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Dunstan Times, Issue 309, 27 March 1868, Page 2

It must he satisfactory to our readers to witness the increased interest, that is being taken in the domestic affair 8 of the Province. 'J lie settlement of the people upon the lands, or rather, we should say, placing the means of settlment within the reach of the people, is a course we have been almost continually advocating, and we are glad to see the matter already taken up ; Black's, hitherto so reticent on matters of local interest, has made its voice heard, and we find from a report of a public meeting in portion of our columns, that a committee has been formed there to 'secure the settlement of the people upon the lands, by means of the Agricultural Leasing system. The committee also promi ses to assist the people of the Wakatip in opposing the sale of those runs, which are availablo for settlement, and there appears 10 us no reason to doubt, but that if the Black's conimitI tee pursue the course which they have i cut out for themselves, with the same

ealirtfetfifejs as they have displayed at I the begihtiing, they cannot fail to confer 1 many advantages upon their district, l which have been fur a long time very 1 flinch needed. :. We think however that, that portion of Mr. Cheesman's proposition amount ing to a' want »f confidence in the Provincial Executive,' hasty and ill , judged. Mr. Macandrew's Ministry have shown e»-ery desire to fcr- , ward the interests of the mining community : since they came into office, we have increased Telegraphic corn, rnunication,-roads conneetinggoldfields have been and are being made. There has been a Commission of Knquiry respecting ehe disposal of the (Jold fields' officers, and there is now sitting in Dunedin a Conference of, .miners, .revising and amending the mining Regulations, and lastly, his Honor, accompanied by the Secretary for Land and Works made i a tour through the mining Districts, I purposely to make themselves ac quainted with the wants of the people j resident thereon. The difficulty inthe way of opening the lands to the I people, has heen the want of the ne- j essary funds to recompense the sqatting lease-holders for loss of comitrr, j hut we anticipate that this dith'cu ty I will soon be surmounted, and that the middle portions of the Goldiields will soon be in equally as good a position \ as regards the land, as the Districts of Wakatip and Tuapeka. If the j Macandrew government do as much j each succeeding Session, as they have done during their first, we ought to have no cause for complaint, at the same time the wants of the mining community should never be allowed to rest till satisfied. Ida Valley and the valley of the!' Manuherikia present many ad vantages j for settlement, and i< is really a cry- i j ing shame, that so manv acres ofheau- ! I tiful land should he used for no other : j purposes than a sheep walk. In the j | earlier stages of the Province, the pre- j I sence of the squatter forcing his way I up into the interior of the country with his flocks and herds, was no doubt very desirable, but that patriarchal method of settling a country is quite out of place, when the land is wanted for the support of man. in lieu of sheep. The squatter, as the pioneer of civilization has in many cases performed his mission,andthrcountry which he occupied must now lie applied to those purposes ordained by a ■ lieiierieient providence, viz. t > be cul- ; tivated and occupied by man. The ! land movement at Black's will soon be j followed up in other p aces ; the miI ners hold otherviewsnow than "being wanderers on the face of the earth", and if our rulers are wise, while they see then.' is a strong desire on the part of the people to settle themselves down, and make the Province their home, every facility should be given to do so.