THE CANCELLED BLOCKS.

Evening Star, Issue 4123, 15 May 1876, Page 4

THE CANCELLED BLOCKS.

The Superintendent can, under certain ’ circumstances, effect cancellations of country held under license’ or lease. He cannot deaj with country so released. The Waste Lands Act of 1872 places “ any waste lands i of the Crown within the Province of Otago” at the disposal of the Board. Clause 13 Bays —“ AU business connected with the Bap,, letting, disposal, and occupation of waste lands shall be transacted by {he Board.” To prevent conflict with the Lands Acts the Goldfields Act, under which the reinstatement is made, expressly provides in clause 45—“ That nothing in this Act contained shall interfere with the powers or functions for the time being vested in any Commissioner of Crown Lands.” The Superintendent personally recognised that the cancelled lands were in the disposal of the Board by attempting to bully the members for not consenting to sell. Mr Reid also recognised it. If it was indeed so, how could Mr Macandrew nod Mr Reid, as leaders of an Executive, in defiance of clause- 45 of the Goldfields Act, supersede the Board and lease waste lands without its consent? If the Government could lease these lands nnder clause 14 it could also sell them under 49. If the .cancellation is good, and the regulations are good, why would not the sale be' good without the Board under clause 49, which says that, after cancellation under the Act, “It shall be lawful

for the Govern r from time to time by proclamation to declare such lands or any part thereof open for sale or selection in sections of such size and form as he may determine. , . .” ? Why did not the Government open for “sale,” instead of, as they elected to do, open for “selection”? Refusing the power it claims to have, it is monstrous to accuse the Board for stopping the public works. The conspirators did not dare to sell and buy, because they knew a Grown grant could not issue unless the land was sold by the Board. In the same way the new leases will be valueless, unless the Board can be even yet bullied into sanctioningthem. The cancelled country is in the disposal of the Board at the present moment. The Board was created to be removed from political influences, and ought to assert its power!' If it refuses to do so, a Parliamentary inquiry cannot fail to throw, a little light upon the titles issued as a stop-gap for the ’enemy.. It will be Mr Basting’s duty, on behalf of the Board, to demand such inquiry. If the. cancellation were good the lessees were to be compensated. We covet the Maniototo Plain for the people of Otago, and nothing will deter us from exposing all fraudulent attempts connived at in high places to perpetuate the leases beyond the term fixed by lAw. We almost omitted to add that the proclamation making the regulations under, which these titles have issued is 6<dl ih. itself.' It makes conditions under <jhrasb 17 of the Goldfields Act, 1866. Now clause 17 of that Act is repealed.—‘Mount Ida Chronicle.’