J. L. GILLIES, FSQ. AT TOKGMAIRIRO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 383, 20 August 1869, Page 3

J. L. GILLIES, FSQ. AT TOKGMAIRIRO.

At a meeting at Tokomairiro to consider the action of the General Assembly in passing the “ Otago Hundreds Regulation I''ll Mr. G‘lies in the course of a long speech said, “ Never in New Zealriri was there such aprxtitution of principles and positions on the part of rep esentatives frr the purpose of o.ring the r own or their frien s private interests, and never hsve I known such an unblushing attempt to lock up the lands from settlement. F.ver smce the first Land llegnlations of Otago were altered, there has been an ever growing desire on the part of some of the runholders to assume to themselves a diTereut position from that which they originally consented to ho phacel in when they applied for and accepted their licenses. From being mere tenants at wilt mere occupiers until the land was wanted for settlement ; many have conic to assume to themselves that they have a prescriptive right to the possession until wanted for what they call Agricultural settlement. The simple position the run-holder was first in was, that he might occupy waste lauds not required for the then populathn, until by the progress and development of the Province, those lands were require 1 fur settlement of any kind. I have already argued the runholders were originally mere tenants at will, the country they occupy being liableatanytimeto be proclaimed hundreds with out compensation. The framers and supportersof theßill wehavemettoconsider, are endeavouring noton’y to make it difficult to get land for settlement, hut to make the Province pay for an assumed prescriptive right to all depasturing. The speaker then referred to the pos’lion of the runholder and the right of the settler, after which he touched on the principles of the Bill, and the manner in wh'oh it was attempted to smuggle it through the Horse. Mr. Gillies then went on to say ‘"Not even the Evocative Government we’e aware that such a Bill was to be brought foiward, and I can on'y say for myself, both a..- member of the Council and of theEvetut've, that the act on of the Assembly, and especially the part most of the Otago members have taken in this matter, is one of the grossest insults ever offered to the Eepresentatives of the Province in tWr locnl legislature, and that if the people now do not take action in the matter themselves, to determine whether the views of the ; r Representatives in the Provim ‘al Cornc’T shall be respected, ituiUbe too degrading forme, at least, to rora' t as your Rep ’esentative. 1 regret, gentlemen that I feel obliged to speak so st’oogiy on iVs matter, I was for peace, hut, as it is to be wa-, let it he so. I eoos’der it my dulv to say that, on my tour through the GoMcehls, and in my negotiationsw‘ u h the ranho'ders, I found at least some of ihem ho’d’ng' most fair and liberal v’ews regarding i.’e'r cVigavon to give up land when reon'red for settlement, aid bad th’s aci ’on not been taken in the Assemb'y I believe arrangements would have been arrived at that woo'd have provided sufficient land, and have gone a long way towards establishing a better fee 'ng between the innholders and their fellowcolonists.

Sever. l other gentlemen spoke, and a committee was appointed to draw up a memorial to the Governor, praying him to refuse Ms consent to the “ Otago Hundreds Regulation E - ”.’’—“ Rnice Hcra’d."