No. 9.
The Chief Commissioner to Mr. Commissioner Hay.

With reference to your letter of the 31st August last, reporting negotiations for the acquisition of fresh blocks of land in your district, I have the honor, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, to request that you will complete the survey and purchase of the blocks on which you made advances in Auckland, at the time the Piako Block was paid for; which blocks should be, as far as possible, finally settled before entering into negotiations for fresh purchases.

It is not the wish of the Government to acquire land in small blocks; on the contrary, such purchases should be carefully avoided, excepting in cases when they are likely to lead to the sale of large tracts of country.

I am further directed to inform you that His Excellency objects to the purchase of isolated blocks detached from the land already acquired, unless such acquisitions are make with a view of connecting several purchases in a district into one large block, that may be eventually available for European settlement on an extended scale.