THE LAND QUESTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 138, 29 September 1870, Page 7

THE LAND QUESTION.

TV following is Mr. Mervyn's lettei on the land question, which appeared in the " Dunstan Times," and which we referred to last week :—: —

Sir, — Two petitions have been forwarded to me by my district, for presentation to the House of Reprea3ntatives praying that land may be thrown open on the Goldfields, under a deferred system of payments, &c, and as I believe the petitioners are anxious to ascertain the result, I trust you will insert this communication in your next issue I may say it is usual to refer all petitions affecting the waste lands of the Crown to a joint committee of " both branches" of the Legislature, and as a large majority of the members appointed by the Legislative Council are gentlemen who are interested in pastoral pursuits, while the members appointed by tke House of Representatives represent the various interests of the Colony ; the consequence is that the runholdin^ element is largely predominant in that Committee, and therefore, on every question brought under their consideration affecting the settlement of the country, thay have invariably done all in their power to frustrate the efforts of those who are anxious to achieve so desirable an object.

A petition, with a similar object, was sent to Mr Macandrevv by the settlers at Waitahuna, and was reported on by the Waste Lands Committee, as follows : —

" The Joint Committee appointed to consider all Bills and Petitions affecting the waste lands of the Crown, &■', have the honor to report that they have considered the Petition of the agriculturists and miners of W.iitahun.i, and cannot rocominsnd that tie prayer of the petitioners be acceded to." The petitions from Blacks and Alexandra to which I have previously alluded, were referred to the G-oldfields Committee, for their consideration, and they reported that the whole question of deferred payments, &c. touched upon in the petitions, should be remitted to the Provincial Council of Otago for their consideration ; but, subsequently the question has been raised in the House of Representatives as to the propriety of referring petitioners back to the Provincial Council who hal petitioned the Parliament, when it was decided that tho petitions should be referred te the waste Lands Committee to be finally dealt with. For the reasons previously given, j have, or, had no hope of the Waste Lands Committee agreeing to recommend the prayer of the petitioners. I therefore took advantage oi the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act Amendment Bill which was passing through the House to endeavour to carry out the views of the petitioners. I therefore gave notice of the following clauses ; "Mr. Mervyn to move, when in Committee on the Hundreds Regulation Act Amendment BiU the following clauses : All land thrown open for selection under the provisions of this Act may be leased : and auy applicant fo>* a lease of Crown Lands, now or hereafter to be thrown open for selection, shall be entitled to a lease thereof for the term of ten years, at an annual rental of two shilliugs per acre, payable in advance ; and upon the due performance and observance of the covenants coutaine ! or implied in such lease, he shall b ■ entitled to a Crown Grant of such L;nd : Provided always that no greater quantity than three hundred and twenty acres shall be so leased to any one person. "It shall be lawful for the Superintendent from time to time to make regulations prescribing the mode in which application may be made for leases of land under thu Act ; the quantity of land, not exceeding three hundred and twenty acres, which shall and may be granted in a lease iv any particular block ; the amount of deposit to be paid by any applicant therefor and by any objector therto ; the terms and conditions upon which such leases may be held occupied, assigned, transferred, forfeited, and cancelled ; the amount of rent payable therefor, and the times and places of payment ; the conditions and the manner in which entry to search for gold or for any metal or mineral upon any land so leased may be authorised. " Any person being the holder of a lease of land under this Act if the land be not proved to be auriferous, and upon the due performance and observance of the covenants contained or implied in such lease, shall after a period of three years be entitled to purchase the fee-simple of such land by paying the difference between the amount already paid and the upset price of said land.

" If at any time during the currency of any lease granted under this Act the annual rental payable in respect thereof shall be in arrear for six months the amount of rent due shall be doubled ; and if within three months after notice of such raisius of the rent, aud if the same shall not be paid such lease shall be "ipso facto" void and s^all be sold by auction as soon as practicable after such default ; Provided always that in the case of the death of the lessee, the six months may be extended by the Board to eighteen months.

i " No sale of any lease under section of this A r-t shall take place unless the time and place of sale shall have been approved by the Board, and notified by the -Commissioner in the " Gazette" of the Province and some newspaper

or newspapers cinu utiiiu r in tV Pro- \ inee. not leys than tLret moi.t'uS before suuii t-ale.

" It shall be lawful for tl;eholle"s and occupiers of land uuder tio Argieultural Lease system in the Province of Ota^o, on payment of all rents due, to come under the operation of tuis Act.

"On and after the coming into operation of this Act, there shall not be less than two hundred aud fifty thousands acres of land thrown open uuder clause three of this Act ; aad t lere shall constantly be kept open for seleeti m, in such areas as mly be determined upon, at least two hundred and fifty thousand acres of such land as may be suitable for agricultural purposes."

Aud on a division being taken in Committee, after a k'ngtiiened discussion, there were thirteen in favour of the clauses and twenty-one against them. You will find the names in " Hansard." Tais result was brought about partly owiujj to t.'ie attitude assumed by toe Gkiverument (hy which I mean Mr. Vog-1), aud partly" to the position taken up oy one of t le Goldfields Members (Mr Haughton), who spoke against tie principle of deferred payments in Committee, where his remarks were not reported, and who, on a division being called for, walked out and induced some of his friends (who had previously promised to vote for the clause) to do likewise. I believe if the electors, throughout the Province, and especially on the G-oldfields, are only true to fcaenisjlves

at tle coQiiuj; elections, tiat the principle ef deferred payments for Lind will very soon become t-ie law, mid I am conviucdd until suv.-h a system is introduced, any intermediate measure, hi<e the leasing system will fail to uive general satisfaction, or to secure the permanent settlement; of tho country. Apologising for occupying so much of your space. I am, &c, D. H. MEETTJf. "Wellington, August 27, IS7O-