I^-8

IV

disposed of? 7. If the purchaser is not in any occupation on his section, what is his usual or occasional employment, and by whom employed? You will have this information supplied at the earliest possible moment. Send one Banger to Waikouaiti, another to sections in Silver Peak District, another to sections at Eoxburgh. If Eangers are out of town, ask Chief Surveyor to send the nearest surveyor to visit ground and report. You will note questions are to ascertain if the pastoral deferredpayment system is really settling the country with actual bond fide settlers. Any general remarks or information bearing on this should therefore be given, even although not specially asked in questions. As soon as you have made arrangements telegraph when you,are likely to be able to supply information for the Committee.—James McKeeeow, Secretary, Crown Lands." J. Green, Esq., M.H.E., attended and made a statement as follows : Mr. Chairman, I omitted yesterday to state that Mr. Kimbell appeared to object to the Board issuing licenses. I thought it necessary to make the statement, as did also other members of the Board, and wish to state that I heard Mr. Gellibrand ask Mr. Bradshaw if Mr. Pearsall could transfer his license to another person who is present [name unknown to Mr. Green] as it would be inconvenient to Mr. Pearsall to reside on this ground within forty-eight hours of the sale. Mr. Bradshaw's reply was that he could not at present say, but had better come back at 10 o'clock next morning. On the motion of Mr. J. McKenzie, Besolved, That the Chairman be requested to get three legal opinions as to the construction to be put on subsection six of clause 85 of "The Land Act, 1877," where the said subsection says that " sections sixty-three to seventy-three inclusive, so far as the same may be applicable, shall apply to pastoral lands so let on deferred payments." On the motion of Mr. J. McKenzie, Besolved, That the Minister of Lands be requested to provide the Committee with a return of all persons and companies who have become the.purchasers of pastoral lands in the Provincial District of Otago since the coming into operation of " The Land Act 1877 Amendment Act, 1882 ; " also a return of all pastoral tenants who were holding pastoral lands under lease immediately prior to the sale of runs in February last in the District of Otago; such return to show the area held by each person or company, and the estimate number of sheep or cattle such area is capable of carrying. On the motion of Mr. J. McKenzie, Besolved, That the Minister of Lands be requested to provide the Committee with a statement showing what action has been taken by the Government in accordance with the report of the Waste Lands Committee of last session, on the petition of William Lindsay and others, No. 385; such statement to be accompanied with a copy of any correspondence that has taken place with regard to the same. On the motion of Mr. J. McKenzie, Besolved, That the Chairman get the Hon. the Speaker's opinion as to the privileges which witnesses examined before this Committee can claim in respect of anything that may be said by them in the evidence, and if they are bound to answer any questions put to them, even if such questions, if answered, would criminate themselves. On the motion of Mr. J. Buchanan, Besolved, That the Surveyor-General be requested to furnish the Committee with a return giving the area of the sections sold under the deferred-payment clauses of " The Land Act, 1877," and a nominal list of the purchasers of the same. On the suggestion of the Chairman, Besolved, That Messrs. W. D. Stewart, J. T. Joynt, and W. T. L. Travers be the three whose legal opinions be asked regarding the construction to be put on subsection six of clause 85 of " The Land Act, 1877," &c. On the motion of Mr. Fulton, Besolved, That Mr. Bogson be summoned to attend as a witness. Moved by Mr. J. McKenzie, That Mr. Bradshaw be summoned to attend as a witness; upon which it was moved by Mr. Fulton, by way of amendment, That the summoning of Mr. Bradshaw be adjourned. —Carried. Moved by Mr. W. White, That Mr. Williamson be summoned to attend as a witness; upon which it was moved by Mr. Buchanan, by way of amendment, That the question of the summoning of Mr. Williamson be adjourned; and, the amendment being put, a division took place, and the names were taken as follows : Ayes, 4.—Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Fulton, Mr. J. McKenzie, Mr. McMillan, Noes, 2.—Mr. J. W. Thomson, Mr. W. White. So it was resolved in the affirmative. The Committee then adjourned till called by the Chairman.

Tuesday, 10th July, 1883. The Committee met pursuant to notice. Present: Mr. Pyke (Chairman), Mr. J. Buchanan, Mr. Fulton, Major Harris, Mr. J. McKenzie, Mr. McMillan, Hon. Mr. Eolleston, Mr. J. W. Thomson, Mr. W. White. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. A letter received by the Chairman from the Surveyor-General was read as follows : " General Survey Office, Wellington, 6th July, 1883.—Vincent Pyke, Esq., M.H.E.—Dear Sir, —Two Surveyors and two Crown Lands Eangers started from Dunedin this morning to visit and report the condition of pastoral deferred-payment sections, in terms of the Committee's instructions delivered to me by you at the meeting yesterday. I expect the reports by telegraph on Tuesday or, probably, Wednesday next.—Very truly yours, James McKeeeow." The following letter jrom the Commissioner of Crown Lands to the Chairman was read : " Crown Lands Office, Dunedin, 6th July, 1883.—Vincent Pyke, Esq., Chairman Otago Alleged Evasion of Land Act Committee, Wellington.—Sir,—As requested in your telegram of the 3rd instant, I forward you herewith certified copy of the evidence taken at inquiry held by the Lands Board on the 7th ultimo with reference to sales of pastoral deferred-payment lands at Strath-Taieri District, also certified copy of sale-list of said lands, with auctioneer's report on the same, made at request of the Land Board. (Vide Appendices B and D.) The only other documents in connection with the sale