MEETING OF LANDHOLDERS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 23, 13 August 1842, Page 90

MEETING OF LANDHOLDERS.

On Saturday evening last a meeting- of landholders, called by circulars issued by" Mr. W. C. Young, was held at the house of Mr. Sclanders, Auckland Point. There was a full attendance. Dr. Wilson in the chair. Mr. Yocng explained his reasons for calling the meeting. He was anxious to ascertain the opinion of the majority of the resident landholders as to the advisability of giving out a portion of the suburban lands for selection, the remainder being yet unsurveyed. He felt it , impossible to perform his duty as an agent if he had not the power of seeing all the land that was open to selection. He had no desire to throw obstacles in the way of the immediately rendering land available for agricultural purposes ; but he thought, from the season of the year and the probability of the remainder of the sections being shortly prepared for selection, that the mischief to individuals was not compensated by the alleged general benefit. Mr. Pateh ett differed from Mr. Young, and thought that a delay sufficient to prepare all the suburban sections for selection would be a serious evil; but, nevertheless, was anxious for a month's delay, in order to give time for agents and proprietors to go over the land to prepare themselves for the selection. The surveys were not in a state of sufficient forwardness to enable any one to' judge of relative value. * Mr. Dickenson agreed with Mr. Young. He thought that at this time of the year no great loss would-be incurred by putting off the selection. Nothing in the way of cropping could be done this season, and there would be little lost in the way of preparation for the next. Mr. Saunders also thought that it would be juster to offer all the suburban sections for selection at once. Mr. Richardson combatted the views advocated by Mr. Young and those who supported him. He had nothing to do with the question between the landowners and the Company; but,- whether just or unjust on the part of the latter, he maintained that it was for the benefit of the colony, and therefore of the landowners, that no delay should take place in the.; giving out of the suburban lands. Mr. Thompson, at some length, showed the various inconveniences and worse consequences that would result from delay. The fact of the immigrants that might be daily expected having a place of settlement offered them in the country, instead of being obliged to build houses in the town, from which it would be necessary to remove them before their labour could be properly available, was hi itself sufficient to give indisputable foroe to the reasons for immediate distribution. Captain Wakefield shortly, but forcibly, expressed his strong opinion that delay was dangerous. Mr. Arnold dwelt much upon what he asserted to be the bad faith of the Company in this and other matters, and appeared to us to recommend a general refusal to select, unless the whole of the suburban lands were first surveyed ; and also pointed out many situations which were being surveyed which he considered utterly unserviceable for agricultural purposes, or any other profitable application. Towards the end of the meeting, a long conversational discussion took the place of the more regular mode of proceeding, which, from its desultory nature, it would be impossible to report. Mr. Young had originally proposed a reso-

lution embodying the sentiments which were conveyed in his speech. .Mr. Patchett had put in an amendment, vouch was afterwards withdrawn, to the effect thWsome delay in the selection was necessary, to enable agents and proprietors to new the lands. There was a second amendment, proposed by Mr. Richardson and seconded by Mr. Thompson, to the effect that the meeting thought it advisable that the selections should be at once proceeded with, according to the advertisements of the Company's Surveyor, which was carried by a majority just doubling the minority who supported Mr. Young's motion.