The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1871. "Measure, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 181, 27 July 1871, Page 4

The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1871. "Measure, not Men."

The first session of the sixth Provincial Council of Otago was brought to a close on Thursday last, and nothing proved more forcibly than the last debate on the honorarium, which was fixed at nineteen shillings and eleven pence, that tho Council has outlived its usefulness. What has it really done ? As heretofore, it has committed some great blunders, one of which we pointed out last week, in the sanction it I gave to the sale of 50,000 acres of land in one block to meet a deficient revenue. This is making the land a source of revenue with a vengeance, but certainly not a means of settlement. The only good thing the Council has done, and it is questionable if that is as good as it might have been, is the passing of a Land Bill more liberal than any we have yet had in Otago. Let us hope that when the Bill goes before the Assembly it will not be mutilated and robbed of what little advantage it gives towards the settlement of the country. A truly liberal land law is, of all others, a thing in which Otago stands greatly in need, but such a thing it is hopeless to expect for a few years to come, when the runholders' leases, will expire, and thus leave whatever Government may be in power, a freedom of action which at present is denied. The Bill which has passed the Council is good as far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. There is nothing will satisfy people but free selection all over the province, occupation and improvements being the conditions of settlement A Bill of that description embodying the principle of deferred payments would indeed be something worthy our exultation. Not so this so-called Liberal Government com] promise. But we must take what we can get — better half a loaf than no bread, as the saying goes. The following is a brief summary of the first division of the Bill, under the heading "Alienation of lands by license and lease; " the other divisions of it we shall refer to in our next issue. The clauses we omit are unimportant Clause 4s, Immediately on the payment of the purchase money for unsurveyed land to the receiver of land revenue the purchaser shall receive a license to occupy, and as soon after as conveniently may be, the land shall be laid off oy a Government surveyor. The expense of such survey shall be borne by the purchaser, who shall at the time of purchase deposit the amount of the estimated cost of survey, which 4 shall be made as soon as practicable. 5. It shall be law* ful for the Board, if in their descretion they shall see tit so to do, to sell by private contract any parcel of land to any person who shall have occupied and made valuable improvements thereon, before the land shall have been open for sale. If sold by public auction, the . Board may put a valuation upon the improvements made on said land. 7. No officer employed in any land office or in the survey department shall directly or indirectly be interested in any way, in any part of the waste lands within the district to which he has been appointed, or in which he is or has been employed, 9. Any person may apply personally to a. land officer fora license to occupy an allotment of wast lands in any Hundred, or block of land proclaimed or set apart fop the parpose, and shall at such time deposit the fee for one half year's occupation. 10. If more than one person applies on the same day for the same allotment, the grant will be. decided by ballot. 11. The Board - : shall have power to issue a license for any waste lands proclaimed open, not exceeding 320 acres, for three, years at three shillings per acre per annum. 12. The conditions to be. complied with by the occupant are these of fees in adyaoce at half yearly intervals ; allotment must not be transferred or .sablet ; allotment must be fenced withip two years from the issue of the license, and during the <mrren<iy of

the licease one acre out of every ten must be cultivated ; the license may be annulled in case of non-payment ' of fees, and must be occupied personally by the licensee within six months of the issue of the license, and during its continuance. It may also be annulled if the required improvements have not been made r; ,if the licensee complies with the conditions set forth, viz., improve- . ments to the value of one pound .per a(?re, he may demand a lease V within thirty days, after three years' occupation of the allotment, or he mav_ dejnand a Crown grant upon payment of twenty one shillings for each acre -of land held under his , license ; if a lease, it must be for a term of seven years, at a yearly rental of three shillings an acre, which sum shall go towards the purchase of the. land; a reservation of a right of entry to search and ' dig for gold upon the land occupied , is made, t 21. Non-payment of fees or rents to be gazetted. 22. The • licensee will not have power to impound unless his land is fenced. 23. Holders of agricultural leases under the Waste Lands Act 1866, or any Acts passed for the manage- | inent of the Goldfields, to have preemption. They will be allowed to purchase the land they occupy at a jjriee making with the amount they . have already paid in rent &c, one pound ten shillings per acre, if they - have occupied said land three years, ' and complied with the agricultural ' ' leasing regulations. 26. The Superintendent, with the advice and consent of his Executive, may open up i '" areas of land outside of Hundreds, . <or blocks, for settlement by license ,a,nd lease or purchase, on deferred I ■payments, in the manner before | provided, with rights and privileges | ■ *of pasturage annexed to the hold- j ings.- Each licensee or lesbee or purchaser on deterred payments, shall have the right and privilege of depasturing outside of his fenced land to theextent and at the - rate ,of ten head of great cattle for any ■ .quantity of land not exceeding one hundred acres, and one head of • great cattle for each ten acres additional. The pastoral licensee or lessee shall be entitled to compensa-tion-on account of the land taken at • & certain amount per acre per annum during the remainder of his , license or lease. 27. Upon the ■•{petition .of the inhabitants of any district in which settlement by ■ license and* lease shall have taken • s>lace within a circle of a certain - number of miles in diameter, and • 'having a certain population of adults occupying a specific number "of acres, a Hundred may be pro- _ 'claimed, of such extent as may ap1 pear expedient. 28. Districts, or blocks of land, may be set apart from time to time for settlement, -A-jincLier the deferred payment principle referred to above, and land ,-ihay also be opened for sale by 'immediate payment. 29. Licenses 5 will be- granted for allotments to persons willing to plant the same - with forest -trees, and on the fulfillment of the conditions aud regula- ; tjons "prescribed, they will be en- , titled to 'receive a Ci own grant for* 'such laud without payment of any fJ3.es or i-ent for the same.