PETITION OF MRS. MARGARET FORBES.

Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, 1856 Session I

1856

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

PETITION OF MRS. MARGARET FORBES.

Presented to the House of Representatives July ls<, 1856, and ordered to be printed.

To the Honorable the House op Representatives in Parliament assembled. The Petition of Mrs. Margaret Forbes, presently residing at Onehunga, Humbly sheweth, — That your petitioner, under sanction of the Proclamation issued by Governor EitzRoy in October, 1844, became the purchaser of a small portion of land (about ten acres) at Onehunga. That the claim for the said land was duly brought before the Commissioner appointed by Goyernor Grey to enquire into the validity of such purchases, who reported in favour of your petitioner, and recommended that a Grant for the land should be given in her favour. That, by a notice in the Government Gazette of 10th August, 1847, it was stated that a Grant for her land was being prepared in favour of your petitioner, along with Grants to various other purchasers. That, shortly after this notice, the Government refused to give her the land in question, and seized upon and sold it, for the purpose of increasing the Revenue, leaving your petitioner a Crown Grant for only one acre, one rood, and five perches. That your petitioner would further beg to observe, that when the land in question was thus taken away from her, it was on the plea of its being required for public purposes; but in course of time this very land was submitted to auction, at which there was only one purchaser (Mr. Forsyth, who afterwards sold the land to your petitioner for the price paid by him,) the public being aware of the land so offered as belonging to j'our petitioner, declined purchasing the same. Your petitioner subsequently bought several of these allotments, at different periods, at the upset price. In conclusion, the land thus seized upon by the Government, and taken from your petitioner, is eight acres, two roods, twenty-five perches, for which she has never obtained any compensation; and having failed to obtain redress by any other means within her reach, she now appeals to your honorable House, in the hope that you will take her case into your favourable consideration, and afford her that justice which for so many years has hitherto been denied her. MARGARET FORBES. E.—No, 6.