No. 1.
Mr. J. W. Hamilton to Mr. W. Wakefield, Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company.

Sir,—

I have the honor of forwarding to you, by desire of the Governor, a copy of the instructions which His Excellency has given to Mr. Commissioner Spain.

By these instructions you will see that a purchase or purchases, to the extent of not more than 150,000 acres of land in or near the Wairarapa, and of not more than 250,000 acres elsewhere, are authorized by His Excellency, under that officer's superintendence, under certain conditions.

And, by the enclosed copy of instructions to Mr. John Jermyn Symonds, Police Magistrate, you will perceive that Mr. Symonds is authorized to proceed to New Munster, and there superintend and assist in effecting the valid purchase of not more than 150,000 acres of available land, without regard to figure or continuity of blocks, to which extent the Crown right of pre-emption will be waived, on certain conditions.

The conditions referred to are—

1st. That all existing arrangements made by the Government with respect to the New Zealand Company's settlements shall be strictly observed, except as altered by the present arrangement.

2nd. That the land so purchased shall be counted in exchange for an equal number of acres claimed by and to which a valid title can be proved by the New Zealand Company elsewhere, it being clearly understood that the purchase money in both cases referred to is to be provided by the Company.

3rd. Thus, the exterior boundaries as well as interior divisions of the land so purchased shall be surveyed by, and at the expense, and by the surveyors, of the New Zealand Company.

By these arrangements being carried into effect, I trust that the Government will enable the New Zealand Company to insure undisturbed possession of a sufficient extent of available land to a numerous and important body of British subjects who have already settled in New Zealand in consequence of purchases made by the Company, as well as to others of our countrymen who may hereafter emigrate under the New Zealand Company's auspices.