No. 53.
The Chief Commissioner to Mr. Commissioner Searancke.

Referring to your letter of the 24th ultimo, respecting the purchase of land at Waikanae, and the arrangements proposed by you for a settlement of the Native claims after you had overcome considerable opposition to the sale on the part of some of the Natives, and stating that you had made certain proposals in reference to reserves required for them, subject to His Excellency's approval, with respect to those reserves I have the honour to acquaint you that the Governor has no legal power to issue Crown grants in the manner proposed by you. The object, however, in this case, can be indirectly attained through "The New Zealand Native Reserves Act, 1856," if the Natives will agree to hand over the reserves to the Commissioners for the Province of Wellington, appointed under the aforesaid Act for this purpose. The price proposed by you for the land is satisfactory.