192

strong impression that the cheque was offered
me, but I declined, as I could not enter it
through the cash book.

2. What was the date of receipt for £40?--
   Answer: It was paid on the 1st May 1860.

Mr. Short, Chief Clerk to the Waste Land
Board, examined:--I distinctly recollect Mr.
W. H. Cutten offering the cheque of Captain
Fraser for £50 to the Clerk to the Receiver
of Land Revenue for safe keeping, which was
declined for reasons stated by Mr. Morris.

Opinion of Commissioners.

After the above enquiries, as well as exami-
nation of minutes of the Waste Land Board,
and cash books of the Receiver of Land Reve-
nue, in support of statements of witnesses, we
are of opinion in reference to Captain Thomas
Fraser's first query--

As to the unnecessary delay had taken place
in submitting his application to the Waste
Land Board.

As to the second query,
The Chief Commissioner has no public ac-
count at the Bank.

As to the third query--
That the Chief Commissioner is not in duty
bound to take charge of any public monies
whatever; but we know of no rules prevent-
ing his taking charge of money as a friend if
requested to do so, as in the case of Captain
Thomas Fraser,--though we doubt the advisa-
bility of any Government officer doing so.

With reference to the implied allegations
against Mr. W. H. Cutten, drawn from the
queries of Captain Thomas Fraser, we are of
opinion that Mr. W. H. Cutten has given
satisfactory reasons for retaining the cheque
in his private account, owing to the Clerk to
the Receiver of Land Revenue having refused
to take charge of the same: and in regard to
the six or seven months' delay in paying, we
are of opinion that this is also satisfactorily
accounted for in the delay by the Waste Land
Board, and objections to Captain Fraser's ap-
plications, over which Mr. W. H. Cutten had
no control.

Consequently, we hold Mr. W. H. Cutten
entirely exonerated from any imputation on
his character in the above case submitted to
us, and beg to state that he have every facility
to in making our enquiries.

CHAS. LOGIE,
Collector of Customs;
WM. LOGIE,
Inspector of Sheep;
J. T. THOMSON,
Chief Surveyor.
Dunedin, 22nd May 1861.

PRIVATE BILL.

NOTICE is Hereby Given that, at the
ensuing Sitting of the Provincial Coun-
cil, application will be made for leave to bring
in a Bill for the purpose of transferring the
Management and Administration of the fol-
lowing Lands, viz:--(1) The Manse Site
presently occupied by Dr. Burns' Manse; (2)
The Site presently occupied by the Church or
School-house, and Schoolmaster's House, in
connection with the First Presbyterian Church,
Dunedin; (3) The Site reserved for a Church
on Bell Hill, Dunedin--from the Superinten-
dent of the Province of Otago to the First
Congregation in Dunedin of the Presbyterian
Church of Otago: and also for the purpose of
authorising the Leasing and Mortgaging of
said Lands, and for appropriating the proceeds
of the same in conformity with the intentions
of the Trusts of the said several pieces of
Land.

THOMAS B. GILLIES,
Solicitor for the Rev. Thomas Burns
and other Petitioners.
Dunedin, 27th May 1861.

(From the New Zealand Gazette, April 17.)
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 17th April, 1861.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR has been
pleased to appoint the following per-
sons to be Revising Officers for the Elec-
toral Districts set opposite their names:--

                        Hampden.

Malcolm Graham, Esq. Bruce.
City of Dunedin.
Wallace.

E. W. STAFFORD.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 17th April, 1861.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR has
been pleased to appoint
JOHN GILLIES, ESQ.,
to be Principal Returning Officer of the
Province of Otago.

E. W. STAFFORD.

MILITIA NOTICE.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 17th April, 1861.

THE Government having been informed
that Rifles issued to Militiamen and
Volunteers have been tampered with and
altered, by filing the Tumblers to try to
make them, what is termed "Hair Trig-
gers," and that the sights have been also
filed, thereby destroying their efficiency,
all Militiamen and Volunteers are warned
that, by so doing, they render themselves
liable to the penalty for wilfully damaging
arms entrusted to their care, which will be
enforced; also that, if on the examination
of arms, after the competition for Govern-
ment prizes, it is found that the Rifle used
by any winner of a prize has been in any
way tampered with or altered, the prize to
which he would otherwise have been en-
titled will be withheld.

E. W. STAFFORD.

(From the New Zealand Gazette, April 23.)
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Auckland, 19th April, 1861.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR has
been pleased to change the designa-
tion of the "Southern" Rifle Volunteers
to that of "Forest" Rifle Volunteers.

E. W. STAFFORD.