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Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2171, 24 July 1875, Page 2

The resolutions of the Provincial Council of, Westland regarding compensation to the owners of tramways for losses through the construction of Government roads has been made the basis of a Bill to be introduced in the Assembly this session, and for a knowledge of the nature of the same we are indebted to our Hokitika contemporary, the Times, who has been favored with, the perusal of the Bill as drafted. • The Bill provides that the Waste Lands Board may, upon the recommendation of the Provincial Council, determine in what districts and blocks the land may be selected as compensation. It further provides that the owners of tramways may select in these districts and blocks such lands as they may desire as compensation. Also, that the lands are to be surveyed, and that Crown grants are to be prepared after the selections have been made; and that the lands thus selected are to be taken in full compensation of all claims by the owners of the said tramways. Any right on the part of the tramway owners to occupy the lands formerly possessed, or to collect tolls thereon, will cease on the passing of the Act, except in the case of the Hokitika and Kanieri tramway. The Bill, we may say, has been drafted strictly in accordance with the resolutions of the Provincial Council last session. The allotments are to be made as follows : — The Hokitika and Grey mouth Tramway Company are to be awarded

6325 acres ; the Marsden and Paroa Tramway, 4121 acres ; the Greymouth and Paroa Tramway, 4097 acres ; the Hokitika and Kanieri Tramway ~000 acres ; and the Hokitika and Hau Hau Company, 1000 acres. The preamble of the Bill sets forth that, " Whereas, the owners of certain tramways in the Province of Westland constructed their tramway lines upon the faith of certain resolutions passed by the County of Westland, which resolutions provided that in the event of a Government road being opened which should compete with any tramway to its detriment, such compensation as the Council might deem fit should be given to the owners of the tramways so injured. x\nd whereas the Provincial Council of the Province of Westland have resolved that compensation in land should be awarded to the owners of the several tramways named. And whereas it is just that the owners of such tramways should receive such compensation out of the Crown Lands of the Province." The title of the Bill as " The Westland Tramways Compensation Act, 1875." The draft of the Bill is about to be submitted further provides that after the rural blocks have been determined in the manner aforesaid, the same shall be advertised in the Provincial Gazette. And the tramway owners may then at any time within twelve m'onth3 from the date of the Gazette containing the notification, make their several selections in these blocks.