PARLIAMENTARY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 413, 26 August 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

(EBOM OUB SPBOIAIi EEPOETEB)

The Counties Bill. WbIiLINGXON, Friday evening. The- first part* which deals with general matters, consists of 45 clauses, and the next eleven parts deal with local land laws in the various provincial districts. The. Immii to grant's Land Aot and Volunteer's Land Act are repealed, provision being made to satisfy the claims of volunteers who have already com-

pleted three years Bervice ; all existing Land Acts and Proclamations, where not expressly altered, are to remain in force j duly determtn' ingwhethercondition&whereland^has been sold conditionally have been fulfilled, is imposed on the Commissioners of t Audit ; when land has beec offered for sale by auction, but not sold, 30 day's notice must be given before it is deemed open for sale, and it may then be sold either by auction or selection ; powers of Superintendent to devolve. on Waßte Lands Board, public notification taking the place of proclamation ; reserves for Eduoational pur 1 poses may.be made by the Gro-ernor, but either House of. Parliament may alter or annul

these in next session.;. Confiscated Lands are to ■be subject to the-- same regulations as ordinary' Crown Lands-; Commissioners may be paid £l«per sitting,- and this is-nofto subject them • to -the Disqualification Act'; very elaborate provisions are made in regard to Land on deferred payments ; . the Board may set aside any suburban or rural land,for sale, i iv this manner no applicant can take up more than 200 aores of rural land, or 10 acres of suburban ; price is to be where land is open for selection and sale for cash, one half more than cash price,, and where land is open for sale by auction, one half more than highest bid for it at auction ;. any person of 18 years of age may be a selector, except a- land office or survey official; holder of preemptive right, married women without 1 a separation or pro 1 tection order, any person who has already selected or assigned his interest, or any person acting for or in partnership with another ; a declaration that none of these disqualifications apply, will be required from every selector, and if faots in this are false, the selection and all moneys paid are to be ; one 20th of the price has to be paid at the time of application, and the remainder is to be paid one 10th part by half' yearly payments in advance; selectors must reside on the land within 6 months, but the Board- may extend the time to 18 months if the land is wholly or mostly covered with bush ; within one year, one 20th of the land must be ■ bronght under cultivation, one 10th within two years, one sth within four years, and within six years substantial additional improvement to an extent equal to £1 per acre must have been effected, thereafter the selector on - payment of the balance of price can at anj time obtain his Crown grant ; interest in selections may be transferred by the Board on the- payment of a fee of £2, but the transferror can'frseject again j the interest of a selector in his land whilst held under license is protected from liability for debt ; if the conditions are not- complied with the Commissioner of Aud.it can recover possession of the land by process in the Resident Magistrate's Court ; the land is then to be sold by auction, the proceeds being devoted first to payment of the balance of price due, second to payment of all costs, and the remainder, minus 25 per cent., to be paid over to the selector. The price of land in Wellington is fixed at — for selection, 20s ; at auction, upset price 10s ; lands proclaimed townships are not to be deemed town lands unless actually set apart as sites for townships, and the Board may re'dassify such lands and sell them for such price as they think fit. Several yerbal alterations and other amendments are made in the IS'ew Zealand Land Regulations of 4th March, 1853 ; Additional Land Regulations, 16th June, 1855 j Pastoral Regulations, 16th June, 1855 3 Wellington Waste Lands Amendment Act, 1865 ; Wellington Waste Lands Act, 1870 j Wellington Waste Lands Regular tions Amendment Act, 1871 ; Wellington Special Settlement Act Amendment Act, 1874; Wellington Land Payment Act, 1874. The Wellington Special Settlements Aofc, 1871-; the Wellington Special Settlement Act, 1874 5 and the Wellington Land Payments Act, 1874, are repealed.