At a Court I held at Maketu, certain natives disputed the liens charged by the Survey Department. The natives' statements were upon oath, while the Department was unrepresented. It appeared the natives had arranged with a private surveyor at a low rate, who performed the work; but not receiving payment immediately the private party sold his claim to the Survey Department, who raised the charges in some cases between 200 and 300 per cent., raising them from the low rates agreed for to the regular tariff charges of the Department. Upon this I communicated with Mr. Smith, the Deputy-Inspector of Surveys, under the Native Laud Act. at Auckland, and the following contemptuous reply, betraying his ignorance of the functions of a Court, was returned by Mr. Smith in his capacity as an officer of the Native Land