MR CORBOY'S COMPENSATION GRANT. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1438, 20 September 1881, Page 2

MR CORBOY'S COMPENSATION GRANT. [BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

■\Velli>gton, Saturday. The " Special Powers and Contracts Bill" was considered yesterday in Committee.^ On clause 3 of the schedule attached, Mr i •W'hitaker* <mavecL that- it-Abe-Struck, tout. .-, He did so with the view of further enquiries being instituted (Juring theirilctss. He believed if that course were followed it-< would' be—found"the~*ploH>f lnnd i prot w posed tq jbe, giverj $o ,M r Cprboy would seriously inconvenience Whatawhata, one of the most rising districts in the Waikato. The land was'situated ia the vicinity of the Waipa, a navigably river, not more .than 6 or 7 ini^s fron^' a rajlwaj station,'^whereas the ground' originally taken' up by Mr Corboy, and which lie is said to have'treeh'deprived of/was situated at least 37 miles from either of these important centres.- -Moreover,'viti<wa!s the only bush land, *th.£ jsettleis had within their reach," and if deprived of it very serious inconvenience, .would, be entailed upon them. He road a number of telegrams forward'e'A to him 1 from the settlers in the district, strongly protesting against the proposed alienation, and in coriclusion he stated that there could be no doubt that the land was at least five times more valuable, than the laud originally acquired by Mr Corboy. . ■„ Sir M. O'Borke spoke in support of the proposal as scheduled. He did not believe the land was worth more than 15s per acre, and as such it could not be considered out of proportion to the value of the land in lieu of which it was proposed to be given. ,Mr Corboy had been kept out of his rights for upwards of four years, ,md during the whole of that period he had been made a sort of shuttlecock, knocked about from one to another in search, of redress. It was, in his opinion, high time the claim was satisfied, and he could see nothing unfair in the proposal as bcheduled. _ .. „ Mr Sheehan contended that Mr Corboy's claim was a perfectly fair one, and he too spoke in favour of the proposal for settlement thereof as scheduled. Air Macandrew was understood to say the claim had been before the Government of which he was a member, and that the time had now came when no further delay should take place in bringing about its final adjustment. Mr Whitaker replied that- he did not for one moment deny Mr Corboy's claim for compensation. What he contended was that the land proposed to be alicuated was out of all reasonable proportion to the value of the land said to have been taken. The member for Onehunga asserted that the land scheduled was not worth more than 15s per acre, but he could tell them that it was worth, at the very least, four times the sum, aud in token of the hotin Jidti, of his statement ho was prepared to purchase the land at that rate for cash. In that case the Committee could not fail to see it would be infinitely better to provide for compensating Mr Corboy in some other way. The plan proposed to be pursued was certainly most remarkable, The matter could, during the recess, be thoroughly investigated, and having done so the Government could bring down some othor and fairer method of compensation for the loss sustained. If the method proposed by the schedule was to be followed,/then they would bo com-pent-ntiug Mr Corboy while at the very same time they would be doiug inealcuable injuries to the settlers as a body. The Minister of Lands said he had looked caiefully into the case, and he was clearly of opinion the claim was a just one. He admitted the land proposed to be alienated was more valuable than that taken from Mr Corboy, but then a length of time had elapsed, and it was only reasonable the acquired value of the one property should be put forward as against that of the other. The bill was leporfed without amendment, read n third time and r-a^bed. The bill, however, will proceed no further, so that the exchange will not be given effect to until it is further investigated.