D.—B.

In reply, I beg to state that your letter was forwarded to me by Mr. Broomhall from Dunedin, with an intimation that, being prevented by the recent floods in Otago from coining to Invercargill overland, he purposed, if possible, to visit this on the arrival of the " Arawata" at the Blut_°on Thursday next, he having taken his passage in that steamer for Melbourne en route for Home, via Suez. I am sorry I will not be able to see him, as I leave for Stewart Island to-morrow to settle land claims and examine into the oyster fisheries ; but I have had a map prepared showing the best available areas for such location, with the descriptions attached, and telegraphed to him that, on his applying to the Chief Surveyor on arrival here, he will obtain the map and any explanatory information which may be useful to him. I have, &c, The Hon. the Secretary for Crown Lands, Walter H. Pearson Wellington. Commissioner of Crown Lands.

No. 15. Mr. D. A. Tole to the Under Secretary for Crown Lands. Sir,— Auckland, sth September, 1877. I have the honor to inform you that the Waste Lands Board aro desirous to learn what action, if any, the Government has been pleased to take with the view to give effect to the terms of the resolution of the Board relative to the proposed sale to Mr. John Broomhall of 50,000 acres of land for special-settlement purposes in Te Aroha Block, Upper Thames District. I shall be glad, therefore, to receive from you on the above subject any information you may be enabled to afford, as the Board are anxious to be made aware of the present position of the negotiation. I have, See,, The Under Secretary for Crown Lands, Wellington. D. A. Tole,

No. 16. Mr. Giles to Mr. D. A. Tole. Sir,— Wellington, 14th September, 1877. By direction of the Hon. Secretary for Crown Lands, I have the honor to forward you copies of correspondence with Mr. John Broomhall, with reference to tho resolution of the Auckland Waste Lands Board as to the proposed sale of 50,000 acres to that gentleman for special-settlement purposes in the Upper Thames District, as requested in your memorandum of the sth instant.* I have, Sec, The Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland. J. Giles,

No. 17. The Agent-General to the Minister of Lands, Wellington. Sir, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 14th March, 1878. I have the honor to forward to you the copy of a letter received from Mr. Broomhall, in which he encloses the copy of a letter which he says he proposes to address to you. Mr. Isaac, to whom Mr. Broomhall refers, is Mr. William Isaac, lately of Dunedin, who was one of the Directors of the Company projected by Mr. Broomhall, which has since been discontinued. I cannot say anything about the opinions which Mr. Broomhall says Mr. Isaac has placed on record, as I have not seen the document, and I have nothing whatever to do with it. I may, however, explain to you the remarks I made to which Mr. Broomhall refers, although these remarks were made on a private occasion, and I somewhat doubt if Mr. Broomhall is justified in referring to them. At one of tho meetings of the Board of the Company which I attended by invitation of the Directors, I saw a copy of the agreement entered into by Mr. Broomhall with some one on behalf of the Company. It therein specified that within a few days (I think ten) of the shares being allotted, the Company was to pay Mr. Broomhall £5,000 for his agreement with the Government. I observed by the recital of the agreement that all that Mr. Broomhall had from the Government in the nature of an agreement was a letter from the Secretary of Crown Lands, in which that gentleman said something to the effect (I have no copy of the papers) that, when the Native difficulties in respect to the land were disposed of, the Governor would be advised to ratify the terms agreed to by the Waste Lands Board of Auckland. I told the Directors that I thought it was impossible they could pay tho £5,000 to Mr. Broomhall until he had something more to show than his letter from the Minister. I added that there was a new Government, and that they might not recommend the Governor's assent without some modifications. Air. Broomhall immediately exclaimed that I was accusing the new Government of repudiation. I explained that I meant nothing of the sort, and that, indeed, the terms of the Waste Lands Board and letter of the Minister were so bare that it was quite possible the late Government intended to amplify them before ratification. I said that the Government might resent Mr. Broomhall's receiving a profit in anticipation of the grant of land, that they might reasonably require to know that the original design would be carried out, and that, on the face of a sale so unrestricted, they might not consider the conditions of the guarantee sufficient. I strongly urged that the Directors could not part with the shareholders' money without something more definite than was proposed to be given. The Directors accepted my view, and, notwithstanding Mr. Broomhall's disinclination, insisted upon a modification of the agreement by which the Company's money would not be paid till the land was secured. Ido not remember saying anything about the Crown grant containing conditions, indeed * The enclosures consisted of correspondence with Mr. Broomhall prior to the date of this letter.

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