The Evening Star THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4210, 24 August 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1876.

-Thews has b« on no period,, f in the history of New Zealand when the state of public affairs more urgently invoked the patriotism of the colonists than it decs at present. The Constitution of the Colony has been pulled to pieces; its disjecta membra lie scattered around; while the artisans whose business it is to reconstruct the machine stand looking at the wreck and quarrelling about the form which it is henceforward to assume; To this great task it might he expected that our legislators would bend all their energies, and casting aside for tho nonce those smaller and more selfish - feelings,-which frequently influence the actions of the Assembly, direct their, movements solely by considerations for the public weal. Yet at this very time one of the most gigantic log-tbllmg operations which have ever been perpetrated in the Assembly is in full swing. The prize is four millions and a-half acres of Crown lands; the log-rollers are the pure-minded Canterbury members, those prtux chevaliers of. the House of Representatives, who look with disdain upon the plebeian legislators from other Provinces. The object which ! these gentlemen wish to accomplish is to give the holders of pastoral licenses over this tract of country, whose terms expire in 1880, a ten years’ renewal of their licenses. How this demand arose we explained in a former article. It was originally based upon an alleged understanding with the Provincial Executive in 1865 that the present tenants should have a ten years’ renewal of their licenses in 1880. There is, however, no record of such ah agreement extant, and the notion that a Provincial Executive could,'fifteen years beforehand, bind the Government of the country to renew these leases is altogether too absurd for acceptance. This argument, in fact, has almost been abandoned, and - the advocates of the pastoral tenants now take their stand mainly upon grounds of public policy, and contend that if the runs were cut up into moderate sized blocks and the leases sold by auction in 1880, “rings” would be formed and a kind of financial chaos ensue. The theory, unfortunately, is not worked out, and one is left to imagine for oneself how these evils would operate. Why should “rings” be formed, and how would the public interest suffer if they were? Let a sufficient upset price be put upon the licenses, and let rt further be stipulated that a handsome cash deposit shall be made upon the fall of the hammer, and the “rings” would be helpless. 'J here is no danger of the runs being left mi tenanted. Tho Canterbury capitalists might league themselves together against buying, save at their own price, but there are plenty of persons in other parts of Now Zealand and Australia both able and willing to take up these runs if they could be obtained at a reasonable figure. “ Auction or no auction ” is the real question at issue. Mr Wason’s Bill embod ; es the auction principle, and hence it ia vigorously attacked by the representatives of the Canterbury squatters. Unfortunately, the Bill exhibits many weak points, which lay it open to hostile criticism ; but these faults are not so serious as to be beyond the reach of amendment in committee, if the principle of the measure were acceptable to the House. The auction system, however, can in no way be reconciled with the perpetual tenure views of the Canterbury runholders, who ■when the year 1880 arrives will have been in possession of their holdings for a period of sixteen or seventeen years; and should another term of ten years he then granted, this tenure will extend over a generation, and give them an almost indefeasible title to this vast tract of country. In all probability, if the licenses for the runs were sold at auction, the bulk of them would be bought by the present holders, who would possess the advantage over outside bidders of not being required to pay for improvements which they have effected on their stations. But then the rent which they would havs to pay might be a great deal; higher than it would he under an assessment made next year; while the tenure would like-! wise be broken. Certain banks too, which bold liens over the property of the present tenants, profess that their interests might; suffer by the change. It is certainly an extraordinary argument to address t» the Assembly. These banks knew perfectly well when they advanced their money that the tenancies of their mortgagors expired in 1880, and could only be renewed by Act of Parliament, and if they have lent their clients more money on their stock than the value of that stock warranted, it is surely a strange demand to make that special legislation should take place in order to give the mortgagors an opportunity of working off their debts. Why should these banks be favored beyond other mortgagees in this respect ? If they have made had debts we are very sorry for them; but can only recommend greater caution in future. The primary objection to an early assessment of the runs as a preliminary to the renewal of the licenses in 1880, however, is that the time is inopportune for the consideration of the subject, The country is engrossed in the work of creating a new Constitution ; and as soon as that task is performed, tho Land Question will arise in full strength and must be grappled with. Indeed, it is so near that the Ministry has already touched it by proposing to raise the price of land throughout the Colony, wherever it is less than L2 per acre, by 25 per cent. When the Land Question comes fairly before the Assembly, it will have to be treated comprehensively; and while existing interests must be carefully respected, it would be unwise in the last degree to encumber the path of reform with new interests, deriving their origin from selfish intrigues. If these Canterbury squatters are promised a renewal of their leases, and the Assembly, in remodelling the land laws, finds it necessary to resume possession of these holdings, heavy claims for compensation will immediately arise. That, indeed, is the probable result of acceding to the present demand, because the whole tendency of public opinion is against long pastoral tenures and in favor of a return to the old principle under which squatters are regarded as mere tenants at will, holding grazing rights only. The country has suffered muck from abandoning this principle; and it would be a retrogade step to lock up four millions and a-half acres of land in the hands of particular individuals until 1890, even allowing for the mitigation of the evil by free selection. Those gentlemen who are so busily intriguing to effect this end need not hope to change public opinion in this respect. Their very actions are injuring their own cause; and even if they succeed in getting a Bill passed embodying their views, such a measure will not be treated as creating vested rights, but will be placed in tho same category as other political Bills, and will be equally subject to amendment or repeal.