NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 19, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 909, 19 April 1854, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 19, 1854.

Xast week we printed the Fencing- Act passed in the Session of the Provincial Council just ended, and in this day's SjJectator will be found the Scab Act, as amended and finally agreed to. These are two of the most important Acts passed; both from the interests affected T?y them and the stringent nature of their .provisions. The last named subject seems 'to have occupied the attention of every Provincial Council, and each has passed •a Scab Act for its own Province, containing precautions more or less stringent to -prevent the spread of this disease. Passing over the Scab Act, however, let us examine the Fencing Act, the avowed aim and object of which was to press heavily on the absentees, —one design of passing which, our retiarius the Provincial Secretary has taken particular pains to inform us, was to spread a net in the way of the capitalist, and deter him from purchasing land by wholesale. ' For our own part, we must confess we see no great harm in extensive purchases of land made by capitalists from the neighbouring colonies ; on the contrary, the introduction of their capital amongst us should be Te?arded as a substantial benefit. An investment on a large scale similar, forexaurple, to that recently made at Canterbury, would fill the Treasury faster than the debentures seem to do, with the additional advantage of having no interest to pay, and it is certainly less objectionable in every way than the system of jobbing now going on. But in what way is this law to act as a scarecrow to the capitalist and speculator? No doubt it wili press heavily on the absentee and land purchaser who invested liis money in the original scheme of the settlement, but these are not the men the framers of the law profess to fear. The monopoly, the jobbing, will take place, — is takingplace, — in thenewly purchased districts, which for the most part are set apart for pastoral purposes and the Act in its very commencement takes especial care to provide that its provisions shall only be enforced in such districts as may be proclaimed by the Superintendent, it being understood that all pastoral districts will be exempt from its operation, and that it will only apply to agricultural districts. In the former Fencing Act the owner of land was obliged to pay for a party fence on using it, which of course was fair and reasonable, but by this law every man owning land in any district in which it is enforced is entirely at the mercy of his neighbours, who can compel him to pay for what he does not want and is not likely to use, or confiscate his property in a summary way. The highly objectionable nature of these confiscating clauses was clearly pointed out, and strenuously resisted by the independent members of the Council, and even though they have been carried, it re"mains to be seen whether such clauses will not have the effect of causing the Bill to be disallowed. In effect, under the sanction of this Act, it is possible for a man to appropriate the whole of his neighbour's property according to law. Having put up his party fence he sues his neighbeur for half its value, and receiving no answer to his application from the absentee, in due course applies to the Resident Ma.gistrate to sell " a sufficient portion of the land," which is immediately enclosed and the experiment repeated, until the whole of the property is absorbed by a " sufficient" process. This may be objected to as an extreme case, but it is the inevitable operation of the law carried

out to its legitimate consequences, and many such illustrations will occur in the working 1 of it, shewing the oppressive and obnoxious nature of its powers ; so much so that if even it be not disallowed, its framers will be very cautious how it is brought into operation, and like some other Acts that have been passed we suspect it will be more for show than use.

On Easter Monday the children attending the Church of England schools in Wellington, assembled at the Thornclon school-room, when according to custom a plentiful least of tea and cake was provided for them by the friends and supporters of the schools. As has been the practice on former occasions, the children of the Regimental Schools of the 65th Regiment were included in the gathering, and we believe the total number of children of both sexes present amounted to two hundred and fifty. By Colonel Gold's permission, some of the band of the 65th Regiment wciv, present, and music and the attractions of the magic lantern contributed to the enjoyment of the juvenile party. There was a numerous attendance of ladies and visitors, who took great interest in the proceedings ; the arrangements for the tea, &c, weremade by Mr. Laing, and everything passed olf in the most satisfactory manner, and to the great delectation of those for whom the entertainment was provided.

On Sunday last the School Room at Te Aro was formally opened by the Rev. R. Paul in the afternoon. There were about sixty children present. The school will be opened for the daily attendance of children on Monday next by Mr. Holmes, under uhose charge it is placed.

On Monday the annual tea meeting was held at the Wesley an School room, at which there were about a hundred and fifty children and a numerous attendance of friends and supporters. After the tea, the meeting was addressed by the Rev. J. Watkin, Mr. Woodward. Mr. Knoules and others and a liberal collection made in support of the funds.

Programme of the performance by the Band of the 65 th Regt., at Thorndon, on Friday, April 21st:— 1 . Overture — Barbiere de Siviglia Rossini 2 Pot Pourri Kvfner 3. Le Moulin sans Souci Quadrille Schubert 4. Cavatini-Fra tantae AngoriaePalpita 1 oJfS £ n / — Cenerentola J 5. The Flower of the Field Waltz D' Albert 6. Alboni Galop D' Albert 7. Polka Schubert