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Proceedings of the Committee.
Friday, 4th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Dr. Featherston, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Wilkin, Mr. R. Graham, and Mr. Taylor.
On motion of Mr. Richmond, seconded by Dr. Featherston, Mr. Reynolds was appointed Chairman.
Committee then adjourned to 5th August, at half-past 10 a.m.
Saturday, 5th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Wilkin, Mr. Graham, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Richmond.
Papers read—Letter from Mr. Mantell to Attorney-General, date 3rd January, 1865. Letter from Mr. Sewell to Colonial Secretary, date 29th June, 1865. Memorandum from Postmaster-General to the Cabinet, date 15th June, 1865. Memorandum from Mr. Mantell to the Cabinet, date 19th June, 1865. Letter from Postmaster-General to Superintendent of Otago, date 14th April, 1865. Letter from Superintendent of Otago to Postmaster-General, date 13th April, 1865. Letter from Colonial Secretary to Superintendent of Otago, date 28th March, 1865. Letter from Superintendent of Otago to Colonial Secretary, date 13th April, 1865. Letter from Mr. Kettle to Mr. Mantell, date 11th January, 1854. Letter from Mr. Kettle to Colonel Wakefield, date 18th June, 1847. Letter from Mr. Harrington to Captain Cargill, dated 25th November, 1847. Letter from the Superintendent of Otago to Postmaster-General, date 20th April, 1865. Report of Select Committee of Provincial Council of Otago upon Message No. 4, date 17th May, 1865. Letter from Acting Superintendent of Otago.to Colonial Secretary, date 14th July, 1865. Letter from Major Richardson to Colonial Secretary, date 13th July, 1865.
Committee adjourned to Monday, 7th August, at 10 a.m.
Monday, 7th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Taylor, Mr. R. Graham, Mr. Richmond, and Mr. Wilkin.
Committee adjourned to Wednesday, 9th August, after examining Mr. Mantell.
Wednesday, 9th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Wilkin, Mr. Stafford, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. R. Graham.
Committee adjourned without fixing any time for next meeting.
Saturday, 12th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Wilkin, Mr.R. Graham, Mr. Stafford, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Richmond.
Letters from Mr. Harrington, Secretary of the New Zealand Company, to Colonel; W. Wakefield, the Company's Principal Agent in New Zealand, dated the 20th and 21st October, 1846, were read by the Chairman.
A letter from Captain W. Cargill to T. C. Harrington, Esq., dated 21st October, 1846, and referred to in the preceding letter, was read by the Chairman.
A conversational discussion took place, and it was ultimately resolved that the meeting should adjourn until 10 o'clock a.m., Tuesday, 15th August, and that in the meantime James Macandrew, Esq., should be summoned to attend the Committee.
Tuesday, 15 th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Taylor, Mr. R. Graham, and Mr. Wilkin.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Mr. Mantell's evidence in writing was read:—
| 1. | Were the Natives made aware that the land in question was set aside as reserves for them?— Yes. |
| 2. | When you recommended this as a Native Reserve, how was it marked on the plan?—It was marked a Public Reserve, generally understood as reserved for quays and wharves. |
| 3. | Did the Natives make any use: of this reserve afterwards?—I do not remember. |
| 4. | Were the reserves at Port Chalmers part of the plan of the township?—Port Chalmers Reserves consist of one quarter of an acre of Public Reserve, two unselected one-quarter acres of town sections, one-quarter acre No. 401 purchased by Government to complete reserve, and remainder, portion of town belt. |
Mr. James Macandrew, in reply to questions put by Mr. Wilkin, said—I cannot give you any information as to the precise date of the reserves referred to being officially known to the Provincial Government; but it was first made aware of it about the year 1860, when application was made for some Crown Grants for the land adjacent. I was not in Dunedin when the first selections were made. I do not remember ever having seen in the Town of Dunedin a plan with this specific object marked on it, but I was well aware that the water frontage had been reserved for public purposes subsequent to its having been laid off in one-quarter acre sections.
The Committee adjourned sine die.
Monday, 21st August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Wilkin, Mr. Taylor, Mr. R. Graham, Mr. Richmond. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
Various documents and papers having been referred to, as also the evidence previously taken, a Report was drawn up by the Committee and ordered to be submitted to the House forthwith.
The Committee adjourned sine die.
Friday, 25th August, 1865.
Present:—Mr. Reynolds, Chairman; Mr. Taylor, Mr. Wilkin, Mr. Richmond, and Mr. Graham. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
The Report of the Committee was submitted, and on the motion of Mr. R. Graham, the words "as to the equity of the case" were inserted between the words "facts" and "your" in the last paragraph but one.
The Report was then agreed to, and having been signed by the Chairman, was ordered to be presented to the House, and the meeting adjourned sine die.