335
was valued for resumption by the late Surveyor General, W. Wilson.
2
Mr Duddell objected strongly
to that valuation as insufficient, and I therefore directed him to be informed that under the circumstances the Government abandoned their
claim to the ground.
3. Mr Duddell then insisted that the Government should carry out their resumption of the land, and threatened to proceed by petition of right to compel this being done. For a long time I heard
4.
nothing
more on the subject, but after arrival of last Mail, W. Pollard, Q. C., wrote to the Colonial
Secretary informing him that he had received from Mr Duddell a communication enclosing powers to act for him in the matter, and
requesting to see me.
I did see Mr Pollard, who told me that Mr Duddell had sent him opinions of English Counsel, which seemed to imply that he could proceed by petition of right in this Colony which Mr Pollard admitted that he could not, but stated that he wished to learn whether I was prepared to pay the sum demanded, and also whether I had anything else to propose.
5. I replied I had nothing to propose, and that I had already sent