The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 169, 22 November 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1876.

As wc staled in our las , 1 propose, in this issue, to give ar '‘met of the “Waste Lands Ac’ i.v L recently passed the Assembly. In the second section the “ Immigrants Lund Act, 1873,” an 1 the Amended Act of 1875 arc jopealed, but certificates available under either, up to tbe time of repeal, arc to be accepted as cash to the value in any land purchase such immigrant may make. The remission of land purchase money hitherto made in connection with the Armed Constabulary, will no longer be allowed, excepting three years service has been fully completed, and even these claims will be baned unless made within twelve months of the operation of this Act, which was the dry after the Assembly prorogued. All undertakings of previous Waste Lands Boards arc to be envied out, and all obligations incurred by them are to be strictly fulfilled. Power to recover arrears of rent in case of leases, is given, and Waste Land Boards arc made sole judges as to the fulfilment or otherwise of these leases. Alter laud has been passed, on the first occasion of its being offered by auction, It need not in future be necessarily sold by private contract, but may bo offered at auction from time to time, or may be declared open for sale, in such manner and in such areas as the Board may determine, and notification by Boards will have tbe same effect as former proclamations by Superintendents. Any Commissioner of Crown Lands is endowed with power to deal with trespassers in a summary fashion, whether the trespass bo ingrazing" cattle or occupying land for habitation purposes. .With an eye to the main chance, the Act provides that p)l Crown grant fees shall be prepaid,

Power is given to the Governor to make provisional reserves for education, but those have to be confirmed by the Assembly, who may vary or nullify. These may be sold, subject to the provisions of the Waste Lands Act hi force in the district, but the proceeds must bs accounted for, and paid by the Receiver of Lund .Revenue to the governing' body, or to trustees having the control of the institutions for which such reserve was made, in cases of lands discharged from' reservation, at least throe months’ notice of their sale is to he given. Confiscated lands arc to be deemed Waste Lands within the meaning of this Act, but their minimum price is fixed at one pound pier acre. The interpretation of “governing body” includes the Council of any city or borough, Boards of Commissioners, wardens, trustees, or the persons or body having the control of the local affairs of any town, city, district, or place. Native lands purchased in this, the North Island, are to bo considered as Waste Lands, and any Native, lands held on lease by the Crown, may be sold or Jet, but in every case by public auction. .Provision is made for the re,survey of Native lands. The appointment of present members of Waste Lands Boards in Taranaki and other provinces is confirmed till the Ist of January, 1877, ami, as the Act significantly says “ and no longer.” Commissioners arc exempted from personal liability for their acts, and payment of one pound sterling for each attendance, with travelling expenses, is authorised. No Commissioner, however, who thus receives payment for his services, is eligible to sit as a member of the General Assembly. The manner in which business of the Waste Lands Boards is to be conducted is laid down, and special authority is given to them to deal with Mr J. Broomhall, who proposes to establish a special settlement, in. any way they please, if their terms be approved of by the Governor. Boards may' Sell or lease lands of special value, the only condition attached being that the grounds of special value bo placed on their minutes. Amendments are then made in various Provincial Vv asio Lands Acts, but as those in the Taranaki Amendment Act of 1874 must have the chief interest for our readers, wc give them entire.

(1.) In section fourteen, the words “ Governor, on the recommendation of the Board,” are substituted for ‘‘Board, with the consent of the Superintendentin lines 1 and 2 ; the woid “ Governor” for “• Board ” in line 1 ; and all the words of the section after "this Act” in line 9 are hereby repealed. (2.) In section twenty-eight, omit “ Superintendent ” whore it occurs, .substitute “Board lines ti and 7, omit “by the Superintendent revoked, by a Proclamation,” substitute “revoked by the Board by a subsequent notice.” (3.) In section twenty-nine, line 3, omit “ Superintendent and the Provincial Council,” sMibslitiilc “Board.” (1.) In section thirty-two, line 3, omit “Provincial Council” and “Superintendent,” substitute respectively “ Board” and “Governor;” the words “the uses of the Provincial Government and for other ” in lines 1 and 2, and all the words of the section after “Land Office” in line JO, arc hereby repealed. (a.) In section thirty-live, last line, omit “ Superintendent and Provincial Council,” .substitute “ Governor in Council.” (G.) In section thirty-six. line 4, omit “ Superintendent,” .substitute “Governor.” (7.) In sections forty-two and forty-nine, omit “ Superintendent, ” substitute “ Board.” (8.) “ Governor on the recommendation of the Board,” for “ Superintendent” in section slxty-thrcc. (9.) “ Governor” for “ Superintendent ” in sections sixty-four, sixly-fivc, sixty-six, and sixty-seven.

The Taranaki 11 Public Reserves Trust Ordinance” is repealed, but all rights under leases granted arc preserved, All reserves, excepting educational reserves, will bo under the management of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. For some years a Hokitika and Grcymouth Tramway Company, who considered that certain rights and privileges grained them had been infringed, and had sought redress in Courts of law, have been endeavoring to obtain compensation from the Assembly. They have so far succeeded as to obtain a grant of 3,GOG acres of land in blocks of not less than 820 acres, auu provision for this grant is made in the Act referred to, together with power t the company to sell or dispose of it a they think most desirable. The above is a fair abstract of the Act in question, and will, no doubt, bo of interest to our readers. There arc several others that wc shall furnish a precis of as occasion offers, for it is only right that all persons should at least be acquainted with an outline of the laws under which they live.