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

No. 1. — The Chief Commissioner Land Purchase Department, to the Assistant Native Secretary, — Collingwood

No. 1.
The Chief Commissioner Land Purchase Department, to the Assistant Native Secretary,
Collingwood.

Native Secretary's Office, Auckland, October 25th, 1859.

Sir,—

I hare the honour, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, to request that, on your return from the Goldfields, you will proceed to Arahura, for the purpose of concluding negotiations with the Natives for the cession of their title over the district referred to by you in your Report of 27th September, 1859.

In order that you may understand the arrangements for the benefit of the Natives which are proposed in connection with the acquisition of this territory by the Crown, I transmit, herewith, instead of detailed instructions, your report with the minutes of His Excellency the Governor, of the Honorable the Minister for Native affairs, and of this Department thereupon; and bare to request that you will endeavour to give effect to the directions of the Governor, as contained in his final minute. You will perceive that it is intended that 6000 acres should be reserved for individual allotment, as proposed in the minute of the Assistant Native Secretary, that 4000 acres should be reserved to be brought under the Native Reserves Act; and that an additional reserve should be made for the purpose of providing a fund for defraying the expense of surveying the individual allotments above referred to When required. 2000 acres will probably be sufficient for the last named purpose. All these reserves should be defined with as much precision as may be found practicable, without actual survey and cutting the lines on the ground, and in the case of those set apart for individual allotment, it will be well to indicate the names of the persons in a schedule to be attached to the Deed, to whom portions out of each block are assigned. As for instance in a block estimated to contain 1000 acres, the names of the proposed allottees should be specified as entitled to certain portions out of such particular reserve, according to the scale proposed in the minute above referred to.

His Excellency relies much on your own judgment in making such arrangements as may practically carry into effect the objects in view, as set forth in the minutes on your report.

Instructions have been issued to the Sub-Treasurer at Nelson to advance to you on requisition a further sum of £280, making with the £120 now in your hands a sum of £400 at your disposal for this purchase. You are authorized to pay to the Ngaitahu Natives a sum not exceeding the above in full satisfaction of all their claims.

I have, &c.,

Thomas H. Smith,
For the Chief Commissioner Land Purchase Department.