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immediately or shortly purchased, and the period of time such reserve should be secured to us. I have, &c., The Honorable (Sig " ed) D> McKenziethe Colonial Secretary. &c., &c., &c. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 3rd February, 1854. ® IR » —I' 1 reply to your letter of the 25th ultimo, respecting the purchase of land by you and others on whose behalf you have made application to the Government, I have the honor to state, by direction of his Excellency the Officer administering the Government, that his Excellency has no power to extend the terms of the offer made to you in my letter of the 24th ultimo, terms which are considered to present two advantages, namely, the offering for sale a small block of the extent you may wish for your immediate accommodation; and, next, the reserving from sale the contiguous land to a reasonable extent and for a reasonable term, until the party whom you represent may be prepared to purchase the same. I have, &c., (Signed) Andrew Sinclair, . Colonial Secretary. D. McKenzie, Esq., &c, &c., &c. Auckland, 4th February, 1854. PfR, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your answer, of yesterday's date, to my letter of the 25th ultimo, respecting the locating of the Highland emigrants now here, and those about to follow. 1. I gather from your letter that the Government are prepared to give us possession of such block of the land at Mongawhai applied for, as the party now here are ready to take up under the present regulations at ten shillings per acre. 2. That the Government are prepared to reserve from sale the contiguous land to a reasonable extent, for a reasonable time, and purchaseable by our party during the said time, upon the present terms of ten shillings per acre. 1 have the honor to ask, 1. Whether I am correct or not in thus interpreting your letter ? 2 To request that you will specify what extent of reserve the Government are prepared to make, for the party of emigrants about to arrive ? 3. What length of time will such reserve be kept open for selection, on the present terms of ten shillings per acre ? You will at once perceive, that without this information the whole arrangements which I am now endeavouring to make, might fail, and be rendered nugatory ; and I feel it the more necessary to make this further enquiry, from the remark introduced in your letter of the 24th January, (omitted in your last letter of the 3rd instant), namely, that " such portions only of the remaining land as are immediately required shall be offered for sale." May I enquire, respectfully, if this last condition has now been waived; because, if it has not, it would seem to neutralise the supposed advantages which the Government purpose offering to us by making the reserve in question. May I respectfully request, in conclusion, that you will favour me with an answer to this letter at your earliest convenience, as you are well aware that the season is almost gone for locating ourselves upon the land, although the negotiations for our settlement have now been carried on with Government during the last five or six months. I have, &e., (Signed) Duncan McKenzie. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary. &c., &c., &c.