PARLIAMENTARY.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 147, 12 July 1888, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

( PER T7NITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. | WELLINGTON, July 10. In the House of Representatives, v -" Dr Newman asked the Minister fflr Public Works, (1) Whether the new survey for the North Island Railway now being made from >Stratford, Inglewood, and Mimi to Taumaranui, which the Minister for Public Works, in his speech to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on the 7th of April, said would cost £10,000, can Itie completed for that sum ? (2) Out of what fund will the £10,000 be paid? (3) , ' Under what authority the expenditure has been incurred; Parliament having' ' decided upon the adoption of the central route ? • The Minister replied categorically as follows:— (1) That the total cost would not exceed £8,500 ; (2) the ' amount was taken oat of the alloca- ' tion for new lines in the Loan Act; (8) under the authority given for the survey of new lines. The Minister of Lands moved the second reading of the Land Act Amendment Bill. The Government, he said, recognised the inadvisableness of frequently altering the land laws, and the principal reason for the pre» ■ sent Bill was that the Canterbury, pastoral leases falling in? in 1890, it was thought -necessary to effect legiglation concerning them. The important portion of the measure, he said, was that dealing with the pastoral leases. About two millions of acres would fall in in Canterbury in 1890, of which 500,000 acres would be suitable to cutting up into smaller areas than runs. It was felt that if: these lands were disposed of on different conditions, it would be of benefit to the holder and to the 'Slate. The lands had been classified into purely pastoral and pastoral - agricultural. Provision was made for a tenure being changed from perpetual lease to deferred payment, except on account of landß acquired after 1887, the' reason for that reservation being that . since the end of- that year selectors had been able to choose from tenures; With regard to the results of the Land Act of last session, the Ttfmister said the number of acres brought under its operation was 720,000, and the results of the sales for settlement had been satisfactory. From the 21st March to the 30th of Junß this year — three months and ten days — the number of selection was 593, aud the area they took up 95,517 acres. Of that 1 acreage, the cash purchases amounted to £13;7OO, the number of selectors being 171, the acreage nearly 21.000, and the average price 13s per acre. ~ There were 123 deferred- payment settlers who took up 143,000 acres, the yearly instalments amounting to. £1385. There were 299 selectors under perpetual lease, who took up over 60,000 acres at an annual rental ; of £2774. It was very apparent that ' the perpetual lease system was the most acceptable to the public, but there was an objection to it that it was not so good for revenue purposes. Mr Ballance said the policy of the Government had, as he had predicted, resulted in a falling off in the land revenue, and they were now face to face with the fact that the revenue was smaller than it had been for many sessions. - The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Waste Lands Committee. July 11. The Native Minister, in an exhaustive speech, moved the second reading of the Native Land Bill, which was agreed to. After further discussion the Native Minister moved that the Bill be referred to a committee to be hereafter appointed. The motion was carried by 28 to 27The House rose at midnight.