MEETING OF SETTLERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 34, 3 October 1868, Page 3

MEETING OF SETTLERS.

A meeting of gentlemen interested' in the land question, and desirous of having «iore territory thrown open for agricultural and commonage purposes, was held in the Athenaeum. Qn Monday evening. There was a very large attendance of persons from all parts of the surrounding district J. C. Brown, Esq., M.P.C., was called upon ta occupy -the chair. MrV33isQwn said that he supposed everyone the object of the present meeting. Tlie importance of .the question could hardly be over rated, thg future prosperity of the. Province being, in fact, dependent on its satisfactory solution. He had been requestedrfco initiate amovement' for the . purpose of r >pr<£itfeing a combined effort in favor of throwing open land for settlement. . He .would lay before them, a few facts and figures, but before doing so would read an extract from Mr. Vogel's speech at.Tokomairiro/ (Mr. Brown then read a portion of Mr. Vogel's- address, in which he spoke of the "magnificent land' revenue"? now accsuing to Government.) Mr;r Brown then resumed. He stated that he had in hand returns obtained from Government ori his motion. From these it would be seen that 'the " magnificent reventfe '' derived froinu 6,000,000 acres was under L 48,000. Compare this with 90,000 acres taken up* which yielded LllOO, the. de-. : posit and expense of survey, and it would be seen that thesencpuragement of settle.-/ ment was the .best financial policy. To, come nearer home, there were two" runs in the immediate neighborhood, Smith's and Tfeweek's, with an acreage of 50,420j yielded the "magnificent ...revenue" of L 441, Smith paying 2£d. per acre; andDriver, Maclean and Co. about lfd. v JThe Tuapeka Cfoldfielda returned a reh venue of LI4OO for 6&;000 acres open for. settlement and as edintndnage, by which •' jneans "was it most likely to raise a "magnificent revenue."- Tho, truth was, any- 1 thing could be got for Dunedin ; ' xiti expenditure was' too large for that favored' Spot, and the rest of the Province might i suffer, .T,Ke time for action had arrived. No better ease was eV/sj submitted to'the. verdict of public opinion than that, which - they advocated. A strong, influential and united association would, he be.liev.ed, enable them to carry their point. Thy Government had promised great things. What had they done fifteen months ago ?

TKeyßfia ? gl®nted temyeas»?HPene.wal to. the runholders, and only" covenanted to reserve* 100,000- acres. The runholders in many cases objected to give land for leating .purposes, although willing to do so for sale. The two runs he had referred' to £ were treated as follows: Smith, acreage, 26,000, covenanted to sell 5000 acres ; and Treweek, acreage, 30,000, agreed to reserve for leasing purposes a similar amount of country. Such wereTthe facts of the case. He would leave' every intelligent man to draw "his .own inferences. Mr. Brown sat down amid the most enthusiasticanplause. 'Mr. Mears moved, "That a committee be appointed to investigate the matter, to report to a public meeting a fortnight hence."

Mr. Darton aeconded. Mr. Grundy moved,' as an amendment, that a committee be appointed to take measures for throwing open land for settlement and purposes of commonage " Mr. Gascoigne seconded. Mr. Vernon said that in th,e able address of the Chairman reference had been made to land held by Smith. He had been deputed by the settlers in the Tuapeka Mouth district to lay their case before the meeting. The land Block 1, Waitahuna West, had been regularly surveyed and applied for by bona fide settlers. The Government had received their money, but under the new arrangements the Warden ignores their claim. The lessee had se,nt his overseer the other day to give all notice to quit. The district" wag daily becoming of more importance, as a goldfield, so that the matter was one of public interest. He need hardly dilate on the misery and ruin consequent on the removal of the [men who had been deceived into settling there. He would support the amendment.' Messrs. Tolcher and Keen also addressed the meeting, and after some conversation the motion of Mr. Mears was put and carried. Mr. Gascoigne moved that the meeting is of opinion that it is necessary to throw open Smith's and Treweek's runs. This Mr. Vern'on seconded, and it was carried by acclamation. The following gentlemen were then elected members of Committee — Messrs. Darton, Tolcher, Docherty, Grundy, Gascoigne, - Evans, Fenton,. Hopkins, Mcc,Keen, Vernon, and Potts — Mr.- Brown to act as convener.

With the usual vote to the chairman, the- meeting dispersed.