WASTE LAND BOARD.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 201, 3 January 1873, Page 5

WASTE LAND BOARD.

(Condensed from the 'Star.') The Waste Land Board met yesterday. Present —The Chi»»f Commissioner, Messrs Allan, Duncan, Hughes, and Toluiie. THE MAERfcWHKNUA BLOCK. Mr. Stout appeared on behalf of Mr. fnylor, of Oamaru, to oppose the sanction of the Board to a sale to the Hon. Robert Campbell oi* 10,000 aeres of land applied for by him in July last. Mr. Stout said he had several objections to urge against the sale to Mr. Campbell. ¥v had no doubt the Board would have before it the report of the Commissioners, Messrs Shepherd and M'Kerrow, appointed to inquire into the sale, i" e (Mr. Stout) had before appeared before the Board to oppose the sale of land in large blocks, and had pointed out that it was questionable whether, in sanctioning such sales, the Board was aciing in the spirit of the Waste Land Act. Large sales of that sort should be subject to public competition. The application was not on terms of section 83 of the Waste Land Act. There was already provision made by Act of Parliament where two persons agreed not to bid against • ach other at a sale. Such a conspiracy was punishable by law ; but iu the case befcrethe Board, the applicant asked to be allowed to become the purchaser without competition. This was not in consonance with the spirit of the Laud Acts of any country. It was an application to purchase without any public competition whatever. It was against every interest excepting tha; of the runlioldi-r. Supposing a man outside the run wished to purchase 500 acres of the land, he could not huy an acre of it, but the rnnholder. by the process proposed to be adopted, could buy 10,000 acres. This very inequality should be sufficient to prevent the sale. If that principle, were established, every runholder in the Province mu'ht go to the Board and spot his run. In conclusion, Fie >would summarise Lis objections thus:— -.'

lst.,/Half of the land applied for was proved to be auriferous, and as the other half had not been tested, it was quite possible it might be gold-bearing also. 2nd. A large portion of the land not maiktd auriferous was required for the purpose of constructing water races for the working of that proved to be auriferous. 3rd. If settlement was to be encouraged on the goklfields, a portion should be reserved for agricultural settlement and commonage. Mr. Campbell said that when lie made the arrangement wilh Mr. Keid, it was distinctly agreed that all the land proved auriferous should be shut out. The only claim on the ground was this, and as to saying the ground was auriferous, that was only the opinion of one man. It had been stated that one person applied to Eur chase part of his present freehold, and e refused to sell it. He distinctly denied it. Mr. M'Kerrow had told him that he considered all the eiicums'anees of the case would ue met by excluding 1800 acres. (Mr. Campbell showed the land alluded to, to the B<>avd on the plan.) There was no doubt he bought the land of the Board.

The Chief Commissioner: I do not think you are right in saying that. The application was merely received. Mr. Campbell: The deposit was paid and the survey made. What is the use of the survey of the land if the land is not sold. T?his row has been pot up by two or three men who would have bpen content with 300 acres. He should like Mr. M'Kerrow o be called. The C«>mmisioner did not think it right that the Commissioners should be crossexamined upon th«ir report. Mr. Shepherd, who was present, and Mr. M'Kerrow said they were perfectly agreed as to their-report in every particular.

Mr. Duncan—From the evidence, it appears that the ground that has been Worked has proved auriferous!

The Commissioner read the minute of the 11th July in reference to Mr. Camphell's application as follows :—That the application he received and registered, survey to he made by the applicant ; surveyor to he approved ; right to i-eserve such lands as may be found auriferous or necessary for public purposes retained. Mr Campbell said it was distinctly agreed between Mr. fteid and himself that only land proved to be auriferous should be excluded. Mr. Keid said that between tin? on in nee nent and the close of the survey four or five months would elapse, which was sufficient time to test it.

Mr. Hughes distinctly recollected there vas no such provision made at the time of the application. The application wis referred to the Government for further information. The question was adjourned .to next Tuesday.

THE LEANING ROCK SALE. Mr. Haggitt, for the Superintendent applied for a rehearing of the application to purchase. . The rehearing was asked for on several grounds : Ist. The miners were at work there, and required the ground for their tailings. 2nd. The land is required for the construction of water-races. 3rd. Without the ground, tailings for sluicing could not be deposited. He, therefore,, asked for a rehearing and was of opinion that the Board had power to grant it, : under the 17th section of the Waste Lands Act. He thought he had sufficient to *how that the Board acted hastily-in coming to a conclusion. He made the application on behalf of the Supprint-ndent, as representing the public in the matter, and of Mr. Shepherd, the holder of a miner's right. Mr. M\K>ay, for Mr. Ferraud, opposed the appl.cation. He said there had been misrepresentation. The Cominis'sioner was of opinion that the sale having been sectioned, and the money paid, it Was beyond the power of the Board to deal with the land in any way. After some discussion amongst the memb rs of the Board, it was ultimately agreed to ask the opinion of the Judge of the Supreme Court, as to the power of the Board to grant a rehearing under the circumstances.