HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Colonist, Issue 89, 27 August 1858, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, July 21. THE AUCKLAND AND NELSON CREDIT LAND BILLS.

Dr.. Monbo moved for a copy of any correspondence between the Colonial Secretary and the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland, on the subject of the Waste Lands Bill, passed by the Legislature of that Province in its last session. During their last session bat one the Provincial Council of Nelson passed a Bill for the sale of the Waste Lands of the province on the credit system, which was sent up to Auckland for the Governor's" assent, and an answer was returned that the General Government was negotiating fora large sum of money, and could not consent to any measure by which the public security would be altered. He (Dr. M.) might stale that there was great difference of opinion in Nelson on the .question of selling land on credit. Some were opposed to the system —but they were by no means the majority, who were in favor of a bill authorising the sale of land on those terms; but it was generally supposed to be useless to prepare another measure, as the General Government would not consent to it; yet in the Auckland Waste Lands Act, he found that the very same principle was recognised, and of course the people of Nelson would hear that a bill had been passed in this province, and assented to hy the Governor, which allowed,the sale of land on credit, while their measure was objected to on that ground. He could not but. remark that there appeared a certain amount of inconsistency in the Government on this matter, although it was very possible that they would be able to explain the circumstances, and vindicate themselves from that charge, which was, a natural inference from the Government having advised hisSxcullency to assent to :\ measure for one province, which he was advised to withhold from a similar measure for another province. Mr. Stafford said the correspondence desired by the hon. member would be laid on the table, but In (Mr. S.) very much doubted whether it would serve his object, as it consisted only of three or four lines.—[The hon. member read it.] —With reference to the remarks of the hon. member he would explain what at first might appear an inconsistency on tiiH part of the Government. The fact, was that the Auckland and Nelson Provincial Councils did two totally different things. That of Nelson passed a bill to give away land to people on a promise to pay for it some seventeen years after, and 55..t0 be paid as rent; and perhaps when the whole question was forgotten, some one might possibly say, "By the by, didn't So-and-so. f»romise to pay ss. towards the purchase of some and," (laughter,) and on this principle the whole of the Waste Lauds of the pi'ovince were to be sold, not even excepting the gold-fields. It was virtually a request on the part of the Province of Nelson to be absolved from the whole of its liabilities ; the land was in fact to be hypothecated; for so many people would in time become interested in withholding payment for their lands,- that it was highly probable the Provincial Government would never get it. But there was a very different principle laid down in the Waste Land Act in this Province. It demanded an annual rent of 6d. an acre ;n ot in mitigation of the capital sum, but in addition to it; so that many persons would be willing to pay down the capital sum at once; and instead of seventeen years allowed to pay it in, five years only were allowed—.'and there Was also a most important provision authorising the Governor to sell the land if not paid for within the specified time. He had not the least hesitation in saying that if the Nelson bill had contained similar provisions it would not have been objected to; but when a bill was sent up. which would have entirely destroyed the Land Fund of the province, the Governor was justified in refusing his assent, and the difference between the two measures was so great that the Government could not possibly assent to the Nelson measure. Mr. Domett said there was great, difference of opinion as to the credit system. The hon. Colonial Secretary had not given the ■principles of the Nelson bill fairly: it was not intended by it to give credit for seventeen years, but that * the payments should be made by instalments during a period of seventeen^ ydara, and it was calculated that suclv.. a scheme would tend to increase Fthe land revenue. He himself adcocated the system of credit in the case of pastoral runs, but not as a general principle, as there would have been great.difficulty in recovering the instalments, from the number of people who would have been interested.'in repudiating the debt; but he did not see that the Auckland bill provided against that contingency. The Province of Nelson had considered that•■ it would be but waste of time to send up another bill on the same principle, while the Province of Auckland, from being the Seat of Government, and consequently possessing the superior advantages of information, had received the Governor's assent to a measure embodying the principle'which the Nelson people wished to establish. : Dr. Monro said the correspondence was certainly of a very meagre description; but it was not without its significance, for it went to establish the fact that Auckland being in possession of the Seat of Government, it had been able to obtain advantages which the other provinces could not. He did not think that such consideration should guide the Government in that matter— Mr. Stafford objected that the hon. member was adverting to subjects foreign to the question. It was necessary that the .Seat- of Government should be iu one of the provinces—-they could not all have it. Perhaps it would be better to have it where there was no Provincial Council at all— (hear, and laughter). Dr. Monro continued: He merely wished to argue on a general principle, that because one province possessed advantages, the others should not suffer. The language of the Government on the subject was sufficiently clear, and ..the interpretation put upon, it by the Province of Nelson was—" The Government will not assent to your selling land on credit, because by so doing we shall be damaging the security of the public creditor," —and after such a positive rejection of the principle, of course the Provincial Council of Nelson thought it useless to renew its application to the Government. The real nature of the bill was that of a system of lease with a purchasing clause, and not of that extravagant, wild, and reckles3 character which the hon. Colonial Secretary had represented it.