LAND on DEFERRED PAYMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 21, 17 June 1871, Page 16

LAND on DEFERRED PAYMENTS.

[lndependent, June 14.] Feom our report of the proceedings, it will be seen that the subject of land on deferred payments, and special settlements, occupied the attention of the Provincial Council during the whole of the evening sederunt. The late hour compels us to limit our remarks to the merest abstract of the resolutions passed. Not more than 50,000 acres of the waste lands of the Crown are to be set apart for the purpose of providing land for settlement on deferred payments. Immediately on any block being proclaimed, the present land regulations cease to apply to it. The price per acre is not to be less than twenty, or more than forty shillings per acre. No person is allowed more than two hundred, or less than forty acres in any one block. Every applicant must adopt a prescribed form of application, and deposit therewith one-fifth of the purchase money. If there is only one applicant, a license is granted forthwith ; but if more than one, the land is put up to auction, and sold to the highest bidder. Unsuccessful bidders will have their deposits returned; and no one is to bid who has already the maximum quantity of two hundred acres. At the end of two years an inspector, appointed by the Superintendent, shall report to the Commissioner of Crown Lands whether the purchaser has fulfilled the conditions of his license; and, if his report sete foUh that the pur-

chaser has failed to do so, both the land and the deposit money are forfeited to her Majesty. For his protection, however, the defaulting purchaser has immediate notice of the u nfavorable report from the Commissioner, and should he think himself aggrieved, he has the right to appeal against it to the nearest Resident Magistrate, whose decision shall be final. Notice of his decision must be sent in writing to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, who will either confirm or reject the title of the applicant to the land. If the former, the purchaser must pay another fifth of the purchase money, which he must likewise do at the end of the third, fourth and fifth years respectively. Auy purchaser, failing to pay anv sum so prescribed within thirty days after it is clue, shall forfeit the land and deposit. When he has made all the required payments he receives a Crown Grant on paying the necessary fees and the expense of registration under the Land Transfer Act, 1870. Forfeited land with its improvements (if any) is to be sold for cash, but not at a price' less than twenty shillings per acre. Any person without restriction can purchase land so forfeited and to any extent. Provisions are made for transferring licences from the original purchaser in the case of bankruptcy, &c. For special settlement the maximum limit is 100,000 acres. No land so set aside shall not continue so set aside for more than three years from the date of proclamation. The Superintendent is empowered to contract with persons or companies who shall be bound to cause the persons placed by them upon *he land to observe the terms sanctioned by the Governor in Council under this act. The Superintendent is also empowered to employ agents in Great Britain for the purpose of entering into contracts under the act, and for the purpose of contracting with intending settlers. Of the conditions to be endorsed on licenses to occupy land on deferred payments, by far the most important is that the purchaser must, within two years, build on the block a house of the value of ten pounds, and fence or clear, and lay down in grass or crop, at least one-tenih part of the land. It will be seen from these resolutions that an important step has been taken, and that every reasonable precaution has been devised to ensure that the land shall be occupied by bona fide settlers. If the Provincial Council should do no other business this session than that which they so uuanimously and expeditiously despatched last night, we consider they have not been called together in vain. Fifty applicants, we are assured by the Colonial Treasurer, could have been put upon land in the Manawatu district, several months ago had such a measure been passed. The Council last night may therefore be said to have resumed the work of colonisation, in a direction specially adapted to our circumstances, and most likely to lead to the development of our splendid resources They have shown that they are ready to cordially co-operate with the General Government,* and to take the fullest advantage of its colonising measures of last session. We have enlarged above so fully on the necessity and propriety of this course that we must reserve any further" remarks on this interesting and;important question to another occasion.