The despntch of Sir John Packingtou ie/Wrt<i to in documents relating to the Land Claimntus' Ordinance in our last, is to the following effect. Ths first four chutes are explanatory of the reasons why Her Majesty's Government did not sooner decide on the measure :—: —

5. The lending provisions of th# Ordinance for warded in your despatch No. 133, appear to bo these :— lt ou horiz.-s the Govcinor to appoint a C mmissioner for deciding all cliiims upon Govern ment aiisint under contracts with the New Zealand Company. It empowers the authorities to satisfy these claims in conformity with the Cominii<ioncr'ti award, by tlio issue of Crown Grants and of land sciip. I' declare ''•m by such isiue the Govern, men' shall be exciit'iiii'J from all further liability in respect to the c ntnici which tho land granted or scrip if sued may have been intended to satisfy, and it extends the ordinary regulations for tho dli pnval of Ciowii Land (including, of course, those whirli preio the the minimum unset price of £l) to nil the BOillemonts <>t the New Zealand Company. 0. In v legal point of view, thisOrdmance appear* open to two objections. First, as I have already indicated, it maierially interferes with, and in some cases assume:) to extinguish obligations which ara imp.) ed upon tha Crown by tho Imperial Aot 10 and II Vie. c. 112, section 19 ; those, namely, of performing all subsisting contracts of the New Zea land Company in regard to any of their lands. It is truo that all persons who voluntarily lubmit themselves to the Colonial Ordinance will have waived their right to a strict performance of this statutory obligation, but the Ordinance not only dealt with the claims of such perilous, but, in cases where n claim may havo been wrongly admitted by tht; Crown Conmmissioner and satisfied accord ingly by ihe Government, it assumes to iXoneratu the Crown from its liability to satisfy ihu rightful claimnnt, who never have referred his Cuiim uuder the local Ordinance, and who consequently lemaim in possession of hi' strict legal rights.
