GOVERNMENT LAND SALE.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 191, 29 March 1848, Page 2

GOVERNMENT LAND SALE.

As notified by the Governor's proclamation of the 24th December last, the Colonial Treasurer proceeded yesterday to put up the several lots mentioned at the upset prices there announced. The place of sale was the Court-house ; the persons present were many, the bidders few. The result was pretty much as we anticipated, indeed such ps any body might have expected from the sage endeavour to put off a thing far above its value. At half pastil o'clock the sale commenced. The first lot put up was No. 33 of section 4. containing 12 perches, upset price £100. For this there was some competition, the biddings gradually advanced from £100 to £146, at which price it was knocked down to Mr. Berrey, sheriff. For the next twelve lots theie was not a single bidding; they were all town lots, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8. 9, 10, i 2, 13, 15, 16 and 17 of section 9. The lot bought by Mr. Berrey is in Queen-street, in the htait of the town. The next lots put up were No 6, 7, and 14 of section 9, varying in extent from 19 to 35 perches each, the upset price named was £120 per lot ; all the eloquence of the Treasurer could not extract a single bidding for any of thea \ The next was a suburban allotment, No. 30 of section 6, containing 5 acres, which was knocked down to Mr. Edgerley at 3 guineas an acre, being the upset pi ice. The remaining purchasers were — • Mr. Auckland, two suburban lots at £l is. and £2 ss. per acre. Mr. Simms, three ditto, at £2 10s , £3, and. £i 10s. per acre. Mr. Osborne, one ditto, at £1*27 per lot. Major Matson. one ditto > at £120 per lot. Mr. Newman, a rural allotment, at £5. Mr. White, one lot at Onehunga, £00. For the other lots there were no bidders. There were 30 lots put up, of which only ! 1 were sold, realizing the sum of £716. On the whole there was evinced among the numeious persons present at this srile, iiot a geneial disinclination io buy at ai!, but a repugnance to bid at the upset prices named, as they were deemed on all hands to he in some cases extravagant, and in almosr every one immoderate And we are convinced that had the upset prices been but in reason, there was scaicely a lot put up that would not have found a bidder, and been purchased at its real value.

-^MPW Mechanics'lnstitute. — A general meeting of the members of this Institution will taKt place this evening for the purpose of electing officers for the current year. The repoit of the Committee for the last year will be read ; and we are sure that it will be found more encouraging —as indicative of the useful tendency ol the institution —than that of several previous years,

Programme. — On Thursday, March 30, at 4 o'clock, on the space of ground opposite the Council Chamber, the Band of the 58ih Regiment, will perform the following pieces of music :— Melange— Op. " I Lombard! " Verdi Cay. Op.,— " La Sonambula" Bellini Waltz—" Ball Racketen,' 1 Strauss Cat. Op.—" Anna Bolwa," Donizetti Cay. Op.—" Gemuoy de Vergy," " Quadrille—" The British Army." Jullien

The schooners " Despatch,'* and " Deborah " arrived yesterday from Sydney ; the former having left on the 19th, and the latter on the ]Bth inst. The " Deborah," has brought the November English mail ; but the London news by the 'Tarn O'Shaater, 1 which arrived at Sydney on the 9th inst., having sailed from the Downs on the 16th November, is up to the 13th of that month. We find that the " John Wickliffe," 661 tons, Captain Daly, was to sail from Gravesend for Auckland direct on the 20th Nov., and the brig " Richard Dart," 3OJ tons, Captain Lovering, was also to sail for this port on the 1 5th December. We copy the following summary from the Sydney Morning Herald of the 18th inst.