No. 17.
The Chief Commissioner to Mr. Commissioner Johnson.

With reference to your letter of the 31st December last, reporting that you had been negotiating with the Natives at Pakiri for a block of land in that neighbourhood estimated by you at from 45,000 to 50,000 acres.

In order that your time and that of the surveyor at Whangarei should not be taken up with this negotiation, I have had the external boundaries perambulated by Mr. Churton, accompanied by some of the principal Chiefs concerned in the sale thereof, who estimates the area of the block at 38,000 acres.

I had previously intended to instruct you come up to Pakiri to complete the purchase with the Natives, but from the information contained in your report above referred to I found that I should be able to effect the arrangements with the Natives without putting the Government to the expense, and yourself to the trouble, of coming up to Pakiri.

The Natives have agreed to alienate their claims to this block for the sum of One thousand and seventy pounds (£1,070), of this amount Two hundred and seventy pounds (£270) were paid to them on the 12th inst., and the remaining sum of Eight hundred pounds will be paid when the arrangements for the purchase of the lands situated between Pakiri and Te Arai on the North and Te Ngaere on the South have been completed. The price for the large block is not to exceed 8d. per acre, and when it is considered that the whole of these lands have been previously paid for by the Government, it is absolutely necessary that the utmost economy should be exercised in making a payment to the few Natives resident on the lands, as I find on enquiry that they also participated in the payments made to Nagatipaoa and others.

In all cases where lands have been purchased, and a fair price given to the Natives, it appears to me that a nominal sum is all that can be considered as justly due to those claimants whose rights from various causes may not have been recognized at the time. I mention this that you may bear it in mind in any future negotiations of a similar nature. I have been particularly anxious to avoid taking you away from the important duties you are now engaged upon, and am anxious to know when you have completed the arrangements for the blocks now being surveyed by Mr. Sinclair, in order that a definite report may be sent in to the Government on the land purchases in your district, and also what progress you have made in your negotiations for Parua Bay.