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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

No. 10. — Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary

page 63

No. 10.
Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary.

Has placed himself under direction of the Chief Commissioner.Land Commissioner's Office,
Auckland, 17th October, 1854.

Sir,—

I have the honor to inform you that in compliance with your letter of the 26th April last, I placed myself under direction of Mr. Commissioner McLean, and shortly afterwards was directed by that officer to conduct the purchase of land in a district comprising the portion of this island to the north of the Waitemata river, and to establish myself in some central position for that purpose. I accordingly undertook this duty, and made several purchases in the neighborhoods of Mahurangi, Kaipara and Whangarei, and reported that Whangarei was the most central place for me to reside while conducting the land purchases in the northern district of this Province.

Untoward and unforeseen events having occurred at Taranaki requiring the Principal Commissioner's absence in the South, I was requested by him to leave the Northern district, to which I had been confined for nearly twelve months, and employ myself in completing certain negotiations commenced in the Waikato district;. and I have now returned from an attempt to perform that service, which I regret to state has not been, attended with success. The various complications of the land question in the Waikato country, and the excited state of a portion of the aborigines there, which circumstances Have prevented my achieving the object of my visit, are explained in a report which I have addressed to Mr. Commissioner McLean; and I would beg most respectfully to state for the information of His Excellency the officer administering the Government that the occasional visit of officers of this department to a district will not be attended with great results, and that if tracts of country are desired by the Government in the "Waikato, a Commissioner will have to reside at least for some time amongst the Natives in that locality, to arrange their conflicting claims and disputes, and by patient attention to the adjustment of their real and imaginary grievances, dispel their erroneous ideas of the result of European colonization, and conciliate the adverse party, whose difference with the parties disposed to alienate their lands to the Crown is gradually assuming the aspect of a bitter quarrel, which, unless carefully watched, may terminate like that which took place at Taranaki so fatally. I would beg leave further to suggest that the arrangement most conducive to the vigorous administration of the Land Purchase Department would be that contemplated originally by Mr. Commissioner McLean, that the district to the South of Auckland be assigned as a field for the operations of one of the officers of this Department in the same manner as the Northern district of this Province has been assigned to myself, with an understanding that during the absence of Mr. Commissioner McLean from the seat of Government that either one or other of the officers conducting the purchases in the Northern or Southern district of the Province remain at the seat of Government till his return. Calculating on the permanency of the arrangements made regarding my duties by Mr. Commissioner McLean, I have made engagements to meet certain parties of Natives at Whangarei in October, at the Wairoa in December, and at Mahurangi in January next, to receive and investigate their offers of lands for sale, and the conflicting claims connected therewith; and in the last-mentioned locality to pay the remaining instalments for the blocks lately acquired; and I have now the honor to request that I may be informed of the pleasure of his Excellency the officer administering the Government, whether I am to consider myself as stationed at Whangarei, or whether I am to remain at Auckland, and proceed from time to time to the different parts of the Province as occasion may require.

I have, &c.,

John Grant Johnson.

Tho Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Auckland.