PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3496, 7 May 1874, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, May 7. GOVERNMENT EXPLANATION, After sumo formal business had been got through, Mr Reid rose, and after explaining how it happened that he occupied the post • tion of head of the Government, made the following statementHe would proceed to state whst the intention of the Government was in regard to the questions which would occupy the Council’s attention during the session. First, in regard to the lard question, they believed that the plan of deferred payments was one eminently calculated to settle a large population on the available agricultural land in the Province. and the great aim to be kept in view in dealing with the agricultural land was to obtain a large population to settle upon them. The Government were aware that the system must be carefully watched, and every endeavor made to prevent any shirking of carrying out to the full extent the conditions on which the land is taken up; that they must insist upon residence, on all improvements required by the Act, and on the due payment of the terms on which the land is taken, and Certainly these things would always be kept in view. They proposed to make certain trivial alterations in the Land' Act. »He had heard a great many objections raised against the Act—it was not a perfect Act, but it was as good a law as could be got, considering the varied interests it dealt with—but probably many of them were raised for political purposes. The Act limited the area to 30,(K»6 acres, and no more could be thrown open until, half that quantity had been taken up. That was the greatest blot in the Act, bub was one which the people m Wellington could remove. The Government would ask that tho 47th section should be repealed. With regard to section 49 and the other provision, which he believed had been an oversight, viz., compelling parties to apply at Hie land office within which the land applied for was situated, the Government looked upon that as a hardship. It was a mere matter of routine, which should be able to be effected at any land office in the Province. Under the Act, 30 000 acres in < tago, and 30,000 acres in Southlond, could be set apart on deferred payments, andrthe Government proposed, where practicable, to intersect those sections set apart lor sale on deferred payments with sections of similar areas of land to be sold for cash payments. They proposed recommending the proclamation of new hundreds in addition to those recommended last session, but he was not then in a position to state where the localities would be or the area of the proposed hundreds. There would be 60,000 acres, 40,000 acres recommended last ses ■ “ion, and the 60,000 acres on deferred payments, or 160,000 acres altogether. If unable to extend the deferred payment system to goldfields, they would set apart lands To be taken up uuder the agricultural ; lease system. With regard to land in Southland, there was a wide-spread feeling— whe- : ther well-grounded or not he could not say—tnab if a proclamation was issued, placing in the market the agricultural portion of the ■recently classified land, it would betaken up :in large areas. The Government did not purpose issuing the proclamation at the present time. They would set apart 30,000 acres on deferred payments as soon as practicable, and, after the Council rose, the Superintendent would temporarily reserve the lands and issue a proclamation opening up such lands in ‘ Southland, as the Government thought it necessary to offer for sale during the year. The deferred payment sections would be intersectedwith blocks to be sold for cash, in the same way as in Otago. With regard to raising the price, of laud, the Government had come to the conclusion that it was not desirable to raise the price throughout the Province, because they were aware there was a considerable extent of country, which, being only adapted for pastoral purposes, would perhaps be worth LI an acre, and be sold gradually ; but if £he price were increased to L2 would be on their lands for years to come. But lands contiguous to railways, ac., would be considered as of special value, and reserved as such under clause 85 of the Act., Those lands it was not expedient to sell at 20s an acre. But revenue must be had, and the Qoverpmeut would ask power to sell pastoral land, but that would only be done as a last resort. Mo Government could carry on unless they had that power, and he warned the Council that if railways were to be gone on with that power must be given, © r a loan obtained through the General Government, or the works left in abeyance; With regard ■ to, the improvement of Dunedin Harbor, the Government would proposo p/ vote for commencing che work, bring in a Hill to constitute a Harbor Trust’ endow that body with part of the lands reclaimed, and assist it to borrow. He hoped to see a. Goldfields representative in the Government before the session closed.