WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 272, 22 May 1874, Page 3

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Board was held on Thursday, May 14th inst. Present: The Chief Commissioner (Mr. Thomson), in the chair; and Messrs. Butterworth, Bastings, Clarke, and Strode. Waihkmo.—Mr. Connell, on behalf of Luks, applied that he should be declared purchaser of section 13, Waihomo. He explained that the land was a portion of 11,000 acres, which had been held under a pastoral lease by Sir Francis Dillon Bell, who had by deed of covenant, placed ■it at the disposal -of the Board so that it might be open to the public for- application. Sir Francis Dillon Bell has since applied to exercise his pre-emptive right, winch includes the section applied for by Mr. Luks, on the land surrendered by him under the covenant which he had executed. It was contended that Sir Francis Dillon 801 l had not now any right as a pastoral lessee, and if he wanted the land'he would have to come forward as one of, the public, and that, therefore, as Mr. Luks was the first applicant, ho should be declared the purchaser.—Mr. G. Cook, for Sir Francis Dillon Bell, said that the covenant provided that the land was to be sold according to law provided that every pastoral tenant should have the opportunity of exercising his pre-emp-tive rights, and as this had not yet been done, the land could not be sold —Mr. Howorth also statpd that he wasinstucted' by Mr. Walter Murray to apply to purchase section 42, Waihemo. He stated this land was'also included in the land specified'in the covenant mentioned in the last case. Mr. Howorth conceived that the correct reading of the covenant was, that as .certain rights were mentioned as being reserved by Sir Francis Dillon Bell, all those not specified were surrendered.—The Board resolved that a case should be stated for the opinion of-the Supreme Court as to whether Sir Francis Dillon Bell was not at liberty to exercise hispre-emptive right over any portion of the land, also whether the land mentioned in the covenant is now open for sale, and whether the Board has power to refuse applications on it.

Approvals.—The plan submitted for a pre-emptive right by Mr. E. W. Hunv phry, on his run at Strathtaieri, was approved.