will, before proclaiming more Hundreds, consider these facts, and make such enquiry as he may deem necessary concerning them.

We enclose herewith a copy of the Memorial referred to, and have respectfully to request that you will have the goodness to lay it, together with this letter, before the Governor for His Excellency’s consideration. Steps have been taken for getting the Memorial signed again, which will then be forwarded to His Excellency.

We have, &c.,

(Signed) E. M’GLASHAN, M.H.R.
CHAS. H. KETTLE, M.H.R.
T. FRASER, M.H.R.
W. G. FILLEUL, J.P.
WM. BLACK.
J. CARGILL, J.P.
E. MUSGRAVE, J.P.
J. FULTON, J.P.

The Hon. Colonial Secretary,
Auckland.

[His Honor the Superintendent, to the Colonial Secretary.]

Superintendents’ Office,
Dunedin, February 18th, 1862.

SIR,—I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, by the last mail, of your letter of the 7th, giving cover to a communication of the 11th December, 1861, from the gentlemen named in the margin,* being licensed runholders in this Province; and also to the copy of a letter from the Secretary of Crown Lands, to the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Dunedin: In reply I have to state—

1. That your request that I should intimate to the Commissioner of Crown Lands my intention when about to recommend additional Hundreds, as a preliminary step, in order that he may be able to give notice to those principally interested, shall be complied with.

2. Although His Excellency, on the recommendation of this Government, has complied with the request which has called forth this letter, from three Members of the House of Representatives, four Justices of the Peace, and another runholder, the exponents of a body of gentlemen of position and property, engaged in pastoral pursuits, who had numerously signed a petition to the same effect, which was unfortunately lost, still I think it necessary that the allegations contained therein, the assumed facts, and the peculiar circumstances of the case, should be laid before His Excellency’s Government, to whom it will doubtless appear that my recommendation that additional Hundreds should be declared, has not been affected by the statements which these gentlemen have adduced.

3. I take this occasion of thanking His Excellency’s Government for affording me the opportunity of seeing this document, the existence of which, it having been forwarded without the cognizance of either the Commissioner of Crown Lands or myself, I was not before aware of, and I shall further be obliged if you will furnish me with a copy of the memorial which was to follow, as it may also be necessary to meet some of its statements.

4. If the runholders of the Province viewed with “no little consternation” as they represent, the decision of the Provincial Council to recommend additional Hundreds, His Excellency’s Government will understand with what surprise I viewed the announcement by them, that this conclusion had been arrived at by “the Provincial Council (in which the runholders’ interests were scarcely at all represented), without discussion,” while “many hundreds of thousands of acres in the Hundreds already proclaimed still remained unsold.”

5. There are here three assumed facts which I must notice in detail, as it is their convergence which is designed to effect the purpose in view—of defeating a compliance with the legitimate wants of the people, as endorsed by the Provincial and Executive Councils, and by the Superintendent.

6. The runholders are stated to be “scarcely at all represented.” I would observe, that among the members of the Council, there were directly interested in runs no less than six, out of twenty-one, not to say anything of those indirectly connected with the pastoral interest by relationship, and that unity which exists between the wool producer and the wool buyer. They represent that the Provincial Council had decided “without discussion,” while the fact is, that the whole question of Hundreds, including also the size of each, was entertained and decided on at the previous session, when, after a lengthened discussion, it was settled that Hundreds should not be confined to the North, the word “elsewhere” having been purposely interposed to include an extension in any other direction. There were good and substantial reasons, both in equity and prudence, for confining them to the northern sea-board at the time, which may be seen in note appended hereto (A); but circumstances changing, and the Gold Fields extending southward, I recommended the proclamation of new Hundreds in close proximity to the Diggings. The subject was introduced in the Provincial Council on the 29th October 1861, and the decision finally arrived at on the 30th, and carried unanimously. I therefore do not doubt that His Excellency’s Government will be surprised at the assertion.