WHEREAS under section thirty-two of “The Counties Act, 1886,” an inquiry was held at Gisborne, in Cook County, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety, by the Assistant-Controller and Auditor, and an award made by him in respect of the engagements and liabilities of the Cook and Waiapu Counties respectively on their severance, and such award is final and cannot be appealed against: And whereas the notice given before the said inquiry was entered upon proved to be too limited to permit of the attendance of persons to represent the Waiapu County Council, by reason of difficulty of transit and the state of the roads, and the said Council could only be represented at such inquiry by a solicitor, with limited instructions transmitted by telegraph message:

And whereas the aforesaid Council, feeling aggrieved by the terms of the said award, which they feel conscious would have been modified had they been able to attend the inquiry, have petitioned the Legislative Council during the present session to investigate the subject-matter of their petition, and the Public Petitions Committee of the said Council, having investigated the allegations of the petition and taken evidence thereon, have reported that they find the main allegation of the petitioners proved, that sufficient notice was not afforded to the Waiapu Councillors to enable them to assemble at the time and place notified by the arbitrator, and recommended that the Government should take such steps under the circumstances as would be consonant with justice and equity to afford relief to the Waiapu County: And whereas this cannot be done -without legislation: