The Commissioner of Crown Lands Wide Bay, to the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands, reporting on the case of Brierly and MacTaggart

Crown Lands Office, Tinana

Wide Bay District 1 November 1853

Sir

1. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter (with enclosure) of the 10 March last No. 53/363 addressed to my predecessor and of your subsequent letter (and enclosures) of 16 July last No. 53/1103 addressed to myself respecting Brierly and MacTaggarts’ Tenders for new runs in the Wide Bay District and requiring my report thereon.
2. The matter having been so long in dispute I have taken the earliest opportunity of visiting and examining the runs in question in company with Mr Surveyor Labatt and after making every enquiry from Mr Uhr and other parties having a perfect  knowledge of the ground and the circumstances connected with the case, and giving my best attention and consideration to all documents at my disposal on the subject I now do myself the honour of reporting in favour of Messrs. Brierly and MacTaggart whose right to the runs in question appears to me clear and indisputable.

I have the honour to be etc.

Arthur E. Halloran JP

Commissioner of Crown Lands

3. I beg to enclose description of these runs, with a plan of the same prepared by Mr Labatt, and to return all the enclosures forwarded in your letters before alluded to.

(Queensland State Archives Series 11965 Letterbooks, Item ID 7205 Letterbook of letters sent by the Commissioner of Crown Lands Wide Bay and Burnett. Transcribed from the original. Reproduced with permission from Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mining and Energy)

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