SCRIP AND PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 321, 15 May 1878, Page 2

SCRIP AND PATEA HARBOUR BOARD.

Tin? following is from the Wellington Post's report of the Wellington Waste Lands Board meeting;—‘‘The Chairman (Mr J. G. Holdsworth, Chief Commissioner of Grown Lands) said he had communicated with the Minister lor Lands on the subject of the proposed sale of the Patea Harbour Board’s Reserves, and the question whether scrip could bo exercised at .such sale ; also asking that the opinions of the Law Officers of the Crown should be taken on the matter, lie had received a reply from the Under-Secretary for Crown Lands to the effect that the question of refusing or admitting scrip was one which came within the administrative functions' of the Chief Commissioner, lienee that the question was not one on which the opinions of the Law' Officers fairly could be taken, but stating that in the Batea Harbour Board Act the intentions of the Legislature was c 1 . . expressed by the provision ■■Hu. me proceeds of the sale, alter deducting the necessary expenses, should be paid over to the Patea Harbour Board, and the Waste Lands Board had only to direct theik officer conducting the sale to carry out thcif intentions.—Mr Bunny said that was no opinion at all, or any answer to the Board’s inquiry.—The Chairman remarked that there was a further question, whether the land, having been ceded by the Crown to the Harbour Board as a reserve, the Crown Lands regulations would apply.—Mr Pearce thought they must exclude scrip in this case.*!—Mr Bunny said the various Acts clashed, and the Board had no money to

spend on legal advice, which ought to have been obtainable from the Crown Law-Officers, but was refused. If they declined to receive scrip at that sale, holders of scrip might tender it as- payment, insisting - on its being received, and if* t)ie j3onrtl rofuse-3. n i?ictct/fiu.s be applied for io comped them. Thus the Board would be involved in costly litigation. They had belter exclude these sections front sale for three months, by which time Parliament would be in session, and could pat the matter right. If they informed the Paten Board that the doubt existed, probably the latter body would be in favour of adopting this course, and he moved that tin’s should ho clone.—Mr Mason seconded the motion.—Mr Johnston thought the Crown never contemplated that scrip sh®uld be available for land ceded as reserves. —The Chairman warned the Board that a large amount of scrip was now in preparation, in satisfaction of the Mamvwatu land claims. This scrip would he available as payment at ’any sales of Crown Lands in the Wellington district . Tims, if it could be exercised at these reserve sales, it would seriously affect the endowment of not only the Patca, but also the Wanganui Harbour Board. —Mr Pearce remarked that if scrip were exercisable at all, the whole of tin! Patca Board’s reserves might be paid for in scrip; and then this Board would have no money to hand over to them after selling their reserves.—Mr Johnston thought the reasons given by the Government for not taking the V advice of the Law Officers, as requested T by the Board, were most absurd. The resolution was agreed to, ami the Board then adjourned.”