LAND ON DEFERRED PAYMENTS IN SOUTHLAND.

Evening Star, Issue 3500, 12 May 1874, Page 3

LAND ON DEFERRED PAYMENTS IN SOUTHLAND.

(Neivs, May 7.) The pathway in front of the Government Bui.dings yesterday at noon presented nearly as animated an appearance as ou the occasion of the reception of applications for the block of laud thrown open for selection on M‘JNab’a run. dhcre were no less than ninety applicants for fourteen sections. The throng was indeed so dense that the Distri t Officer (Mr Pearson) suggested the expediency of a number remaining outside until their names were called, jhe plan was adopted, and business at once began. The procedure was as follows :—The names of the applicants for a particular section having been called (there were only one or two absent or unrepresented), the District Officer place in a ballotbox twice the number of folded tickets there were applicants—the whole being numbered consecutively from one upwards. 1 hen, as the name of each applicant was called, he or h.s agent stepped forward to the box—which was previously well shaken—and drew a ticket, which he was required to at once uu old in the presence of the District officer, who there upon called the mini her—the applicant drawing the highest being entitled to the license to occupy the laud. The maimer in which the somewhat novel process was conducted gave general satisfaction. As a rule, there was but the slightest outward exhibition of feeing but once. As the name - of a supposed “ dummy ’ was called for a blank, there was an ebullition of satisfaction. Whispered remarks as to the value of choice selections passed freedy, and very diverse indeed were the opinions given—“ nothing but shingle,” “ splendid land,” “ only tit. for sheep,” &c., were among the terms one could not help overhearing. On the whole, however, it was very plain that the great majority knew the laud to be well worth having for bona fide settlement, and it was equally evident that to supply the demand a block of 50,000 instead of 5,000 acres would have been required in that one district alone. Another thing was apparent—that for the just administration of the deferred payment system, by which we im-an the exclusion of “ dummies,” the ballot offers the only guarantee. If money could have purchased some of the sections, there were those present who would have had them almost at any price—but not for settlement. The following is the result of the ballot : Section. Block. Name. 0 I John Lamond 10 1 W. W. White 11 1 John Bohels Id IA. B. &_C. Thomas Reid 1* 1 T. H. Barclay 15 1 J. Reburn 10 1 P. Hanley 17 1 J. H. Sargenson „ “ Kate Chittock 7 2 W. Hay 1 2 ChattonDist. A. Johnston 2 1 W. Johnston 0 2 Geo. How The drawing having terminated, the unsuccessful ones recovered their deposits as rapidly as possible, aud cleared out —many with the audibly expiessed hope lor “ better luok next time/’

SINGULAR SUICIDE. A suicide, some of the circumstances connected with which were of a rather peculiar character, was committed on April 30 at Mordialloc. A. young man, twenty-eight years of age, named Joseph Marks, said to he employed in a tailoring establishment, and living at the London Boarding-house, Lonsdale street we t, had for some time been paying attention to a young lady of his acquaintance, but his affection was not returned. He appears to have made up his minu at last either to win the young lady or to destroy himself. Meeting her at a dancing party at Carlton, on April 29, he asked her to marry him, and on receiving a refusal, handed her a letter which he had written beforehand, and took his departure. Going to his lodgings, he bid goodbye to his acquaintances, stating that he was going to drown himsel', and no more was seen of him. The letter to the young lady also contained an announcement that the writer was about to destroy himself. He had made up his mind, he said, to ascertain his fate that nig lit, and the letter had been written to band to the young lady in the event of her decision being unfavourable to him. The letter went on “ I would have tried to make you happy, but since it cannot be, there is one favor I would ask of you, it being the last on earth that I will ever ask of you, that is. to let my brother and father and sisters know of this, and if they require my body they may find it by following the beach down from Cheltenham to Mordialloo ; where they will find my clothes, it is there that I have ended my existence, and shall find reliefe (sic) in a watery grave. Lo this kind ac<ion for me, and may you be blessed for ever and ever, amen. Cod only knows how truly I loved you. By night o> day you were never out of my thoughts ; but you never could have loved me, or you would not have turned against me so soon w'ithout a cause.” Ihe letter, which was not signed, concluded with these curious lines : I have this rash action taken as my lot, Through loving one that loves me not; And may it uer (sic) be her doom To love another, who may prove false so soon. The friends of the young man were communicated with, and on Thursday morning one of his relatives drove down to Chelteiv ham and informed the police of tke matter. Mounted constable Johnston went at once to the Mordiallcc beach, and after a short search found the body of Mat ks, quite naked, in 3ft or 4ft of water. Bis clothes were found ou the beach about a quarter of a mile off, so that the body must have been carried that distance by the waves. There were several cuts and bruises about the body, caused probably by the sharp rocks amon< r <t which it had been washed. The reason which induced the deceased to walk a dis tance of nearly sixteen miles in order to drown himself at a particular spot is not apparent, nor can any motive he assigned tor the:removal of his clothe?, except "that lie desired to facilitate the discovery df 'his body, or to furnish evidence, in the event of his remains not being discovered, that he had really destroyed himself. Marks, we learn, had been arobir, stjady young man, and he was much liked by his fellow lodgers,