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1. Original Land Orders of the New Zealand Company, never selected anywhere. Of these there exist, unexercised, in Wellington, as much as may cover 500 acres; a few in Canterbury, under the Association, probably not exceeding that amount; and in the other Settlements perhaps the same quantity in the aggregate. 2. Land Orders (under the New Zealand Company) selected in districts where the Native title is still unextinguished, and where possession cannot be given ; of these there are to the extent of about 30,000 acres at Wellington, and 2000 at New Plymouth. 3. Compensation Land Orders (or Scrip) under the Company's adjustments, still unselected, a very small amount, say 1000 acres. 4. Unexercised Government Scrip, issued under the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Ordinance, before referred to, or otherwise, probably 48,000 acres. 5. Ascertained absolute contracts, not yet fulfilled, probably 1,000 acres. 6. Claims which may still be preferred under the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Ordinance, if the limit as to time be disregarded, probably 15,000 acres. The total amount, therefore, which the Government is bound to satisfy appears to be :— 1 ....... 1000 acres. 2 32,000 3 say ....... 1000 4 48,000 5 1000 £ 15,000 98,000 acres. It appears to your Committee that the transactions in respect of which Scrip has been issued were originally of a purely local character, and that the privilege of selecting in Settlements other than that in which the claim originated (granted by the ordinance before referred to,) was in no way based on the equity or justice of the case; and that it was unfair in its operation, particularly in reference to Otago and Canterbury, which could not reciprocate. Your Committee think that either on the contemplated transfer of the Waste Lands, or under the existing system, (should that transfer not be effected,) all existing claims in reference to such lands should be respected. But, considering the circumstances of the issue of Scrip, the original limitation as to the right of selection within particular districts, and the length of time during which the holders have had every opportunity of selection, those Waste Lands which have been purchased since the date of the accruer of the Scrip holders' title ought to be protected to a certain extent against its operations Ihis they conceive would be best effected by giving a power in the Transfer of Waste Lands Act to the Superintendents to proclaim districts within which no Scrip should be exercised ; such power however ought only to extend to those Lands in which the Native Title has been extinguished since the passing of the ISewZealand Company's Ordinance; a course which practically will confer on the Scrip holders all the privileges to which by the equity of their case, regarded in reference to the inception of their claims, they can be possibly entitled. lour Committee also unanimously concur in thinking that the exercise of Scrip should be limited to the respective settlements m which the claim satisfied by it originated, and that in no case should bcrip be allowed to pass at the Government Land Sales for more than £1 an acre. WILLIAM FOX, Chairman. Committee Room, House of Representatives, June 25, 1856. !