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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Commissioner

Mr. Commissioner Johnson to the Chief Commissioner.

General Return of all transactions relating to Land Purchases from June, 1856, to December, 1857.District Land Commissioner's Office,
Whangarei, 11th February, 1858.

Sir,—

I have the honor to enclose a Return of all transactions in which I have been engaged, connected with the purchase of land in the Whangarei District, since the 30th June, 1856, as requested in your letter of the 7th December, 1857.

Some of the blocks, the purchase of which has been completed, will be observed to be of smaller extent than those at present under negotiation. I would therefore remark for your information, that it having been left by yourself to my discretion to judge which particular lands of those approved to be purchased by the Government should be first proceeded with, I decided on acquiring those immediately adjoining the already located districts, having frontage to Whangarei Harbour, or connected with it by roads already opened up by the settlers, and thus available for immediate colonization. Such lands are invariably more difficult to acquire from the Natives than the back country, and, if remaining in their hands, a value is progressively added to them by the improvements of the contiguous lands in the possession of European settlers. A disposition to sell them having opportunely manifested itself by the Natives, I embraced the opportunity at once, in preference to purchasing lands of greater extent in the interior, which I felt assured the owners would be willing to dispose of after the lands on the coast had been bought.

These anticipations have now been completely realized, and there is no doubt but that the purchases of all the blocks under negotiation will be speedily settled as soon as the district surveyor determines their extent.

I have, &c.,

John Grant Johnson,
District Land Commissioner.

Donald McLean, Esq.,
Chief Commissioner, Auckland.