WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 3361, 27 November 1873, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Board was held to-day. Present—the Chief Commissioner, and Messrs Bastings, Butterworth, ileid, and Strode. Mr Thomas Malvey requested that the Board would pay the expenses of the members of the Board of Inquiry to go to St. Bathana to hold an investigation into the objections to the sale of that town, instead of holding it at Naseby. The letter stated that the expense of taking witnesses to the latter place would be very great; and also that the opponents of the sale were in favor of the inquiry being held at St. Bath an s The question was postponed, the letter being referred to the (Government, Messrs John Martin and Philip Broad wrote submitting that the price, GOs per acre, for their holdings—sections 40 and 41, block 2, Teviot—is excessive, and requesting the Board to rc-consider its decision. The Board, however, continued its former decision. Mr Henry Orbell wrote to the effect that it would be an injustice to the district to grant a seven years’ quarry license to Mr Valentine for the quarry in block 5, Hawksbury. The letter was received and read. Mr I'd ward Tubman’s application to exchange his lease of sections 4, 9, and 19, block 1, Beuger,. under clause G2, was approved. The opinion of the Attorney-General on the question of the sale of 4,375 acres of land in Glenkenich district to Captain M‘Kenzie was received. On March 21 of the present year Captain M ‘Keuzie applied to purchase all the land open in block 3, Glenkenich district, comprising sections 1 to 39, 52 to 58, do to 70, 7S, 80, and 81—in all 4,375 acres. Captain M’Kenzie had a lease of run IGS, and during January had given his consent to the declaring by the Government, as open for sale, 10,000 acres comprised in his lease. On February 19 the Go ~ vernment advertised as ooen for application on March 20 the block as above mentioned {4,375 acres) at Ll per acre. On the latter date Captain M‘Kenzie, by his agents, Messrs Connell and Hoodie, sent in an application for the block, accompanied by a marked cheque for L 437 10s, deposit of 10 per cent, on the upset price of the land. The practice of the Waste Laud Office is not to require a deposit foi surveyed land, and the cheque was returned to Captain M'Kenzie next day; he, .however, lodging another application for the same laud accompanied by the deposit iu gold. Three other persons had also applied on the 20th for the whole of the laud, without forwarding deposits, they being informed by the salesman ot the Board that deposits were considered unnecessary. The Waste Laud Board decided that, there being more than one applicant for the same laud on the same day, it should be put up for sale by auction, iu terms of the Act. Against this decision Captain M‘Kenzie gave notice of appeal, and subsequently asked the Board to concur in a case to be submitted to a . Judge of the Supreme Court for his decision, ( which the Hoard declined to do. in Cc* ■

tober Captain M‘Kenzie proposed to the Government that, if he would be allowed to purchase 1,800 acres contiguous to his homestead and freehold land on the same run, he would .abandon the appeal. Hr Webster and Mr Shand, having visited the land, recommended that’his proposition should be acceded to, provided the Attorney-General’s opinion, which had been asked, was in favor of Captain M‘Kenzie. The Attorney-General’s opinion having been obtained, the Waste Land Board to-day agreed to sell Captain M ‘Kenzie the 1,100 acres referred to. The appeal is therefore abandoned, and the 4,375 acres in Glonkenich will be sold by auction. The following Executive minutes of Nov. 3 and Nov. 25 respectively were agreed to: — “Dr Webster reported having visited the land in company with Mr Shand, and recommends that the application for 1,800 acres adjoining his homestead be granted, provided Captain M‘Kenzie withdraws his objection to the former application being put up to public auction. Agreed to, provided the legal opinion at present being obtained from the Attorney-General is in favor of Captain M‘Kenzie.” —“ Having perused the Attorney-General’s opinion, resolved —That minute No. 19, Nov. 3, be conlirmed —that is to say, that 1,800 acres be sold on the conditions stated.”