Wednesday, July 23.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 287, 31 July 1873, Page 5

Wednesday, July 23.

QUESTIONS. The Government stated, hi reply to questions, that if the Corporation of Cromwell proposed any feasible scheme for reclaiming blocks 8, 13, i 14, 62, 63, and 68, from their present waste condition, the Government would entertain it. — The township of St. Bathans would be sold at the quarterly land sale, which would take place in two months. NEW HUNDREDS. The debate was resumed on Message No. 9, the Hundreds named therein being considered seriatim. The first discussed was 20,000 acres on run* 185, 264. and 240. Mr Stout opposed the Hundred. Only a few | people in the Taieri wanted land ; it had not been proved that the land was at all fit for agricultural purposes, and if the Government proceeded with the settlement of the Traquair Hundred, this one would not be required. The effect of passing the motion wotild be to perpetuate the big block system under the name of a Hundred, and it was just possible settlers on the Taieri and others wished the Hundred, so that they might themselves become small runholders. He did not object to giving' commonage if the land was asked for as such, but he objected to opening a Hundred apparently for settlement, when it was really required for commonage. A committee should enquire whether the Hundred was necessary. Mp Shand remarked that the speech of the honorable [member for Caversham was characteristic of him; he spqke about things of whigh hp knew nothing.— (Laughter.) Instead of being mountainous, as that hon. member said, theland,was high table land, aslevel as the Taieri plain, and thousands of acres could be ploughed without any or with little expense. As to the proclamation of this Hundred not having been petitioned for, he read a memorial addressed to the members for the Taieri, requesting them to support the Government in getting it declared, stating that there was a necessity for a Hundred between Lee and Deep Streams, and guaranteeing to buy up one-third of it at 20s an acre within three months from declaration. The memorialists, twenty-eight in number, further stated that the land was half agricultural, and well adapted for the growth of oats, turnips, and English grasses. Mr M'Glashan mentioned that one person had told him that when the Hundred was proclaimed he should be willing to purchase 500 acres. The land was not. mountainous. ' The Goldfields Secretary said 1 the land wfts/jjlotighftble fro'jn the highest altitude tptfte.

lowest part of it, and though it might not grow wheat, it would oats, to the extent of fifty bushels an acre. Besides, the Government had evidence that many parties were prepared to take the land and lay it down in English grasses and improve it. Mr Roberts denied the statement of the member for Caversham that the Strath Taieri Hundred had been proclaimed to suit the runholder. It was proclaimed against the runholder's wish. The land was sold in the first instance to bona fide settlers, who had to sell out when they found fanning operations on it would not pay. In answer to the Hon. Dr. Menzies, who wished to know whether the Government intended to throw open the Hundred for revenue purposes or for settlement, and whether in the latter case they would doso so as to precludethe possibility of the land being put up for sale in large blocks. The Secretary for Lands said the Hundred was proposed with the view of settlement. But the Government had also to consider the probable amount of revenue pecruing from Hundreds. Mr Haggitt would never be a party to a breach of taith such as would be involved in the unnecessary proclamation of any Hundred, and would require full and definite information that the circumstances of the Province required any Hundred, before voting for it. No evidence had been given that this Hundred was required, nor had it been conclusively shown that the land was two-thirds agricultural. ! Mr Tolmie said by; this Hundred it was pro- \ posed to cut the run into two halves, in which the holding might as well be taken. He referred to the Stuart and Traquair Hundreds as instances of the impolicy of setting aside inferior land for agricultural purposes. Mr Fish thought there was ample evidence of a sufficient quantity of land within the proposed Hundred to justify the Council in proclaiming the Hundred. < Mr Reid understood the land did comply with the conditions of the Act of 1872. The objection as to boundaries was a serious one, and, while supporting the Hundred, he said it was to be regretted it had not natural boundaries or as well defined ones as possible. The Secretary for Lands, in replying, said he had directed the attention of the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands to clause 97a of the Act, and asked him if he would be prepared to carry it out if the Council sanctioned the Hundred, and his reply was in the affirmative. As to the altitude of the land, he was prepared to point to good farms at higher altitudes than 1,900 ft in different parts of the country. To refer the question to a committee would be to burke it. The Government intended to cut up the bind into eighty-acre sections, which would prevent large speculators getting hold of it unless they paid full value for it. The motion was carried by 24 to 8. The Secretary for Lands, read a report of tho Chief Surveyor, respecting the character of the land on runs 74 and 161. The height was 400 to 500 feet above the level of the sea. No roads were made at present, but they might be i made to Menzies's Ferry. About half was agricultural land, and the Government had it under consideration to reserve parts for special settlement. Next year some land might be added to them on deferred payments. Dr Menzies considered the land particularly eligible for settlement, as it contained wood, water, and contiguity to a railway station. If the Government carried out the proposals of the Secretary for Lands, he should be satisfied. He however, doubted the advisability of throwing open the Hundred, as in the Mataura, on the Ist January, about 98,000 acres of land in Hundreds were unsold. Since that time sales have been made which reduced the unsold land to 65,000 acres. Much of it was really good land. He was not, therefore, satisfied another Hundred was necessary. Mr LI£MBDEN considered that the land proEosed to be thrown open was fit for agriculture, ut he thought probably "a Hundred north of the Tois Tois would be desirable. Mr Stout would not oppose the motion, but could not reconcile the proposal of the Government with their expressed intention to sell agricultural land on deferred payments. Mr Reid said if the Government intended to open up land for sale, it would better to signify their intention, as to leave it undetermined was unfair to the runholders. He should support the Government, as their intimate connection with the pastoral tenants was a guarantee that no injustice was about to be done. Mr M'Lean was glad Mr Reid would support the Government, for he (Mr M'Lean) never could support one of which the hon. member formed a part. It was a proof the Executive was the best that had occupied the Government benches for some time. The motion was carried. The Secretary for Lands proposed that 15,000 acres on runs 137 and 123 be proclaimed a Hundred. It was objected to the 90,000 acres which were declared a commonage, but the assessment on stock from that commonage was greater than from similar areas on pastoral runs. The land was not what would have been considered agricultural land a few years ago, but experience proved that it was ploughable. Mr Haggitt contrasted the report of the Chief Surveyor on the land in question with his report in 1865. In that year he showed land above 1,500 feet high was not agricultural land, and all that proposed was above that elevation. He would refer as to its character, to evidence before a commission of the House of Representatives in 1567. In their opinion not more than one-sixth or one-fifth could truly be classed as available agricultural land. The inhabitants did not want the land for agricultural purposes, but that they might depasture stock upon it without paying compensation to the runholder. From the evidence of the Warden, only 1,500 acres were available for agriculture, of which none remained unsold. Messrs Herbert, Rl'Kay, Bastings, and others stated that the land was required for the grazing necessities of the district. The fact was that a number of small squatters were, running 3,631 large, and 15,000 small cattle, without assessment, on the common. He did not ask the members of the House to take bis bare word, but to look to the returns whioh had been laid upon the table by the Government, and which would show that the figures he had quoted wer« perfectly correct He was not objecting to the proclamation of the Hundred from personal motives. An assertion had been made to this effect, but he gave it his most unqualified denial. He did not even know who were the owners of the runs in question, although he believed that one of them was held in trust for Mrs M'Lean. He had been over the ground, and was of opinion that it was not of an agricultural nature. He strongly contended that it could not benefit the Province one iota by proclaiming the land a Hundred, and if the House did its duty it would decline to cany the motion. Messrs Kinross, BASTiNgs, G., F. O, Browne, Clarke, and Wood, supported the motion; Mr Mollison opposed it, because sufficient information had not been furnished ; and Mr Roberts, because the Hundred would probably only aggravate the present evils in connection with commonage. Mr Reid said, from personal knowledge of the land, he believed it would be taken up for bona fide settlement ; but he would have preferred that it should be taken up under the deferred payment system, and he thought a smaller Hundred would be sufficient for tqe present. The mqtion was carried by 25 tp 7, DEFERRED PAYMENTS. On Message No. 11, the Council affirmed that the following blocks of land should be set aside for sale on dei errad payments :— -5, 000 acres in run 111 ; 5,000 acres in runs 167 a and 78 ; 2,500 acres in runs 199 ; 2,500 acres in runs 244 and 261 ; 3,000 acres in run 346 ; 2,500 acres in run 109 ; 2,000 acres in run 205 ; 5,000 acres in runs 123 and 137.