COMPENSATION FOR RUNHOLDERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 65, 8 May 1869, Page 3

COMPENSATION FOR RUNHOLDERS.

Notice of the following motion was given by Mr. Yogel before his Grovernment collapsed. It is not likely that any other member will have effrontery enough to take it up : — "That whereas, under, the Otago Wastes Lands Act, 1888, no provision is made for compensating the lessee of' pastoral lands in cases where the lands comprised in this lease, or any part thereof, may be included within the bimndaries of, any new Hundred ; and whereas it is in the opinion of this Council, fail 1 and equitable that compensation should be given in Such oases, it-is, therefore, resolved—That a respectful Address bo presented to His Honor tlie Superintendent, requesting rthafc he will be ptaused to cause a Hill to bo introduced* into the General Assembly, at its naxt session, providing for the payment of comrieimtion iv all such cases,, on the following scata :—: — " I Where the lease shall have a term of 10 yeavs or upwards to run, there shall be paid to the lessee o\it of the raveiiuo of the province, compensation at the rate of for every acre of the land held under such lt.ase, which may be comprised within the boundaries of any hundred heTeafter to be proclaimed. " 2. Where the^ lease shall have not loss than 6 or more than 10 years to run, the rate shall be for every acre so comprised within the boundaries of aay such hundreds as last aforesaid. "3 Where tha lease shall have not loss than 3, nor more than G years to run, the rate shall be for every acre so comprised within the boundaries of any such hundred. '* 4 Where tb!,e lease shaM h.iva th'n term of loss than 3 years, the rate shall be ■ for every acre so comprised witiiiu the boundaries of any such hundred. " The term for which tlie lessee shall lie compensated, according to the foregoing scale, is to be reckoned from the time wheu the right of pasturage of the lessee over the land so proclaimed coases, as provided by the 86th section of the baid Otago Waste Lands Act, 1866, and the amount of such compensation shall be paid, if in three months after the time when such right of pasturage shali'cease.' A more monstrous attempt at retrospective legislation lias seldom come under our notice. The runholders, who entered oiui bargain with their eyes open, ai*e /to be released from the very risk they undertook. When the leases were entered into, it was quite an understood thing, that if -new hundreds were required, the runholders were not to expect auy extraordinaay compensation ; yet here we have a bare-faced attempt to ignore this agreement. The attempt has been fortunately nipped in the bud, but it shows how far the squatoeracy and their political friends are prepared to go.