NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, April 2, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 800, 2 April 1853, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, April 2, 1853.

Our readers will observe from the report of the proceedings of the Supreme Court in another part of oar present issue, that Mr. Sewell has so far succeeded in the proceedings instituted in the name of Mr. W. Dorset, as to obtain an injunction restraining the Land Commissioner from acting on the Regulationsrecently issued bj the Governor. We will not now enter into any speculation as to whether or no the injunction wiH be confirmed, nor pause to consider the very strong opinions expressed on an exparte application by his Honor, whom no doubt Mr. Sewell must look upon as "A Baniel come to judgment." Our brief space warns us to confine the attention of our readers to one fixed point, the effect of the present decision, supposing it to* I be maintained, on the future of the Company'ssettlements. The regulations n^w brought into force again, and which we are told are to 1 be considered the law, besides certain extremely prejudicial pasturage regulations, fix the price of land in the Company's settlements at J62 per acre. This is the sufficient price Messrs. Wakefield and Sewell, in their zeal to promote the Canterbury scheme at the ex pense of the rest of the colony, hare succeeded in imposing on us, and this will be more than sufficient effectually to shut up the lands o4o 4 this province from sale or settlement, and to throw the whole land question once more into hopeless and inextricable confusion. But at the worst we are told there is at least one remedy left — that it is in the power of the Legislative Assembly to provide a cure for these disorders, and fix the price of land at any sum they may think fit. The electors then have the remedy in their own hands ; if the working classes and country settlers, who form the great body of the electors, desire to have cheap land, as they have shown most unequivocally they do, they must make cheap land their Shibboleth, and take care to return to the General Assembly only such men as are pledged in favour of cheap land, — such as they know can be entirely depended on. Recent events have helped to furnish them with sufficient means for forming their opinions as to some of those who may probably offer themselves as candidates for their votes, if they only determine rightly they will eventually as assuredly obtain their desire, as one <lay succeeds to another. In Canterbury and Otago no doubt strenuous efforts will be made to return members in favour of high priced land, the interests of the stockholders also are too closely connected with high priced land not to cause them to use every effort to maintain such a state of things as will secure to them a monoply in their runs. This is the turning point of the future fortunes of the colony, and no exertion should be wanting on the part of the electors to return such men to ' the Assembly as will put an end to all further difficulty or question in connection with the price of land, and establish cheap land on such a basis as to prevent the possibility of any future interference.

A Meeting of Electors of the Hutt District was held on Monday evening, at the Aglionby Arms, for the purpose of taking into consideration sundry matters touching the forthcoming elections. Upwards of two hundred persons were present. The claims of different persons likely to offer themselves as candidates were discussed. Mr. Fitzherbert was proposed to the meeting, hut only three hands were held up in his favour, Captain Daniell was also mentioned but received only six suffrages, and the nomination of these gentlemen was received with much disapprobation. The two popular candidates among the men of the Hutt appeared to be Mr. A. Ludlatn, and Mr. George Scott.

Tvxsdat, the 29th instant being the first day appointed to receive applications for land under the New Regulations, there vras a numerous attendance at the Land Office of absentee agents and other persons interested. Applications were received by the Commis« sioner Cor between 9,0t)0 and 10,000 acres, the greater proportion being absentee scrip, of these between 6,000 and 7,000 acres were in the Ahurin district, and 2,000 acres in the Upper Hutt. There were "also several applications by resident settlers in the Huttfor hilly land in the neighbourhood of their properties. The following is the extent of land in the different districts of this province offered by the Government for sale under the New Lund Regulations :— ACB.IB. /Upper Hutt 2,750 Pakuratahi 800 /Tukapu 1,000 / Ohariu 1,500 ' Lowry Bay « 813 Watt's Peninsula 200 Harbour 4,000 Horokiwi 1,500 Wainui o mata 500 Karori 200 Horokiwi 3,000 Pahautahanui . . . . 3,700 Rangitiki , 2,250 Turakina 1,500 Wanganui, left bank of river. . 3,000 Right bank 5,000 Total 31,7ia

*Rm Tasmania and Royal Albtrt arrived on Wednesday, the former last from Port Cooper, the latter from Otago. Both vessels are in Messrs. WiUis and Co's line of packets, and are in every respect first-class vessels, particularly the Royal Albert. This vessel has a great number of passengers, several of whom are for this place.