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acres when the matter was long ago settled
and the Land paid for. "Oh, no," said the
Chief Commissioner, "you have not paid for
it." "I beg your pardon," said I, taking out
my bank book, "my cheque for the price of
the land was cashed on the 3rd October, 1859."
The Chief Commissioner said, "Well I do not
know how it has happened, I may have mixed
it private with public matters." And after
making a slight change in the proposed line of
my pre-emptive right, the Chief Commissioner
gave me a receipt for forty pounds, and handed
me a cheque on his banker for £10, being the
difference between the price of my homestead
and the amount of my cheque, which he cashed
on the 3rd October, 1859.

This was on the 1st of May, 1860, seven
months after he had received my cheque. My
extent to the extent of 80 acres appears
to have been granted on the 7th March, 1860.
I trust that I have made myself understood
by your Honor, and that I may be permitted
to ask—first, why my application was not
sooner submitted to the Board? second,
whether the Government account at the bank
stands in the name of the Chief Commissioner
alone? and if not, third, whether he is autho-
rised by the Government to pay into his pri-
vate account monies entrusted to him in his
public capacity.

I have the honour to be, &c.,
T. FRASER.

Superintendent's Office,
Dunedin, May 23, 1861.

SIR—Having received a letter from Capt.
Fraser, containing a representation of certain
circumstances connected with the exercise of
his pre-emptive right to 80 acres of land and
the payment for the same, and considering the
enquiries made in his letter to assume the
form of animadversion on your administration
of the duties of your office as Chief Commis-
sioner of the Waste Land Board, I appointed
a Committee of investigation into the fact, sub-
mitting Capt. Fraser's communication, and
requested a report as to the character of the
transaction, and with reference to your per-
formance of your duties.

I take the earliest opportunity of forward-
ing you a copy of the evidence taken and the
report given in, and of assuring you that the
result arrived at by the Committee is in exact
accordance with the views I have taken on the
subject.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
J. RICHARDSON,
Acting Superintendent.
To the Chief Commissioner of the
Waste Land Board, Dunedin.

REPORT of a Commission appointed to In-
vestigate into the subject of certain
Queries by Capt. Thos. FRASER and
Examined into Alleged Charges against
Mr. W. H. CUTTEN, Chief Commissioner,
grounded on the above:—

Queries of Capt. Thomas Fraser.

1. Why was Capt. Fraser's application not
   sooner submitted to the Board?

2. Whether the Government account at the
   Bank stands in the name of the Chief Com-
   missioner?

3. Whether the Chief Commissioner is au-
   thorised by Government to pay into his private
   account monies intrusted to him in his public
   capacity?

Alleged Charges grounded on the above
Queries.

1. That Mr. W. H. Cutten retained Capt.
   Fraser's money in his private account
   (viz., £50.)

2. That six or seven months elapsed before
   the money was paid to the Receiver of Land
   Revenue, when £10 was returned to Capt.
   Fraser.

Mr. W. H. CUTTEN, Examined:—

1. What were the reasons for paying the
   cheque of Capt. Fraser, for £50, into your pri-
   vate account in the Bank? Answer: The
   Receiver of Land Revenue, Mr. Morris, de-
   clined to take charge of the cheque, so, for
   safety, I put it into the Bank in my own
   account. I would not have done this had I
   not met Capt. Fraser at Capt. Cargill's (my
   father-in-law's) and had accepted of his (Capt.
   Fraser's) hospitality when in the north. In
   doing this I acted as a friend would do. I had
   no cash chest in the Waste Land office of
   my own.

2. What were the reasons for delay in
   passing Capt. Fraser's applications, viz., I for
   80 acres, and 2 for 10 acres each? Answer:
   Applications for pre-emptive rights were
   ordered to be laid before the Board, and these
   were to be put before the Board on the 16th
   Nov., 1859. There was no quorum on that
   date. On the 23rd and 24th Nov., also 21st
   Dec., the Board met, but took up no cases of
   pre-emptive rights. The next meeting was
   dated 7th Feb. 1860. This was the new Board,
   with numerous members, at which Capt.
   Fraser was present. Two meetings took place,
   but no business was transacted, the Board's
   time being taken up in drawing up rules for
   its guidance. The next meeting was on the
   7th March. Pre-emptive rights were entered
   into, those amongst the rest. They were
   granted, but next morning Mr. Gleeson ob-
   jected to the money being paid for the out-
   stations, as they were upon his run, not on
   Capt. Fraser's. The cause for further delay
   was also, on looking into the sketch of the 80-
   acre applications, found contrary to the pre-
   scribed rules of frontage. Capt. Fraser had
   consequently to seen to effect the alteration,
   before the payment could be made to the
   Receiver of Land Revenue. Capt. Fraser
   came into town on the 1st May to attend a
   Meeting of the Board on the 2nd. I saw him
   about this matter, when he agreed to the ne-
   cessary alteration in his 80-acre application
   and admitted that the two 10-acre applications
   were not on his run, but on Mr. Gleeson's.
   Thereupon I paid £40 to the Receiver of Land
   Revenue and returned £10 per cheque to
   Capt. Fraser, which at length settled his claims
   to the lands.

3. What was the date on which Captain
   Fraser's application was passed?—Answer:
   The applications for 80 acres and two 10 acres
   were passed by the Board on the 15th March,
   but deferred by me owing to Mr. Gleeson's
   objections, and the irregularity of frontage
   above stated.

Mr. MORRIS, Clerk to Receiver of Land
Revenue, examined:—

1. Did you refuse to take charge of Captain
   Fraser's cheque for £50? Answer: I have a