PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4548, 18 October 1875, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Saturday, October 16.The Council met at two o'clock. > XOTICES OP MOTION. A nm.oer of notices of motion were given.

THE PIAKO LAND. The Hon. the SPEAKER stated that he had received ft letter from Mr. Campbell, of Auckland, relative to the report of the committee 'oh the Piako land title. The telegram was as : follows:—"Sir, your report, telegraphed by the 'New Zealand Herald's special correspondent, appeared in that paper this day. Before laying such a, report before yonr honorable house, common justice ought to have dictated the propriety of ascertainim* whether the declaration stigmatised as " essentially false and altogether ■unwarranted by facts" was a declaration made in innocence of the existence of such facts, or wickedly knowing them to exist j or more especially, whether it was reasonable to suppose that the conscience of such facts should have come within the knowledge of the declarator. The declaration wss not made for the purpose of securing a title which lay before me in the form of a grant from the Crown, but was made simply to secure existing title in a new form more convenient for transfer and registration purposes; moreover, not desired by me but for a third party. Your report admits that the Government became aware it had issued a grant which it ought not to have issued. It took no steps to cancel that grant, or to give public notice that it was a questionable grant, but allowed the holder of it to palm off on the public this bad title. For if the Government is not to accept a grant from the Crown as a title sufficient and good, what is it to accept? My action, sir, in this case is above all suspicion. After nine years absence from the colony, I returned to Auckland in 1871. During that absence a partner in my -firm, Mr. McKelvie, purchased town, suburban, and country lands, including this Piako block. On his retirement from the firm, the whole of those properties, without exception, were submitted to public auction on the 20th August, 1871, and Mr. Kussell became the purchaser of this block. The deeds were handed over to Whitaker and Kussell for the preparation of the required title in favor of Mr-BusseD, instead of taking the customary 'title" from existing Crown grant and conveyances therefrom. The declaration to have the title under the Land Transfer Act was before me by Whitaker and Russell for my signature. This was given, as also I believe by power of attorney from Mr. McKelvie to me his signature, as it would have been given for any other land held from a Crown grant, having a clear title and in bona fides, believing that every • statement- - set forth -in that declaration "was literally true, and in' utter ignorance ihat_-there. was- any reason -whatever-why euch a declaration should not- be made.. I most.emphatically deny having any previous knowledge whatever regarding this land, or having even the faintest suspicion but that the Crown grant was as good as any other of my Crown grants, clear of all doubt or claim whatsoever, and the land open to be taken possession of and occupied in the usual manner ; and in this belief the land was handed over by me to be sold by the auctioneer, and I proceeded to the execution of the title when demand was ■■ -made, and this is all I know or ever did know. J. LOGAN CAIIPBEtL." The telegram was ordered to be printed. AN EXPLANATION. The Hon. Mr. KUSSELL spoke at great length in reply to the allusions made to him by°Mr. Ormond in the House of Representatives.

DONEDEt WATERWORKS EXTENSION BILL. The above Bill was read a second time, on the motion of the Hon. air. Holmes. GOLDMErTNG DISTRICTS AMENDMENT BILL. ■On the motion of the Hon. Dr. Pollen, the Goldmining Districts Act Amendment Bill was made an order of the day for Monday.

The following Bills were read a third time : —New Zealand University Reserves Bill, Stamp .Bill, Dunedin Corporations Borrowing Powers Extension and Debentures Bills, Napier Harbor Board Bill, Otago Harbor Board Bin. Bills on the order paper to be committed were postponed. The Council adjourned at 5.50, to resume on Monday at the usual hour.