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Lyttleton, January 18th, 1857. Sic, — Referring to your letter of 4th Nov. last, authorizing the payment of an interpreter in the settlement of the Akaroa and Kaiapoi land question: I have the honor to state, that, as I could find no competent Maori Scholar in the province, the Revd. J. Aldred, of the Wesleyan Missions, has been kind enough to undertake the office for the Government. By the 6th of February, when I shall hope to have concluded the Kaiapoi purchase, he will have been occupied some 12 or 14 days specially for Government ; besides having had to submit to the inconvenience of incessant interruptions, such as all persons engaged with the Maories are so much subjected to. Mr. Aldred would not receive pecuniary remuneration ; but I venture to suggest that a testimonial from Government would doubtless be acceptable to him. Probably some standard work of repute presented in the name of His Excellency, and the Admiralty Charts of New Zealand, together with the published map of this Province, would be a suitable acknowledgement of his services. A regular Interpreter's charge would have been perhaps £1 per diem. . I have, &c, (Signed) J. W. Hamilton, Agent for purchase of Native lands at Kaiapoi and Akaroa. The Honorable The Colonial Secretary. Colonial Treasury, Auckland, March 3rd, 1857 Sir,— Refering to your letter of the 18th January, in which you suggest that a Testimonial from Government should be presented to Mr. Aldred in acknowlegement of the assistance rendered by him as Interpreter in the settlement of the Akaroa and Kaiapoi Land question, I am directed to convey to you the necessary authority for obtaining a suitable present for Mr. Aldred, the expense not to exceed Ten pounds, and to request you to inform that Gentlemen that the Government fully appreciated the valu- f able service rendered by him on the occasion referred to. I have, &c., (Signed) W. Gisboene, Under Secretary, P.S.—lt is to be observed that the maps and charts alluded to by you are nol procurable here. (Signed) W. G. The Collector of Customs, Lyttleton, Canterbury. Colonial Treasury, Auckland, February 12th; 1857. Sir,— Mr. Hamilton having reported to His Excellency through the Native Secretary that you afforded whilst lately engaged in negociations with the Natives at Banks' Peninsula, most material aid by acting as his Interpreter, I have the honor by direction of the Governor to tender you His Excellency's thanks for that service, which are the more due, as it appears that your assistance on that occasion was rendered at considerable personal inconvenience to yourself. I have, &c, (Signed) C. W. Richmond. Revd. John Aldred, Canterbury. Lyttleton, January 18th, 1857. Sir,— With reference to my letters of 11th December, 1856 (dated Akaroa) and of the Bth instant, I have the honor to suggest that for the protection of the interests of the Maories of this Province, it is highly desirable that complete copies of documents connected with all purchases of land from them should be filed in some Public Office, so as to be accessible to them; or to persons acting on their behalf. In negociating with the Akaroa and Kaiapoi Maories, I have greatly felt the inconvenience of not having such documents accessible to me. Connected with this subject I beg to point your attention to the following passage in a letter of Mr. Commissioner Mantell's, dated Sept. 21st, 1848, which by accident I have had before me: " I have further guaranteed to the Natives that the site of the ancieot Pah " Kaiapoi" shall be reserved by Her Majesty's Government to be held sacred from both Europeans and Natives. Circumstances rendered it unadvisable for me to wait for a survey to be made of this place, which I therefore, with the universal consent of the Natives disposed of in the manner before mentioned." On the published Maps of Canterbury, Kaiapoi old Pah does not appear as a Reserve, or tinted red, as all the other Reserves are. lam aware, from enquiry just made by me of Mr. Cass, Chief Surveyor of this Province since 1850, that the Local Governments and the authorities of the Land Office are in