CANTERBURY DUMMY CASES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 69, 20 February 1884, Page 2

CANTERBURY DUMMY CASES.

(by tkleobaph.) (united press association.) Christchurcii, February 16. At a special meeting of the Land Board held to-day to enquire into alleged dutnmyistn, evidence showed that m 1880 John McLean, of Itedcastle, near Oainaru, purchased on deferredpayment two sections on behalf of two of his wen servants, although be bad not been authorised by either to do so, and although he received no money from them, but that he fenced and cropped the land, with the understanding that the proceeds.after deducting the charges to be credited to the supposititious owners, who had both been a long time m his service, and one of whom was connected with him. Though a justice of the peace, he was unaware of the provisions of the Act req'iiring personal residence, but he admitted that he had erected a two-roomed cottage on each section m order to comply with what he thought was required.'. The land is now fully cropped with wheat, and is well fenced. The Board considers that George Helms and George McLean, the respective licensees, had both failed to fufil the conditions Teqnircd of them, and declared all their rights to be forfeited. The board added, 1 " they could noS refrain from expressing their astonishment at the manner m which the declaration made by Mi 1 : George McLean, purporting to have been declared before Mr John McLean, of Redcadtle, Oamaru, a Justice of the Peace, m the colony of New Zealand, was' taken and forwarded to the Commissioner of .'Crown Lands at the time of thVsale as a triie and proper declaration, as required by the 1 sixty -second section of the Land Act.'' The defend* antd were allowed time enough ttfreag the growinfg crops v