PETITION REGARDING THE 50,000 ACRE SALE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 194, 26 October 1871, Page 5

PETITION REGARDING THE 50,000 ACRE SALE.

The following is a copy of the peti .i»>n to both Houses of the Lenialatur \\\ Parliament assembled, which i> N'hvj; numerously signed :—: — Che Petition of the nnd jrsi^ned se* tiers anil residents of " the Province oi Otago, humbly sheweth — 1. That, your petitioners have learned rhitthe W.iste Laud Hoard of the province of Otagiliive entered into a c-m-'ract privately to sell, to the less c of Runs 212 and 215 in the said Prownce," 50,000 acres of the said Runs.

2. That the said lauds so proposed to be s.-ld are within the <»tago gold eld. and have not be.m withdrawn then from.

3. Your petitioners believe that the suid cotiimet of «.ale is illegal nnd void, a-* contrary to the general policy of the Otago Waste Land Act, and narticularl> 10 the provisions of section 48 of the Goldfielus Act, J866, and s».ctr n 122 oi the Ota-jo Waste Land Act., which have the t'ifect of depriving the Waste Laud Board of authority to cuter into such a contract.

4. 'i h,ifc section 34 f)l the Waste Land Act requires that all rural lauds shall be open for sale or disposal, and your petitioners submit that, looking to this and fche prov.sious of the Act generally, it is not competent for the Hoard to enter into a private coutract for the sale of the sa d land, even had the same been withdrawn from goldfields. 5. That your petitioners are aware that the inhabitants of the adjacent district to the said Runs have for a long time past been very desiroii3 of obtaining and urgently required land for settlement under the provisions of the Goldtields Act, 1866, and that the Provincial Government have altogether failed to provide for their just requirements. 6. They are a,so aware that in or about the year 1865, the said Provincial Government selected and set apart for settlement a small block of land, which was found to be almost entirely a barren grjively soil, which has sine© been known as the *' Miingle Block ;" aud that in the year 18(39,, they promised to set apart, under the provisions of the said Goldtields Act, another bl->ck of laud, known as the. '• Island 81.ck," but which they finally caused to be sold by auction, and the whole of it wa3 purchased by"the lessee of tiie s*id Kuns. And also, that recently another block of 5000 acres was selected and surveyed into sections for the purpose of being leased, under* the provisions of the said Goldtields Act, but which has been included in the said contract of 3ale. 7. That your petitioners regard the proposed contract of sulo 'as a criminal sacrifice of the public iutextft, and the climax of a long course of mismanagement and disregard of public duty on the part of the Waste Land Board and Provincial Government of Otago. Your petitioners therefore pray that your honourable, tlonse "will take the pre^ mises i'lto consideration, . and.,. tafc;o 8110b,' .steins to, prevent the 'said" contract of sale from being carried into effect, as to your wisdom may seem meet. Aud your petitioners will ever pray.