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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5147, 21 September 1877, Page 2

Difficduties, ,■ it has been said, loom larger at a distance than they really are, and sometimes vanish altogether when boldly -faced. But like many other ’phrases . commonly received as axioms this one is singularly open to exception. In fact, as often as not the difficulty that seemed trifling when viewed from afar, assumes gigantic dimensions when fairly grappled with. No better illustration of this could be found than that afforded by Mrl Donald Reid’s Land Bill. Who does' not remember the popular antiabolition cry for one uniform land law for the whole colony?. Has anyone forgottemthe denunciations of the evils of “nine different land laws,” and the more than'corresponding number of variations in price ? At that time, to the more enthusiastic at all events, nothing seemed easier than a complete unification—than the reduction of chaos to such a state of order and simplicity as to enable the intending emigrant or the new arrival to understand exactly how and at what price he could obtain land for a home anywhere in New Zealand. There was something very attractive about the idea—there is yet—but its realisation has proved anything but the easy task anticipated. Last session, we need scarcely remind our readers, it was not faced at all. Provision was made merely to carry on the then existing machinery for the administration ot waste lands, pending further legislation. Until recently, indeed, it seemed by no means improbable that things would be allowed to remain in statu for another year, for although there was some kind of promise to bring down, a Land Bill, the Government might very well have pleaded that their time had been so fully occupied in warding off the irritating attacks of the “mosquito. Opposition ” —as it has been termed—as to leave little or no leisure for the maturing of a iqoasuro of such an important character. Hence, we were agreeably surprised bn receiving early last week thedraft of “ an Act to regulate the sale or other disposal of .the lands of the Crown in New Zealand,” issued under the sponsorship of the Hon. Mr. Reid; and but for the exciting parliamentary events that have since taken place, we should have sooner dived into its pages to find out how nearly the problem of “one land law ” had been solved. Without offering any further apology for delay, it may be at once said that, starting on a sound basis, considerable progress has been ipade. Assuming the leading features of the Bill to be the work of Mr. Reid, we shall pay him no great compliment in saying that his work displays indubitable evidence bf ripe experience, industry, and power of concentration. So far as regards the South, Island, its provisions—with such amendments in matters of detail!as will not affect the , principles involved are of a kind, that -will meet the expressed wishes of the people, while .even . for the: “.anomalous North” it offers the prospeotbof escape from a state of things of which: everybddy complains, and for which mr end" of fallacious 'remedies 'have by empirics; ■ Let' if be clearly understood however, that,’if is by"no means a royi lutiqnary measure, for in . nearly every case the ‘ ‘ provincial districts” are permitted to retain existing as: to classification, price, &c., that have .beeu found to work beneficially. - It simply superadds to these the power of making such alterations in the direction of soiling land on deferred payments, the sub-divi-sion of runs, conditions of survey, &c., as

the altered circumstances of the colony under the development of ..the Public Works policy appear : to justify/'The weakest point about the Bill, .‘in; the esti-- ; mation of some, is thqpafjb hav ( iiig .special reference to the Canterbury Irunsl ' The tenure of these it is proposed to extend for ten years from 1880, subject to a rental to bo determined''by tho'carrying .capacity of thH;.qquntry,'the Jease thereafter to absolutely cease and determine.Against „this. it has., been,.uvged ..that. the runholder.-- have. no. real claim to occupation after 1880;‘and that the colony is 'virtually asked to confer special privileges on a particular class. To this it has been replied that, admitting for the; sakej of argument the non-existence of any legal right, the Canterbury runholders wore' led to expect- that they would be allowed to continue in occupation until the land was actually required for. agricultural settlement,' and that on the strength of this understanding many of them have entered into engagements which require longer fl-han till 1880 to fulfil. Or,- to put the matter' plainly, they claim that indeterminate thingcalleda “vested right;” and however strongly several logicians of the Stout school may- argue to the contrary, there seems some foundation for it. With regard to runs in-Otago this does hot occur, the tendency of land legislation for that province having always been of a kind to inspire anything but a sense of security, on the part ..of the runholder. Whether or not an'extenaion of ten years from 1880 will be too long a term to grant, is really the question at issue ; and on this point there is little doubt that the good sense of Parliament, now that party strife, has nearly burned itself out, will discover the way to a compromise; jaf' once satisfactory to the claimants and, conducive to the best interests of the' colony.; ’ 'I :