No. 3.
Copy of letter from Mr. Alexander Mackay, to Native Under Secretary.

Sir,—

In reply to your letter, No. 105-2, of May 27, covering a copy of the Attorney-General's remarks upon the subject of the quantity of land absorbed, and damage otherwise done by the Government of Westland over the 2000 acre reserve at Arahura, I have the honour to inform you that no special arrangement was made in the matter of roads through the reserve, further than it was generally understood by the persons beneficially interested in the land, that one line of road should be allowed over all the reserves. The idea of setting apart 560 acres for road purposes, in excess of the original area, must have originated with the Surveyor, Mr. Müeller, who laid off this reserve among others, or else with the Provincial Government of Canterbury, in whose employ he then was.

There can be no serious objection to some of the lines of road laid through the reserve, the Christchurch road especially, as that has enhanced to a great extent the value of the land for occupation, or against some of the branch lines, as they do not detract from the value of the property; but it is the right asserted by the Government to take roads where they please, whether over land in occupation or otherwise, because an excess of 560 acres was added for road purposes when the reserve was surveyed, that special objection ought to be taken to.