WELLINGTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3570, 1 August 1874, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[Bt Telegraph.]

{From our own Correspondent. ) July 31. • Maoandrew to d ly presented a petition signed by 214 miners aud others, urging the Government to construct an open sludge channel lor the Blue Spur tailings. ihe Otago Waste Lands Bill, as reported from the Lands Committee, contained these principal alterations. Instead of section 2 giving the Waste Lands Board power to refuse to sell whenever they judge it right in turs public interest, the following new olkuse is introduced ;—“ .Notwithstanding anything in the Act of 1872, all lands hereafter constituted into Hundreds shall not be open for sale or lease until the expiration of thirty days from and after the publication of the proclamation constituting Hundreds ; provided always that the lawful Superintendent, by proclamation in the ‘ Gazette,* may fix the date after the said period of thirty days when the lands comp.ised in Hundreds shall be open for sale or lease.” This alteration refers"to rural lands, and defines when they shall be open for sale. The board, with the consent of the Superintendent, may withdraw lauds from sale, notwithstanding application having been mads, provided that when any land shall have been withdrawn from sale under this provision, sueh land shall not be again open for sale until after thirty days n-.tice in the ‘ Gazette,’ specifymg when applications are receivable. \_-n tins clause ot the Bill it was argued that if a Hundred was proclaimed, and an application o purchase was made the next day, aud it was attempted to remove that laud from sale, the Government would be brought into the Supreme Court. That was the inevitable result, it is to be regretted Very much that the clause was introduced into the because it was supposed all differences would be settled by the Act of 1872. This proposal would cause plentiful cross actions at law and

mandamuses. Mr Maoandrew hoped the House would not be frightened by such prognostications The mem 1 >er for Mat • ura said the I and Board desired to admh.ister the law, with the view of seouring bond fide. occnpation and settlement. That was the real aim of the Bill. The matter was fully discussed. Mr M'Lean, in committee, said no good was to be gained from di?cn»sini it. Again Mr Cracrofb Wilson hoped the Honse would not be guided by wlv.t tor k place in tbe Waste Lands Committee. He believed that no good principle had any chance of being listened to in that committee. If the people of Otago would change their land laws 6ybtj yoar they must hear tho fruits of their conduct. A? a member of tbe Bouse he had WA>hed his hasds of having anything to do with it. Mr Reid replied that it was not intended to take the power with the view of refusing applications, hut to set the land aside afterwards for lease. The Soard often leased land within Hundreds for quarries and ether purposes named in the 56th section. Until tbe lands were set aside by proelamatien to be sold on deferred payments, it was not possible to lease them for the purposes named, and they could not be open for sale when so set aside. Snrely the Board could bs trusted

to lease lands for those purposes. Sir P. IX Bell thought it was a great pity the intention was not clearly expressed, Mr Macandrew said this was the Ota«ro, not the Southland Waste Land Act. ■ The clause passed. On the new clause 3. Sir Francis Dillcn 801 l said he hoped the clause would not be allowed to pas* in its present shape. Whatever might he the land law, it was essential that the administration of it should really be guided by law in order to protect individuals. To give the power of withdrawing land once opened for sale was mt sb dangerous. A provision ought certainly to be made against the squatter taking up the best land of the Hundred proclaimed. At present fine tracts of it for settlement were absolutely taken out of tbe hands of the Government on a single application by the pastoral tenant. The power piropoced to be given was moat dangerous, liable to be abused, and would cause a great many mistakes and difficulties. Without accusing the Land Soard of Otago or the Provincial Government of any underhand work, he instanced his own case. He bad applied for a piece of land declared open for sale in a Hundred, and subsequently the land was withdrawn from sale. It was afterwards reopened, and he naw found himself in the position that a third applicant who came on subsequently was preferred. If the Government did nob place this applicant

on equal terms, he would be forced to take the matter into the Supreme Court. In no other Province was similar power proposed to be given. If lands were reserved and subsequently reopened for sale they should be put up to auction. He hoped the members in charge of the Bill would accept the suggestion. Mr Macandrew said it was singular to observe the different optics with which members viewed the clause. The intention was to prevent a recurrence of the very evils complained of. Although he believed power was now given to reserve, lauds from sale, the matter had been doubted, and the Government was threatened with mandamuses ; in order to obviate which they were now seeking to make the point clear. He would given an instance in point .-—Fifteen acres near Dunedin, worth perhaps one thousand pounds per acre, were- applied for the other day by an individual, who threatens to go to the Supreme Court, and demands that it shall be sold to him at one pouqd per acre Would it not be monstrous if such a state of things should continue? Sir F. D. Bell said ; “ If put up to auction it would produce the result yon want." Mr Macandrew'replied : “ We wish to reserve it absolutely from sale.”—(Hear.) Sir F. D. Bell : “If you wish to reserve, sell it afterwards.” Mr Macandrew :“We do not want to sell it in the meantime, as it would be detrimental to the public interest to do so.”— (Hear) Mr Reid said he could cite many

instances of the kind. This was one glaring case in point. The clause was agreed to. Mr Tolmie moved an amendment upon the clause amending danse 47, to remove doubts as to the meaning of the original clause, and said that in passing that section, the intention of the Legislature was that deferred payment blocks should be set apart in areas

of 500, 3,000, or 5,000 acres. He understood it was the intention of the present administration of the Province to alter that, so as to include blocks of 200 acres extending over different parts of the country. Those who knew him knew he had no objection to deferred payments, but it would be a ruinous proceeding for sections to be distributed oyer the Province, fie moved that after the word “run,” in the seventeenth line, the following be inserted—“nor shall any area exceeding 5,C00 acres be set apart, in Hundreds or on goldfields, nor shall more than one block in any one district be set apart in any Hundred.” Mr Reid urged that the Land board should not bo confined to one * block. Mr Tolmie’s amendment was negatived, On the clause extending deferred payment to an area thrown open any year to 100,000 acres, Sir F. D. Bell press his regret that the member in charge

of the Bill had brought the proposal forward, as it was interfering with the agreement come to in 1872. They should see how the deferred payment system answered before making further alterations. He quoted Mr Bastings as his authority for stating that out of 20,000 acres so thrown open, only 9,000 were applied for. For two blocks, in land which he himself had to handle, not any applications were received. Would it not be much better not to run the risk of losing the Bill altogether by insisting on inserting this clause ? It would meet with strenuous opposition in certain quarters, and could cot possibly remain. For ‘a little while they had better be content with what they had. He asked Mr Macandrew and Mr Keitl to remember what took place in 1872, when the Bill was passing through the Council, and

there were doubts as to whether it was likely to become law. Both those members came to 'him in his room, discussed the disputed pomts, and came to the conclusion, by agreement, that if carried ail parlies would be Satisfied to let matters rest there.—(Mr Macandrew : “Ho;”)—Sir F. D. Bell replied there was distinct evidence in his office. Here was a fundamental alteration in the terms of the compromise. If carried, it would cause great conflict, and raise discord and'the passions allayed by the Act of 1872. If the system were tried and found te be a success, it must not.be under conditions which threw open lands unfit for settlement. It was the last time that he would address the Committee. —(Mr Shopherd : “Hear.’)—Sir F, D, Bell hoped the

appeal would be successful, because he felt certain the’ only effect would be postponing desirable amendments indefinitely. Mr Macandrew denied that the deferred payments system was unsuccessful. From February, 1873, to April last, 12,689 acres were applied for out of 21,000 thrown open. He had no strong feeling 'in regard to altering from 30,000 to 100,000; at the same time, as it was the wish of the people of Otago, he hoped the House would agree to not neces- ‘ sarily lose the Bill. If a strong objection were shown at' another place it would be

competent to withdraw, if necessary. Mr Wilson urged it as a cure for the Otago land evil. Mr Wilson would rather give land away to lona fide settlers than that the present erroneous principle should continue. Ihe clause then passed R»d the Bill was committed, It is believed

the Extension Area Clause will be fiercely opposed in the Council.

To-day a petition was presented by Mr Rolleston, that the Hours of Employment of Females Bill should be altered from nine in the morning to six in the evening to eight in the morning and five in the afternoon. The police were administering the Act in Canterbury, and one or two convictions were made the other day. Mr Bradshaw thinks ths altered hours will be of advantage to females, and has agreed to support the alteration.

The debate on Forest Conservation is, so >ar, tame. None of the members touched the real question. It is believed the Government will not press the measure this session.