Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Mr. John Bullock, to the Superintendent, Dunedin.

Sir,—

Having been engaged for some time in examining the capabilities of the Province, with a view to the erection of saw mills to supply the various markets of the Province with sawn timber, I have visited, with that object, the Waikawa, Bluff Harbour, and Paterson's Inlet, in Stewart's Island; the last mentioned port is the only one which combines the advantages of a good supply of timber, available land, and easy water carriage, and I beg respectfully to apply to your Honor for such assurance as you can give or obtain from the General Government, that I shall be secured in possession of a sufficient tract of land (by paying for the same when open for sale), whenever the Native title (if there is one) be extinguished, and the Island be subject to the jurisdiction of the laws and authorities of this Province.

I am aware of the difficulties of giving any guarantee of value without the sanction of the General Government, and also the trouble involved in procuring such guarantee. It is, however, my intention to erect a mill, capable of supplying at once the whole requirements of the Province, so as entirely to supersede the necessity of importing sawn timber at all, and when the large amount that has been annually withdrawn from the Province to pay for an article which might just as well have been produced within its limits is considered, I feel assured your Honor will deem this a matter of public as well as private interest, and do what lies in the power of your Honor's Government to forward the undertaking.

It is my intention to erect a Steam Saw Mill, capable of cutting upwards of 30,000 feet of superficial, weekly; with planing and other machines. Such an establishment will not only be very expensive in itself, but will also involve a large outlay in roads, jetties, and other works to make the timber accessible, and give proper facilities for shipping.

It will be obvious to your Honor that should such works be completed by me, unless protected by the Provincial or the General Government, it will be quite competent for any other person to make use of such advantages although erected at my expense.

I would suggest, as the readiest way to overcome such difficulty, that your Honor should give or procure an exclusive right to use the timber and improvements within a given distance, say one mile from the mill, together with the right to purchase the same whenever it shall be open for sale.