REPORT.

The Select Committee of the House of Representatives, appointed June 19th, 1856, to enquire into the Petition of Thomas Duder, William Oliver, and other seamen of H.M.S. "Buffalo," report as follows : —- That your Committee find, on investigation, that the statement contained in the Petition has been fully supported by the testimony of William Mason, Esq., the present Chairman of the Board of Works of the Province of Auckland, who, at the period referred to in the Petition, held the office of Colonial Architect under Governor Hobson, and at whose recommendation the Governor visited the " Bolina" transport, which vessel had touched at the Bay of Islands on her way to England with the shipwrecked seamen of the "Buffalo," and held out inducements to a number of the hands to remain in the Colony to assist in the construction of public works. That the Petitioners, and four other persons now in the district of Auckland, were amongst the number who complied with the Governor's desire and remained in the Colony, and, as will be seen from Mr. Mason's testimony hereunto appended, fulfilled their part of the engagement. Yoitt Committee, being consequently of opinion that the Petitioners have established a just claim, and that the honour of the British Government is involved in carrying out the promise of Governor Hobson, do therefore recommend, that this House shall respectfully request His Excellency the Governor to award to Thomas Duder, William Oliver, William Marshall, —Owen, —Porter, and — Dufaunce, each respectively the right to obtain 100 acres of country land in the Province of Auckland, under the authority of the 2nd clause of the Land Regulations of that Province. J. WILLIAMSON, Chairman. ' Committee Room, House of Representatives, •Tune 25, 1856.