THE SUBMERGED SECTIONS AT WESTPORT.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 682, 9 July 1870, Page 2

THE SUBMERGED SECTIONS AT WESTPORT.

The subject of compensating sec-tion-holders at Westport for land submerged or rendered valueless by the action of the sea was referred to a Select Committee of the Nelson Provincial Council. The following is the Committee's report: " That the Committee have carefully considered the petitions submitted to them, and have also examined plans and taken evidence relative to the petitioners' property. "The Committee have concluded that the question raised in the petitions submitted to them is a question involving legal rights, with which the Council is not competent to deal. " The Committee, therefore, are unable to recommend that the petitions referred to should be entertained by the Council." Besides petitions, the Committee had before them a letter which had, in February last, been addressed to the Superintendent by Mr Donne, M.P.C. It was more explicit as well as eloquent in its terms than were the petitions, and was to this effect : Sir, —There is a matter affecting my own personal interest which I have hitherto omitted to bring under the attention of your Honor's Government. It is that, some-where-about three years ago I purchased from the Government two sections of land, situate in Herbert-street, of the town of Westport. By the map, exhibited in the Laud Deparment, these sections were represented as a considerable distance from the sea—a sixth of a mile, or so, from what was termed " High-water Mark," —and each section shown as having a frontage of fully 100 feet to a permanent reserve. The said reserve was subsequently granted as a site for a school and school residence, and I believe the Government is already acquainted with its unfortunate fate. I have now to inform your Honor that the unlucky sections referred to have met w r ith a similar fate to that which befel the reserve or school site. In other words, what; the owner was once seized and possessed of, under a grant from the Crown, has been a bitrauly wrested from him ; the said p.-operty having become by tn > waves of the South Pacific, and that without the least reference to "consideration money" or ceremony as to "titledeeds." I have, therefore, the honor to inquire if the Governmen', at the approaching session of the Council, would be prepared to place upon the Estimates a sum of money as compensation to the owner for damages sustained by reason of the loss of the unalienated portion of the said property, namely, one section and a half thereof. As it is presumed there cannot be a doubt as to the fact of a valid claim for compensation existing in the instance of the present applicant, in making the application in the present form, I may state that I am influenced by the consideration that the recognition of it by the Government, in the way indicated, would relieve the applicant as a member of the Council of the embarrassing position of being compelled to seek redress by petition to that body and of (ostensibly at any rate) having to sit in judgment, as it were, on his own case.