186

Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland,
24th October, 1854.

HIS Excellency the Officer administering
the Government has been pleased to
direct the publication of the following
Commission, issued by His Excellency for
the purpose of obtaining the information
relative to the Compensation Arrangements
of the New Zealand Company requested in
the addresses of the House of Representa-
tives, dated 21st June and the 10th Sep-
tember, 1854.

By His Excellency's command,
ANDREW SINCLAIR,
Colonial Secretary.

By His Excellency Colonel ROBERT
HENRY WYNYARD, a Compa-
nion of the most Honourable
Order of the Bath, the Officer
administering the Govern-
ment of New Zealand, &c.,
&c.

WHEREAS the founders of the New
Zealand Company's Settlements of
Wellington, Nelson, and New Plymouth,
incurred severe disappointments, losses, and
sufferings, by reason of the inability of the
said Company to fulfil certain expectations,
and promises by the holding out of which
it induced such persons to emigrate; and
in consequence of representations made to
the said Company on behalf of such per-
sons, it was led to dispose of a large amount
of land gratuitously, by way of compensa-
tion to them for such disappointments,
losses, and sufferings. And whereas, in
the distribution of the land so disposed of
by the Company, it is alleged that injus-
tice and wrong were done to many whose
claims to compensation were undeniable,
and especially to persons of the labouring
classes, whose disappointments, losses, and
sufferings were prominently represented to
the Company amongst the grounds of the
general claim upon it for compensation.
And whereas the House of Representatives
by an Address to the Officer administering
the Government, on the 21st of June last,
and by another Address on the 10th of
September last, prayed for a return of am-
ple and very minute information concern-
ing the compensative arrangements of the
New Zealand Company, and it appears by
a letter from the Commissioner of Crown
Land at Wellington to the Colonial Secre-
tary, dated 3rd September, 1854, which
was by Message from the Officer adminis-
tering the Government transmitted to the
House of Representatives on the 5th of
September last, that difficulties have occur-
red in the endeavour to procure such
information, which there is reason to believe
may not be overcome by an exercise of the
ordinary authority of the General Govern-
ment: AND WHEREAS it is expedient that
authentic information concerning the afore-
said alleged injustice and wrong should be
obtained with a view, if the same should be
clearly established, to the redress thereof by
competent authority, but not in such manner
as to disturb or question the validity of any
title to land derived from the aforesaid com-
pensation arrangements of the New Zealand
Company. Now therefore I, the Officer ad-
ministering the Government do hereby ap-
point the persons hereinafter named to be
"Commissioners of Compensation Enquiry,"
for the Provinces of New Plymouth, Wel-
lington; and Nelson, respectively.

And I do further hereby direct the said
Commissioners to proceed with diligence and
care to investigate the whole subject of the
compensation in land which has hereto'fore
been awarded to claimants in virtue of ar-
rangements made by the New Zealand Com-
pany, and, in particular, to obtain the infor-
mation applied for as aforesaid by the House
of Representatives by their Address to the
Officer administering the Government, dated
21st June last, whereof a copy is hereunto
appended; to enquire generally into the
nature of such claims as are alleged to have
been but partially satisfied or entirely over-
looked; and to ascertain the particulars of
any such alleged claims as, in the opinion
of the said Commissioners, may justly deserve
satisfaction, calculating in each case the
amount of land which, in the opinion of the
said Commissioners, shall be reasonably suf-
ficient to satisfy justice.

And I do hereby further direct that the
proceedings of the said Commissioners shall
be conducted in a public manner, by means of
Board Meetings (whereof reasonable notice
shall be given by public advertisement) open
to every one who may choose to attend the
same, and at which shall be taken all parole
evidence relating to the subject of the en-
quiry.

And I do hereby further direct that the said
Commissioners shall keep a Record of their
proceedings both written and parole, includ-
ing full particulars of every claim submitted
to them, and of the evidence taken thereupon,
together with a statement of the reasons for
their final opinion thereupon.

And I do hereby authorise the said Commis-
sioner, in the name and on behalf of the Go-
vernor, to call for information on the subject
of their enquiry, from any whom they may
deem capable of furnishing the same, whether
orally or in writing. And I direct, that the
said Commissioners as hereinafter appointed
for each of the three aforesaid Provinces re-
spectively shall make to the Governor, as soon
as they may be able, full Reports in writing
on the subject of the enquiry entrusted to them,
both generally and with respect to particular
claims. And further, that, in respect of each
of the aforesaid Provinces, a copy of the Re-
port from the Commissioners to the Governor
shall be by them delivered to the Superinten-
dent, with a request that His Honour will be
pleased to lay the same before the Provincial
Council.

And I hereby declare that amongst the
Commissioners hereinafter appointed for each
of the said Provinces respectively, any two sit-