The Hon. the Speaker of the Legislative Council, to His Excellency the Governor.

Sir,—

I have the honour to transmit to your Excellency, the enclosed resolution of the Legislative Council, passed this day, together with a copy of the report therein referred to.

Enclosure 2 in No. 13.
Report of the Select Committee upon the Petition of Andrew Thompson.

Your Committee have the honour to report, that, in connection with this petition, they have necessarily taken into consideration the general question of the obligation on the part of the Crown to make provision out of the lands ceded by the Natives in the Ngaitahu and other blocks in the southern portion of the Middle Island for the half-caste families resident thereon at the time of cession; and are of opinion that, inasmuch as it has been proved to the Committee that, for reasons of policy as well as of justice and humanity, such promises were made on the part of the Crown by the Commissioner for the purchase of these lands, such obligation does exist, and that the honour of the Crown is concerned in its faithful and immediate discharge.

That, prior to the proclamation of "The Constitution Act," it appears to have been the practice for the survey of such allotments as were from time to time awarded to such of the claimants as then obtained grants, to be conducted by and at the expense of the Government, and the chief impediment now to the immediate satisfaction of outstanding claims seems to arise from the difficulty of procuring surveys of such awards by the Provincial surveyors; and whether (Statutes 1858, p. 462, "Land Claims Settlement Extension Act," sec. 13), from this or other causes, it seams, so far as the Committee have been able to ascertain, that the attempt on the part of the Government to satisfy these obligations ceased with the year 1854, although the Committee finds from papers laid before the House of Representatives in 1868 (No. 77), that in the following year about twenty awards in respect of these claims received the approval of the Officer Administering the Government.

The Committee is of opinion that, under the fifth clause of "The Waste Lands Act, 1858" (21 and 22 Vict., No. 75), the Governor has full power to deal with these cases, and therefore recommends that the Native Reserves Commissioner for the Middle Island be forthwith instructed to ascertain and investigate all outstanding cases in which half-caste families in the districts referred to have not received the promised provision in land.

That in such awards as he may make, he should, in consideration of the long and grievous delay to which the claimants have been subjected, be directed to act with all reasonable liberality.

And that a respectful address be presented to the Governor, bringing under His Excellency's notice this report, and praying that His Excellency will be pleased to give effect to the recommendations herein contained.