Province of Auckland.

Legislation will be necessary in order to allow Crown grants to issue to the Natives of the West Waiuku Block for lands given to them at that place in 1865, under the New Zealand Settlements Act, and lately subdivided for the respective families and individuals. The plans in detail for the grants are now ready. The history of these reserves is given in my report of last year. The tenancy of the eastern half of the Hostelry Endowment Reserve, No. 4 of Section 12, in Mechanics' Bay, has lapsed, the tenant having left the district without paying the rent due. The land has been advertised for lease by auction for twenty-one years.

Onehunga.—About nine perches of land on Lot 11, Section 20, has been advertised for lease by page 98auction. It has hitherto been kept unlet on account of its affording convenient approach to a timber wharf, but, the latter being decayed and no longer used, the land is available for letting.

Maungatapu.—A survey of a common boundary of this reserve, and the erection of fences between it and the contiguous Native property, will be necessary; but the expense of this can be borne by the forthcoming instalments of rent. On this holding, which is a separate trust to W. N. Searancke and C. Heaphy, Mr. Murray has paid since last entry the sum of £106 13s., being two years' rent up to 21st March, 1876, and 9s. in excess. The whole of this amount has been paid by Mr. Searancke to the Maungatapu Natives.

Auckland 10-per-cents—Hunua Purchase.—In my report for 1874 on Auckland 10-per-cents it is shown that, out of the proceeds of sales in the Hunua Block, the sum of £889 18s. 7d. had accrued and was available for certain beneficial purposes in connection with the people who had originally sold that land. Of that sum, £444 19s. 3½d. was set apart for school purposes. Honana te Irirangi and others of the sellers, however, represented, and with reason, that that amount was disproportionately large in respect to the number of their children. The sum was therefore reduced by half, and a moiety paid over to the sellers, as follows: Te Honana, Watene, Wi te Oka, and others, £52; Hori te Whetuku, £40; Te Retimana Waihou, £15; Mata Tiria, £50; Ihaka's children, £10: total, £122.