PAPERS RELATIVE TO

C—No. 1

6

Extract from a Letter dated 2nd April, 1867, addressed to His Honor the Superintendent by Mr. T. Mund, M.P.C. "I was induced by the advertisement in the Provincial Gazette offering for sale certain country in the Wakatipu District as runs on lease for ten years, to make a journey of four hundred miles in company of my partner, for the purpose of inspecting the country, and from the opinion formed by us, I can confidently state that we would have been buyers had the sale taken place as advertised. The amount of expense incurred was £16 for travelling expenses alone, and it is for that amount only that I prefer any claim, although it has cost me indirectly a good deal more, as both myself and partner were absent ten days during the heat of harvest."

No. 6. Copy of a Petition from the Switzees Gold Field. To His Excellency Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Governor of New Zealand: The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the Switzers Gold Field— Sheweth :— That your petitioners have ascertained with the utmost surprise and consternation that your Excellency has seen fit practically to refuse to continue the delegation of the powers conferred by " The Gold Fields Act, 1866," to His Honor the Superintendent of Otago. That your petitioners are informed that the said refusal is in consequence of certain representations made to your Excellency relative to the acts of the present Superintendent when he held the same office some years ago. That your petitioners fail to see how any such matters can be made to interfere with the rightful administration of the Gold Fields if they do not interfere with the rightful discharge of the ordinary duties of Superintendent of the Province, that is to say —that the person who is fit to hold the office of Superintendent must also be fully capable of administering the Gold Fields. That the present Superintendent was returned to the office against herculean opposition by an overwhelming majority, and possesses the unbounded confidence and respect of every section of the community. That your petitioners one and all lack the same feeling with respect to the gentleman (Mr. J. B. Bradshaw) to whom the powers before referred to have been delegated, and are satisfied that the appointment will result in severe disaster to the Province, if persevered in by your Excellency's Government. That your petitioners are convinced that the System will never work successfully, however able an officer might be appointed, being quite contkaey to the Spieit or the Constitution, and being exceedingly liable to bring the office of Superintendent into contempt, as every person dissatisfied with the action of the "Agent" will naturally appeal to the Supeeintendent, who, it appears is powerless to interfere, and consequently communication with Wellington must of necessity be had recourse to before any redress could be obtained. That neither the System nor the gentleman appointed (Mr. Bradshaw) possess in any degree the confidence of your petitioners, who are far more concerned at this act of the General Government than they can find words adequately to express. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Excellency will be pleased to cancel the appointment, and forthwith confer upon the Superintendent the necessaey powees for administering the affairs of the Gold Field. And your petitioners will ever pray. (Here follow two hundred and forty signatures.)

Same Petition from Hamilton's and Mount Ida Gold Fields, with sixty-six signatures. Same Petition from Mount Ida Gold Fields, with two hundred and two signatures. Same Petition from Tuapeka Gold Field, with one hundred and forty-three signatures. Same Petition from Beaumont Gold Fields, with forty-five signatures. Same Petition from Twelve-mile Aeeow Gold Field, with fifty-four signatures. Same Petition from Aeeow Town Gold Field, with sixty-three signatures. Same Petition from Tapanui Wakatip Gold Field, with thirty-two signatures. Same Petition from Blackstone Hill Gold Field, with sixty-nine signatures. Same Petition from Sowbuen Gold Field, with thirty-four signatures. Same Petition from Hoeseshoe Bend Gold Field, with nineteen signatures.

No. 7. Copy of a Petition from the Inhabitants of St. Bathan's. To His Excellency Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same. Mat it please Youe Excellency,— "We, the inhabitants of St. Bathan's, in the Province of Otago, having learnt with deep regret that your Excellency has been advised to withhold from His Honor the Superintendent of this Province the powers heretofore invariably delegated by your Excellency to the Superintendents of this Province, beg most respectfully to express our disapproval of that step, which we consider not only injurious to