xxviii A‘PPENDIX.

justify the selection. These contained a vast deal of infor- mation touching the soil, timber, sales of land. fertilizers and productive power of the Island; which would be found of great value, and the scientific deductions drawn from the Census Returns would be found of great use to all parties. who might be called upon to fix hereafter the value of the' farms. ll had been objected that Mr. Wightmun’s mission had not been announced. but if it had been, the very ob- ject would have been defeated, because he would have been liable, as we were, to be misled by those whose interests colored or exaggerated their statements.

, Mr. Howe said that he was happy to be to able assure the Delegation that the Commissioners had acted in a spirit of harmony. They had discussed every point with the most perfect frankness—had never decided anything by a vote, but had invariably come to a common conclusion. The Report was of course unanimous. It was due to his brother Commissioners to say that both Mr. Gray and Mr. Ritchie had. from the first, acted in an elevated and fair spirit. Had the Commissioners merely represented oppo- site interests, antagonism, and a majority and a minority report, ending in no practical advantage. would have been the result of their labours. That in a document so volu- minous some errors might be found, was more than prob- able; that the whole would be sharply criticised, be well knew, but he had no fears but what that, when carefully read and fairly weighed, justice would be done to the Commissioners by the great body of the people.

The first part of the Report contained a history of the Land Question, down to the appointment of the Commis~ lion. To understand the question and to prepare this nar- rative had cost a deal of labour. Public correspondence and documents of various kinds, scattered over old jour- nals, newspaper files and pamphlets, embracing a period of 70 or 80 years, had to be searched for, read and collated. Their thanks were due to gentlemen on all sides who had directed their attention to many of these documents ; but they had to be studied. and the study of them necessarily took up much time. The Commissioners did not consider that they were in a condition to decide till these old files had been searched, till the evidence collected here had been digested, and until Mr. Wightman's labours had also been brought to a close. When all these sources of in- formation had been exhausted. not a moment had been lost in deciding upon general principles, and preparing and signing the Award. .

Gentlemen present would readily comprehend the heavy responsibility which rested upon the Commissioners. As