The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 1862. IMMIGRATION—THE WASTE LANDS ACT.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1726, 24 September 1862, Page 3

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24, 1862. IMMIGRATION— THE WASTE LANDS ACT.

He just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim'st at, be thy Country's Thy God's, i<nd Truth's.

Amongst the laws which have been " rushed" through tho Assembly in the last days of the session, is one specially affecting this Province, intituled «An- Act to amend the Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1858." We are not ablo to congratulate the legal draftsman upon the clearness of his views, or upon tho perspicuity of his language; but of the scope and object of tho Act, which was promoted by tho Superintendent of the Province, we are able to approve. Under tho existing Regulations, a Crown Grant cannot bo issued to tho holder of a Land Order for tho land selected by him until a period of five years shall have elapsed from the date of his arrival at Auckland. It has been shown satisfactorily that the interests of the individual and of the public would be promoted by shortening the term, so as to enable the immigrant to obtain a legal title to his land after three years' actual residence; provision is accordingly made for effecting that object. It is also enacted that unless a Crown Grant for the land selected by the holder of a Laud Order be applied for within twelve calendar months from the time when the person making the selection would be entitled to tho Grant, the land shall bo forfeited.

The fifth clause provides that Naval and Military Settlers who have left the service for the purpose of settling in the Colony of New Zealand may obtain Land Orders in this Province, if application be made within twelve months after retirement; an exception is made in favour of Charles St. John Herbert, who may obtain a Land Order within three mouths from the passing of the Act. Certain military settlers, who received money certificates, under the Whitaker Kegulations, are absolved by clause vi. from the conditions of improvement required by the special occupation clauses, and are enabled to receive Crown Grants without delay. Provision is also proposed to be made for assisted * immigration of a new character. The question of a German immigration to this Province was brought by the Superintendent under the notice of Sir George Grey shortly after his arrival, and His Excellency has lately received a letter, of which the following is a copy:—

Your Excellency when Governor at the Cape of Good Hope confided to our hands, through the intercession of our agent, Mr. Win. Bey, a contract for 2000 German settlers to be sent to British Caffraria, ■with trie execution of which, we are proud, to say vour Excellency expressed your entire satisfaction. In virtue of the great confidence which your Excellency granted to us on that occasion, and the great interest your Excellency has always taken, and, we hope, still takes, in German immigration, we venture to address these few lines to your Excellency, and to tender our best services in case the Government of New Zealand should feel inclined to further German immigration to that colony by mode of a Government contract, as adopted by your Excellency some years ago for Caffraria. We need not assure your Excellency that, in case our firm should be honored on the part of the Government of New Zealand with such contract for German immigrants, our utmost care and attention will be used to carry out the views of the Government and to meet its approbation, which we have been so happy to deserve with all contracts that have been committed to our care.

We beg to add that we have furnished Mr. C. Petschler, of Auckland, with all particulars on this subject, and he will therefore be able to treat in our name and on our behalf with the Government of New Zealand.

We are glad that we are able to report favourably in behalf of the people sent to British Caffraria ; according to the last news received from Mr. Wm. Berg, Capo Town, they were all doing extremely well; and as the climate and country of New Zealand is still more adapted for German immigration, and the soil more fertile, we arc convinced that German settlers will prove of great benefit to New Zealand, on which nature has bestowed its richest gifts, and that the German immigrants will soon rank amongst the most attached colonists to their new home.

We beg to tender your Excellency our sincerest thanks for favours received, and have the honor to remain, with the greatest consideration, Your Excellency's Most humble and obedient servants,

(Signed) Jonx Cesar Godevkov & Son Hamburg, 25th June, 18G2. To His Excellency, Sir George Grey, K.C.8., Governor General of New Zealand.

The Messrs Godefroy, -wo understand, are prepared to advance the money required for the cost of passage of the immigrants to Auckland, taking us security from the Provincial Government debentures bearing six per cent, interest. The Act gives to the Superintendent and Provincial Council the necessary powers to carry the scheme into effect on the following plan, viz.:— That every Immigrant who shall receive from the Immigration Board appointed as hereinafter provided a Certificate of approval of such Immigrant shall be entitled to a Land Order authorizing such Immigrant to select from any lands especially set apart for Immigrants under this Act, after the following rate: For each adult male, twenty acres of general country land, and one acre of town or village land. For each adult female, ten acres of general country land. For each child under the age of 21 years, one acre of general country land. And every such Immigrant shall be entitled to a Crown Grant for the land which he may have selected upon compliance with the following conditions-. — 1. The repayment to the Province of any sum or sums of money which may have been paid or agreed to be paid, or lent, or advanced by the Province for the passage money or otherwise at the request or on account of or to such Immigrant at such times and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed in that behalf by the Superintendent and Provincial Gounod ol Auckland. 2. The payment by such Immigrant to the lrovince, within ten years after his arrival in the Colony, of the sum of £5 for the one acre of town or village land and the sum of £2 for every acre of general land which he may be entitled to. 3 The payment of interest upon all such sums at the rate of six pounds per centum per annum, such interest to bo payable yearly from the date when the same shall commence to run.

We have touched upon the chief points in this Act and shall take an early opportunity of placing it at length before our readers. The Act lias been reserved for Her Majesty's assent, and cannot, consequently, come into operation for some months.