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A Compendium of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs in the South Island. Volume Two.

[No. 11. — Copy of letter from His Honor the Superintendent, to the Board of Management of Native Reserves.]

No. 11.

Copy of letter from His Honor the Superintendent, to the Board of Management of Native Reserves.

Superintendent's Office, Nelson, April 11th, 1847.

Gentlemen,—

His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor having called for a full report upon the Native reserves of this settlement, and having approved of you to act as a Board in connection with them, I have the honour to forward a copy of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary's letter for your guidance in furnishing the required information, which I shall feel obliged by your supplying as early as it is practicable, to facilitate which I have directed the whole of the Trust papers to be placed at your disposal, together with every other document and memorandum in this office which relates to the subject.

I have, &c.,

M. Richmond,
Superintendent.

Messrs. Poynter, Carkeek, and Tinline, Nelson.

Enclosure in No. 11.
Copy of letter from the Colonial Secretary, to His Honor the Superintendent of Nelson.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, March 27th, 1848.

Sir,

In reference to your Honor's letter of the 18th February last, and the enclosure it contained from Dr. Greenwood on the subject of the Native reserves at Nelson, I am directed by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor to state that, before he can give a definite reply, he must be furnished with much more detailed and particular information upon the reserves in question.

I have, therefore, to request that your Honor will be good enough to send in a full report upon the present state of these reserves; such a report should be to the following effect:—

1.It being understood that His Excellency has sanctioned the surrender of the number of the Native reserves in excess of a tenth of the whole number of sections to be retained under the scheme for reducing the settlement, the report should contain a list of the sections thrown up retained or re-selected as Native reserves.
2.If the Native reserves have been reduced on a similar principle in the suburban and rural districts, a list of these should also be given.
3.The report should give an account of the arrangements and exchanges effected by the late Police Magistrate, Mr. Donald Sinclair, in Massacre Bay; it should state the exact number of acres in the blocks or pieces of land taken instead of other reserves (to have been chosen, or which had been chosen according to original priority of choice), the number and situation of old reserves given back for the new, their comparative value, the number, chiefs, and tribe of the Natives to whom these have been given, how, and by whose authority they have been so given, and whether the Natives of these particular districts consider the lands therein reserved, as reserved for their own benefit solely, or for that of Natives in other parts of the settlement as well; and it should state how much of these lands the Natives require for their own use for a certain time, and how much they can be expected to cultivate properly.
4.With respect to the mode of occupation of all these lands, the report should show the number of town acres let, on lease or agreement, for lease, to whom let, for what rent, by whose authority, how much rent has been paid, how much is due, who has received what has been paid, and how it has been applied, in whose name, and under whose control the balance now stands.
5.It should state how much of these rents, if any, it would be advisable to reduce, how much of the rent due is likely to be recovered, and by what means, particularizing each case.
6.With respect to suburban reserves, or exchanged blocks, it should show in whose occupation they actually are; and particularly which of them, if any, are rented by Europeans or Natives, what rents are paid, and give the names of the Natives and Europeans concerned.
7.It should state what is the best mode of dealing with these last reserves, so as to introduce a regular principle of managing them in future.
8.In any case when reduction of rent is recommended, or the cancelling of a lease or agreement advised, the wishes of the tenants or occupants should be ascertained and stated.
9.Any mode of turning the property to the best account that suggests itself to your Honor page 276(besides those mentioned in the letter and enclosure referred to above) should be stated in the report.

With respect to the appointment of a Board of officers named by your Honor, to "determine both what portion of the arrears of rent the parties in occupation should in justice pay, and likewise the rent to be embodied in the leases," I am desired to say that His Excellency deems the matter of such importance that he would be unwilling to express any opinion upon this point until the receipt of the information now asked for, when he will lay the whole subject before the Executive Council of the Province. Meanwhile, His Excellency entirely approves of the appointment of the officers you mention as a Board of Enquiry upon the subject, and to recommend the course to be pursued in each of the class of cases last alluded to, and upon any of the points referred to in the different heads of enquiry above enumerated.

I have, &c.,

Alfred Domett,
Colonial Secretary,

His Honor the Superintendent, Nelson, &c., &c., &c.

[Memorandum.]

As much of the information required above as can be arranged in a tabular form, should be so arranged:—Number of Native reserve selected in town; the like of suburban; the like of Native reserves given up in town, under the scheme of reducing the settlement; the number of Native reserves exchanged at Mr. Clarke's, Sub-Protector of Aborigines, suggestion at the time of Mr. Spain's enquiry; the quantity of land taken in lieu of rural sections.

As to the exchanges in Massacre Bay, by Mr. Sinclair, the number and situation of old reserves given back for the new, their comparitive value, the number of chiefs and tribes of Natives to whom given, and by whose authority so given, and whether the Natives considered the lands reserved for their own benefit solely, or for that of the Natives from other parts of the settlement. How much land Natives in each district require for their own use for a certain time, and how much they can be expected to cultivate properly, number of town acres let on lease, or agreement for lease, to whom let, for what rent, by whose authority, how much rent due, by whom received, what amount paid, and how applied, in whose name and under whose control the balance stands. How much of the rents it would be advisable to reduce, what amount likely to be recovered, and by what means, particularizing each case.

Show in whose occupation suburban reserves or exchanged blocks are, particularly if any rented by Europeans or Natives, what rent paid, and give the names of Natives and Europeans concerned; state what is the best mode of dealing with suburban reserves in blocks, so as to introduce a regular principle of management in future.

When reduction of rent is recommended, or cancelling of lease, or agreement advised, the wishes of tenants or occupants should be ascertained or stated. Any mode of turning the property to the best account that suggests itself to His Honor should be stated in report.

Alfred Domett,
Colonial Secretary,