ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. New Plymouth, 3rd March, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 480, 9 March 1850, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. New Plymouth, 3rd March, 1850.

Sir,— Allow me to place before your readers the opinions and conduct of the New Zealand Company's Agent at this settlement on the subject of priority of choice in lend. "That the more recent a' purchase from the New Zealand Company the greater its priority of choice, whether as against purchases made nine years ago and not selected, but reserved ; or as against reselections of land for land chosen years ago of which the New Zealand Company cannot give possession." Mr. Halse attempts to defend his position on these grounds of expediency, namely "that fresh arriving settlers should have no reason to complain, and lest fresh claims for compensation on the New Zealand Company should arise;" this view which he takes he also acts up to. The first case which occurred was that of Mr. Faithfull, who arrived in the Kelto a short time back, when he selected his recent purchase from a portion of land which has not been thrown open as Rural Land either before or since. One of the sections chosen by Mr. Faithfull would have been gladly choien by a settler with ft referred

landorder of early choice and old date, bad the Resident Agent allowed him the opportunity of doing so. The next case which occurred was on the Suburban Land being thrown open as Rural for reselection by Suburban and Rural Landorders, when those who had not privately become acquainted with the fact, were made aware that previous to its being thrown open for public selection, Mr. Halse had allowed a private selection to take place, in which Mr. Curtis (recently arrired in the PeMn) selected a section of 50 acres ; Messrs. Davy on the day of reselection choie the same section and an adjoining one as reselections for two Suburban sections of which the New Zealand Company could not give them possession ; had they not done so the nolder of an original landorder of 1841 was prepared to select the same section as an original choice, and two, if not more landorder holders were prepared to take as a reselection the section Mr. Curtis privately chose. -Mr. Halse was disinclined as well as unable to argue the question, standing on his right to do as he pleased, but condescending so far as to offer to refer the question to Mr. Fox if written protests were put in, which was done ; when we naturally assumed that Mr. Halse would leave the question in abeyance till the receipt of Mr. Fox's decision, but no, Mr. Halse seems to have had no idea of the kind, and his offer to' refer the question appears only an evasion, as a few days after he gave Mr. Curtis the certifioate for the section in dispute ; I conclude therefore that his evasion will be pushed still further, and as no time was specified when Mr. Halse would refer the question to Mr. Fox, that he will adjourn it tine die till the expedient time may in his opinion have arrived. If the New Zealand Company intended by their recent measures to produce an amicable feeling and identity of interests between themselves and the settlers, Mr. Halse had no better means at his disposal to frustrate their intentions and irritate the settlers tban those he has adopted. I remain, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Charles Brown.