Q. 4 C

6

COMMISSION.

The TJndee-Seceetary, Native Department, Wellington, to Messrs. G. B. Davy, Robeets, and Mahupuku. Gentlemen, — Native Office, Wellington, 21st June, 1888. I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Native Minister, to forward herewith a Commission, signed by His Excellency the Governor in Council, and issued under the seal of the colony, appointing you to be Commissioners to inquire into the case of Mr. Joshua Jones, of Mokau. I have, &c, G. B. Davy, Esq., Registrar-General of Land and Deeds ; T. W. Lewis, Lieut.-Colonel Roberts ; and Under-Secretary. Hamuera Mahupuku, Esq., Assessor, Native Land Court, Wellington,

Wm. P. Deummond Jeevois, Governor. To all to whom these presents shall come, and to Geoege Boutflowee Davy, Registrar - General of Land and Deeds, John Mackintosh Robebts, Lieutenant-Colonel, New Zealand Militia, and Hamueea Mahupuku, Assessor of the Native Land Court. Greeting: Whekeas by an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled " The Special Powers and Contracts Act, 1885," it was, among other things, enacted that the Governor might, for the reasons set out in the schedule to the said Act (No. 17), by notice in the Gazette, declare that a parcel of land bounded on the north by the Mokau River, on the south by the Mohakatino River, on the west by the sea, and on the eastward by a line drawn from the mineral spring at Totoro, on the Mokau River, due south to the Mohakatino River, should be, and be deemed to have been, excluded from the schedule to " The Native Lands Alienation Restriction Act, 188-1; " but so only that the said Joshua Jones should be entitled to complete the negotiations entered into by him with the Native owners of the said land for a lease thereof for the term of fifty-six years, and that the said lease should or might be validly made for the said longer term : And whereas it has been alleged by the said Joshua Jones that he has been prevented from pursuing and completing his negotiations by reason of the provisions of "The Native Lands Administration Act, 1886," also by reason of certain actions of the Government of New Zealand ; and it has, on the other hand, been alleged that the said Joshua Jones has not taken reasonable steps to enable advantage to be taken by him of such enactment. And whereas it is considered expedient to ascertain whether the said Joshua Jones has been prevented by any action of the Legislature of New Zealand, or of the Government thereof, or any of its officers, from acquiring the leasehold title to the aforesaid land; and also whether the said Joshua Jones has suffered any wrong through any of the matters aforesaid ; and, farther, whether the said Joshua Jones is entitled to obtain any redress from the Government or Legislature of New Zealand, and, if so, of what nature and to what extent; and, further, whether the non-completion of the title of the said Joshua Jones to the lease aforesaid has not arisen from his own dilatoriness or the unwillingness of the Native owners to complete the same, or from any other cause beyond the proper control of the Government : And whereas it is expedient that all the circumstances connected with the proceedings of the said Joshua Jones in reference to the said lease, and also of such other persons, whether officers of the Government or otherwise, who have been engaged or concerned in transactions in relation thereto, should be fully inquired into and reported on : Now, therefore, know ye that I, William Francis Drummond Jervois, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said colony having confidence in your knowledge, ability, and integrity, and in pursuance and exercise of the power and authority conferred upon me, do hereby appoint you, the said Geoege Boutflowee Davy, John Mackintosh Roberts, and Hamueea Mahupuku, to bo Commissioners for the afore-mentioned purposes, and generally in the premises to make all such inquiries and investigations as may be necessary to give full effect to the object and intent of