THE TEVIQT LAND SALE (To the Editor.) '

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 233, 18 July 1872, Page 6

THE TEVIQT LAND SALE (To the Editor.) '

Sir, — "When canvassing for the Superintendence, the philanthropic Macandrew predicted that, no matter who got in, there was but one line of policy possible, and that he plainly iniimated was directly the opposite to tl>p " settlement of population " ticket of his qppqnent Mr. Donald Eeid. F-Te went further, and stated that Eeid, ifta, power, would oply give effect to the. yiews held by him (Mr. Macnnd new), —those vievys as are well known, beiu«r entirely adverse to the disturbance of his good friends the squatters. IV^r. Maeandnew then, felt •what must have sin.cc become abundantly plain to Mr. Eeid, viz., the enormous pow.er, qf the 14'nobtrqsive Sfai^aUingr Ifying, — a power to which the te^J,t|fl)^pjoi]s of s^t]ement hajg

since succumbed, in the most ignominious manner. The evidence in support of the correctness of this prediction is to be found on every side, but in no district more painfully than the Teviot.. The sale 'to Clarke (comprising as it did an earnest of Reid's good intentions in the shape of blocks of land surveyed for settlement) need only be mentioned to convince even the editor of the "Bruce Herald" that the valiant and truthful popular members have in some mysterious manner conspicuously fulfilled the prophecy of oar astute Superintendent — a prophecy which* at the time was laughed at as only too absurd. What ! -would honest Reid turn against his friends, and tb.3 tried Bradshaw prove a traitor to his principles ? In Reid's well-known honesty, and iv what Bradshaw had done for Queenstown in times, gone by, were the best guarantees for the future legitimate development of the resources of the colony. Such was the tone of tho remarks at tho time of tho elections.

And now, in additional confirmation of the doubts then entertained by a small but clear-sighted minority, we have this sale to Cargill and Anderson abruptly announced, and, as if afraid of interference, as abruptly agreed to. Some of the effects certain to result from the sale have been already pointed out by you. The alienation of a large quantity of agricultural and auriferous, land, the complete stoppage of any further development of the mining- interest, and the ponsequert disaster to individuals that will inevitably result from this sale, ha\;e also been pointed out to the Provincial Government ; but after the strenuous efforts put forth on a previous occasion, it is not, I confess, with much hope that they will consider a course that has -evidently been carefully decided upon, before any publicity was given. At present, nine miles frontage to the river is the extent of the application, but it is shrewdly surmised, from the experience already acquired, that the remaining three or four miles of river frontage' necessary to render the run " intact will be added to the sale by way of eompensatior, for cost of survey, &c. In announcing .the sale, the member for the district insults the people who were trustful enough to place confidence in him by twice telegraphing that the " Shingle Block is not included." Mr. Bradshaw's ill-timed irony might be spared at a juncture when his constituents again have to note his cowardly absence from the place where, if disposed, he might do them some service. Another statement contained in Bradshaw's telegram to Mr. Kinaston is, " that the application will not come within a mile of the river, in some places a mile and a half." This is evidently meant to smooth the way — to pacify any growls from the mining interest — to " let us" down gently," in fact; but who can doubt, if nothing interposes, that the rigid north and south survey lines will in some cases be pushed down to the river's edge, if, indeed, -all that is convenient of the river frontage be not ruthlessly included. If the. Waste Lands Board were to sell the whole run outright at a price, free of all expense, of any four shillings per acre, it would be felt that they were behaving like clear-headed and sensible men, who had nr-tde a moderately satisfactory contract as compared to the present suicidal arrangement. For it must bb evident, from the peculiar confirmation of the ground to be dealt with, that the" possession of the narrow, strip of fr.mtage to the river in reality means the acquisition of the entire run. If, instead of receiving £14,583. which is the amount the sale, at 1 Is. 7d. per acre, will realise, the whole run were sold at 4s. per acre, nearly double the money might safely be reckoned upon to enable the Provincial Executive to prolong its valuable existence. The entire valley of the Molyneux, from Beaumont to Alexandra, if not to the gravelly terraces of Cromwell, may now be said to be closed against the settlement of a population ; for whereever any facilities existed they have been greedily seized upon by the ruuholdo's, who can now trust to the natural obstacles presented by tho remaining rocky promontories and precipitous banks of. the Clutha, together with their own freehold occupation of all the available level land, to for ever prevent this eminently suitable district being other than a few purely pastoral holdings. " After us the deluge!" is the sentiment that seems to actuate the members of the Government; but when the enormous taxation of the future is in full operation, they may yet look back with regret to the unstatesmanlike policy that handed over the entire country to a class tl a\ unless wool is taxed, will do very little towards bearing the burden of that taxation. No constitutional means have been left untried by toe people of this district to arrest the ruin with which they are threatened. Public meetings, petitions- without number, both to the Provincial and General Governments, remonstrances fro,m the Progress Association, and by private individuals — all have been treated with confcera.pt, or if a clumsy show of compliance was made by the Provincial Government, it was universally seen through as a sham, and really never meant to. be pay|je r^ a step, further; t^an might

suffice to lead the public to believe that our representatives at least tried to do their duty. . Of course all this serves but to increase the universal disgust with which their conduct is viewed.

In a leader lately, you pointed out that obedience to constituted authorities had its limit, and that limit was all but reached in the case of the residents of Mount Benger. You interpret their; feelings correctly enough. If the high-handed action of tho Provincial Government is not opposed, there is nothing left for the majority but to clear out. In accepting this alternative, they will doubtless be carrying out a part of the "wise, humane, and just policy of the Executive, or, as many would assert, of the ring by which they are governed. Coloxist. 12th July, 1872.