000 12. At Ahuriri .. ... ••• •• •• 6,000 Total .. .. 140/)00