POLITICAL-PROVINCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 672, 20 May 1867, Page 2

POLITICAL-PROVINCIAL.

The Provincial Council does not meet until the end of the present month. The next session of the council will be an important one. Since the termination of the last, the future of the Province j has assumed a most promising com- | plexion. The harvest has. proved plentiI ful to an extent surpassing the hopings of the. most sanguine. The capabilities of the country have been freely acknowledged, and a disposition to purchase land and settle in the Province evinced by numbers who have visited it from the neighboring colonies. The visit of His Excellency the G-overnor has been productive of good, and has elicited from the -General Government expressions of surprise at the superior . description of land it possesses, the amount of agricultural enterprise that has been displayed, and the progress that it is making. His Excellency during his stay in Southland, visited the Eastern District, accounts of which trip were but imperfectly given- in our previous report. The following items of the events of that trip have been supplied by a correspondent, who acompanied the vice-regal party :— "The trip to the Eastern District was a grand feature in the Governor's visit. It was understood when he left Invercargill that the destination of the party was Morton Mains, the head station of the Company's estates, and the residence of R. Hamilton, Esq. On- the way to that spot, at every centre of population, His Excellency was received with enthusiasm— and before reaching Morton Mains, a cavalcade of from one hundred and fifty to _ two .^hundred, mounted settlers joined the escort Arrived at his destination, he was most heartily received.. A most sumptuous dejeuner was provided, and settlers' addresses presented, in reply to which" His Excellency expressed gratification ; at the reception he had received, and \the. undoubted fertility and prosperity of- the district. He regretted that he had not then an opportunity of making a suitable reply in writing, but would forward one to Mr Hamilton. The . arrangements made for his present movements were such as to prevent his remaining a£ the guest of Mr Hamilton for some -days, which he should have wished to have done, in order more fully to acquaint himself with the wonderful agricultural operations now in progress, from which he could learn much. He hoped, however, soon to have the pleasure of a second visit, when his time and movements would be under his own con- ; trol.. The rye-grass was the* finest he had ever seen, and he had secured fifty bushels of seed for his own use. The sheep from .the celebrated stocks of the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Pol warth, Melvine of Bonnihgton, and others lately imported to Oteramika, were much to.be admired. He alluded to the agricultural operations as being on a scale of "magnitude not often met with anywhere; in Europe, and considered the crops magnificient." The result of His Excellency's visit cannot fail to prove higly beneficial to the prospects of Southland. Already the G-eneral G-overnment have indicated a desire to promote the progress of the Province, to facilitate a system of interior communication of a reproductive character, and in other ways lighten the; millstone burden of debt that has so long hung over the Province. That Southland is advancing is unquestionable. During the year from. the Ist May, 1886, to Ist May, 1867, no less a quantity than 200,791 acres of land has been sold, and much more would have been purchased had it not been that a dubious clause in the Land Act led manyintending buyers to hold back in anticipation of the upset price being lowered. If the General Government's suggestion for the construction of "a line of Railway to the Mataura, and the completion of the present line to Winton, is endorsed by the Provincial Council, the Province will speedily become the most inviting field for immigration in the colony. It may be anticipated that much land will be sold during the next few months, the obstacle that ha? hitherto retarded the sales being in a measure removed. The obstacle alluded to may be thus explained. Some time since a difficulty occurred in the interpretation pf ; the South? land "Waste Lands Act. It arose from the fact that intending purchasers were disposed to believe that unless the debt of the Province was quickly cleared off under the provisions of the Southland Debt Act, that there was a probability that the upset price would be reduced to a lower figure than at present exists ; that in fact no guarantee was held out to purchasers that the price of land would not be reduced to 10s per acre, ■\^a believe that this misunderstanding has lately led to the stoppage' in a' great measure of the sale of land iri this Province, because inaturally where uncertamty exists . op. . such a point people cannot be induced to, invest. We are aware that in. numerous instances capitalists who were.. dis« posed to purchase land have held back in the hope that the price would be ra« diieed — • such .result being brought about, perhaps, by the impoverisfied c^ndgjion of j&a . &ea.9?aJL Q-overameat, $p,d ths tbsira toseaUsa .oa the e«ifca& of §QUfcai.an4 Such tabo&ags, b^W9vej?t m R?e la 6 jioiittoa ta dissi* gits, v tha aulijolasd iefete? itm ty&

positively asserted that no alteration is intended, or will be permitted on the up£ | set price, without the concurrence of the -T ; Assembly?*, It is to} be hoped that after 1 r % the distinct pledge on thfe part of Mr - Stafford, that doubts will no longer be entertained of the intentions of the ■ Colonial Government on the subject. The fdllowingis the letter:— ■ : : ; " Colonial" Secretary's Office, " Wellington, 3rd May, 1867. "Sib, — Referring to the question of reducing the price of Waste Lands, of the " Crown in the Province of Southland, which has been the subject of correspondence between your Honor and the General Government, I have now the honori;o state thatr the Government has no intention of taking any steps, or giving any notice for reducing the price of the Waste Lands of the Province before, the question ,can ; be further* ; considered by the General Assembly. " I have the honor to be, ..-■-.. ■•■' ::.;.:.>^:- ::^.Sirp . o:^^i;:,.'; . " Your most obedient servant, " E. W. STAFFOBD. "His Honor the Superintendent, ;; "Southland." ; '; -•-„»-