DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 141, 20 October 1870, Page 6

DUNEDIN.

( Frown, our oivn Correspondent.) (Continued from our last.)

His Honour the Superintendent has lately met his constituents as a member of the General Assembly for Clutha. Again the " Daily Times " has left out almost everything lelative to the Regulation of Hundreds Act. Mr. Maeandrew said that there were 105 petitions presented to the House, the chief portion of which were of a personal nature, and it was very singular that none of them asked any organic constitutional i change, and that, therefore the people in the colony were very much satisfied with the existing political institutions. As a matter of course Mr. Macandi*ew forgot to mention that several petitions were sent from this province, praying for the introduction of a system of deferred payments in the purchase of land, and that these petitions were sent from committee to committee, and finally dealt with in a most unsatisfactory manner. But Mr. Maeandrew did refer to the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act, 18G9, Amendment Act, 1870, in the following words : — "They were all aware that he had introduced the Bill at the request of the Provincial Council, and although there had been considerable discussion over it, both when it was being considered by the Waste Lands Committee, and when before the House it had passed almost without alteration, the only amendment being one referring to the compensation for fencing. They were all, doubtless, as well acquainted with the Bill as he himself was, and, therefore, he would not enlarge upon it." (This does not accord with Mr. Shepherd's utterances recently at Queenstown in so far as the Provincial and General Legislatures are concerned.) Further on, in answer to a question from Mr. Thomson, Mr. Maeandrew more than infers that the Act is a good one, and also ex-

presses a belief that much settlement will take place under it. I have not the slightest doubt that the squatters think and the squatters' oagans think it a capital Act. But what is the opinion of the people 1 Their opinion, I presume, will be given at the day of election. In another part of his speech, Mr. Maeandrew had his thoughts on goldfields votes, for he is made to say, " Another Bill in which he took an interest was the George Green Land Claims Settlement Bill. Had the Bill passed, Mr. Green would have selected what would have been worth a million of money. He would have selected the very cream of the goldfields — 2500 acres on the Benger Reef, if he chose, or the centre and pick of any man's run. He (Mr. Maeandrew), however, managed to modify this arrangement, and the result was that he was entitled to 2500 acres within the boundaries of existing Hundreds, and he hoped this would end the matter." By this you will perceive that Mr. Green is not permitted -to go within goldfields, there being no Hundreds proclaimed there yet. Now, I do not wish to do Mr. Maeandrew an injustice by expressing my own opinions, and, therefore, I shall quote his own words as they appear in " Hansard " No. 13, page 499, September 7th, 1870. The words were used on the occasion of the recommittal of the Bill moved by Mr. M'lndoe. " Mr. Macancrew would support the motion for the recommittal of the Bill, as he thought the committee were not aware what the effect

of the measure would be if carried in its present shape. He would not call it a swindle, but it would be little short of it if Mr. Green or any other man should be allowed to select land where a man with money in his pocket would not be allowed to select it. They were quite willing to allow Mr, Green to go and select land whereever it was open for selection, even on the goldfields, but he saw no rea» son why Mr. Green should be allowed to select where others, with money in their pockets, were not allowed to do so," The language in the House of Representatives does not agree with the language of Mr, Maoandrew at the Clutha, so far as the goldfields are concerned. If it be not far from a swindle for Mr, Green, or any other man, to select land where no person else can, how far from a swindle is the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act, 1869, Amendment Act, 1870, which permits every squatter to take 640 acres in any part of his run, or in other words, which permits the squatters to take up at least one hundred thousand acres of the best land on the goldfields wherever they please for £1 per acre without any conditions, restrictions, &c,, save and except as to its Ipnown auriferous character. Dunedin, October oth, 1870.