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The Rev. Dr. Burns, examined:—
| 1. | You were officiating as minister to the first body of settlers arriving in Otago? I was. |
| 2. | In what year did you arrive? In 1848. |
| 3. | Have you any knowledge of a reserve being laid off in the Town of Dunedin, fronting the water, from Jetty Street southwards, by Captain Cargill, as the Resident Agent of the New Zealand Company? There was such a reserve laid off for wharfages. Instructions were given to Mr. Kettle, the Chief Surveyor, to strike out the whole of the sections fronting the water, and I have reason to know that this was done. It was done by orders of the Resident Agent of the New Zealand Company. The parties selecting under the first ballot were exceedingly sorry that the whole of the town sections fronting the water had been thus cut off and reserved, so that they could not select them. The map that was submitted to the first selectors had these frontage sections simply coloured pink, and Captain Cargill informed them that these sections were reserved. The only special reserves then were for the Church, the Manse, and the School. |
| 4. | Do you know why these frontages were reserved? There had been some discussion about thus reserving the water frontage, and the Chief Surveyor had instanced the case of London, in which city the not following such a course had been found extremely inconvenient. |
| 5. | Have you any documents that would give the Committee any information on the subject of that reserve? No; but I recollect when the Ordinance for reclaiming the harbour was sent to the Governor at Auckland for his sanction, it was returned on the ground that the parties owning the water frontages had not been dealt with; when it was stated that the three reserves before mentioned were all that existed having such frontage. |
| 6. | When did that occur? During the Superintendency of Major Richardson. |
| 7. | Have you heard of any alienation of that reserve? No. |
| 8. | Then you have never heard of any such reserve as one for Native purposes having been made there? No; this is the first I have heard of it. |
(Initialed) T. B.