WAIPUKURAU.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume I, Issue 5, 24 October 1857, Page 6

WAIPUKURAU.

(Fan a Correrpondeat ). A large and iufhsent'al meeting was h 1 it Avi -oil's Aceomoda! ion house, en Wit •••s'hiy th • 14rh i'l^tant, in pnr nance < 'jv r i-; m"nt. f;r the purpo c of s 1 eth. a Heard of Ward n , under the Publ U lards'-At-t. f • r the Di iriet of Waip"k an. A ! oiiiist those present we observ. < Cap!. N«v. nihn. the t^o Messrs. Russell Me si-*. O.niond. Canning. Inul's. (jell ,i. Tucker {'2). W.irgan (sen. and junO Hiu - 'r, S. odgrass. J'harazyn (2), Duncai. 11-nton. Fannhi. Nairn Ho , Abbott. d liins. and others. C pi. Curlin , Mr. C-.o-P'T, and a few other gentlemen were nhi present but to< k no par. in the proce. ding 0! being el e;o sof the Di triet. In jic■ordance with the provi.4 us of theA't ihe c\ air v as filled by Henry Ru-s: 11 I'.s'j., o whom the requi-i ion to ea 1 >he meeting hr d been addres cd. Previr.u ly to tie meeting, seme little misapprehension existed in t c minds <f a few of tV.e electors as to the yr ci;e forc\ f t- c Act, and what might be tl c r< sul; o' ■lec:iig a Beard ef Wardens. Some appeared to thii k that the tendency if l c Act wjus to thro v more power int-> tin 1 hands <if the Superintendent than he at pesent posses.se ; others that the controlling p nver retained. by Ilis HOIHK was excessive, and •hat the Act».insie:ul of permitting the Si:printendent~io hand over to ihe Wardens such portions a-; he t: ought proper of sums voted by the Provincial C >u:i<il or pubic improvements, s'tould have ollujed i.im ;o :hem the v.hol- ; oth.-rs gi thought rl at a mere coi vermin ai;d i.sefiil instituion would be tlu* sort of Pastoral Muni--ipalities contemplate d by Sir G«.orge Grey in i i> de patch on the subject < f the Constiution. ihe Warden- of \hieh were to have lv d one third of the gross prcceeds of all : ales < f latid in their Di-trL-t. w\.\\ v.hi-h o cirry on local imp ovcmer.ts ; vhile 0 hers were possessed by a dread that. • s<niehow or other, " the elet-.ion ( f War- j lens was- to end in .self-taxation. o: - rates, j >r some otln-r dr in on their ; U;se.s. J'hese difficulties, fo-midahle as they appeared, ■som va'ishtd : it turned «ut th;.t ti e I><-ard of W rdens were to confine their I at.c iliun to the judicious expenditure of such sum* as mi :1u be voter! by tie Pro-vin-i .1 Council for local improvements, <r i>: gr.. nls in aid: thai Sir Geo -ge drey's c. r ul it : oas hurl never been in operati n and ere no.v repe l'"d ; that fie contrdii g power over tie Hoard, retained by the At in the hands of the Sipe n pndent. was iiotl.iug more than reasonable, ai.d absolutely essential to a preper expenditure of he public funds entrusted to them; and that the Act, so far from vesting in ti.e Superintendent any power 1 c docs i.ot al--•ea''y possess, was simply meant to autho - ize Hi'j Ho.or's divesiing h : m elf of s- me of tho.M.' po • ers, a-xl h inding tl.ein over to be exercised by tl c i ccple. The me*e>Hig then proeee 'ed to business and the f »110 ing gentl -men were elected by ballot, to be a Board of Wardens fwrthe purposes of the "Public Boa.tls Act. H. R. Russell. J. P., } (afterwards el etc I f„r . . Chairman) ( Purvis Rins'-ll ) John Davis Canning, > Pur , nga l lav J hn D. Ormond, S G-orge Worgan, > Ruataniwl;a . Jo' n Tuck r, y E'lwarchSpciicjrCirling, Patangata R ilK»rt Ph-irazyn. ' /TeAute. ■*. , We congratulate our . inland fiends on the co diality a-.d una .unity .flf fe ling dis-j-.layed at thi lme-ig, r.o 1 ss than in the step they have t : kon '.in . t-.e direction of 1 cal self Govs.r:;nien:'. The principal cause (f complaint in this, Dhl i t has "hi>ht rio li^t n that it was impossible to get anything d^ne ; for t at, even when' suras wer • voted by the Provi cal Council"!'.'!reads, the Executive could not be go 1 , to s end them. Xow, ho-vever, ye (inhnd have a local Executive of o^et o vn ; a \d when'- ye ste such an array < f names befon us. we £el confident that public improvements will progress al a rapid rate, and that complaint* of inattention and a tend ncy to centralize on the p:rt of iho Provincial Government, will i'oan cease to be heard.

This business toing cwngcftiftod, Mr. Rusjjcll vacated the chair, «tyi . stated that be|f«*rc getttlemen reared, fit was tlve wish of some.present U* liring^ior matters of pub-.

O.i the motion of M>-. C'olLni, Mr. Coo- • r \va« c.'iilt d t<; ihe '■}■> ir ; ; n the £>l r " ing re oluun w; s i r«'p< s d liy C ; pi. <c nvii, :nd t.ei.-o:i('ed by Mr. P. lii.s---11 :— ' Th:u a lromori.'l In* addressed 1o the Sip rin.e d n '. ra i His llrnortocxe"d h ' (i iin- i f .he r'ei.cmg Art v : hi<-- Distr'c '." «J . i-n his a us "<;ii arose as to tl.itie • of ih-Ii a p •<■■■ v in.. : ma yofii o t ■<• o:i iiwe an n'u i o her.! h id i> b con. polling ti (in to liar* in tl.oo> p iis< ot f.-neiiig ireel.t 1 ! pr pcive :<j ni. <j C \v Lam's 'el by them v dor i; o so. ■i .d which might in i> c. i •ly be pur h s< (i by ' thrr ]) r ie . v 1 o ' o id i! is re* p t t beVofii if :li< 'r e\] < mil v c '1 l.is I owevvr was explain. 'd aw y. as the 1 n -ini> Act o:;ly iippiic (.«- in s!ni] 1< jiisii'ei- i; oii1. fa;> : j)j)l\ ) to adji'ii-.'ng fet Ik Ids l.eid by diiF rent pi-fjirii :'ors. Siill h. wivrr the iiiwiMiic v as lo< k d t pon with distrust b; -( nit 1 of tl.o c pr s nt ; ard the follov ii.j.-aiiu-udnieiit was proposed 'by Mr. l«'sn:j i and se.'-omYvl by Mr. R. PI aiai.yii ; ••'lha ir is i ex] <_• 'ii'nt to x evd the pn.visiui:s o he Fencing Act to t. is Disuict." On the Chuirnan ealliiig for a s. 1 o:.v oi a-.ds fciir cnly v ore ' eld up in support •t ihf ainei-diuent. and the original re.M luliou v as carried by a l::r;e ma criiy. 'J'he subject of five- hilling-jtn-acre lands was ti e;i intr dived by Mr. H. Kuss 11 v. ho pr< posed tie Jollowin r res huio... v-hioh was so onded by Mr. Worg.m, an' varr'ed ununimously. "That tV.e Superintendent be men oralized to cause insiru tioiis to be sent lo ll.c Siib-Conmiissioner of Crown Lands at Napier, to carry (Ut i". i:s full integrity the provision <>i' the l-li.h Clause of Sir Cieorgt Grey's Land Regulations." This is a m t er of vital importance to the pastoral interest ; <is it i.s ihe only sen o!' protection to runh. lders \ hi h the regulations cont.in. Fcr the i. fo m;m<-n oi such ( four eadors as ir.ay nt t i.aye attentively studied the subj ct, we append ;i copy of the clause in question. Lawh applied f)r. which form part of a suffirichihj stocked run will, piovided they be certified an umiraila file for agriculture l.c put up to .luction ut ss. per acre, after three month.; notice of .sale shall have been c/iren to Ihe iitnholder. 14. If :i'iy intending purchaser, o her than th.' h'-lder rf the Run. shall apply to t! c Coinnii jsionrr to pure a c lar.d fo n.inu a Run or a portion of a lUin wliich is whh the sanction cf Government in tlie bond fide posses io ici such. 10. !er ; v hich sK; : .ll in tl.e piiion of such C< nmii.ssio-.er be si.f fici nily stocked ; and -v hich. upon the ap- ] l'cation of the holder of the run '.o sueli C< mn:is>i ncr, shall be cerrified by lrm to be, from its hilly and br< ken ci aacter, <r from seme other cause, unavailable fer ;)g---ricultuial purposes ; such run or pinion oi a run shall in that case he disp'.hed of h\ public aueiion at the upstt pri c of fiveshillings per acre, a: d in acco da:.ce vith the regula ions- hereinafter presc ibed for aueiion sales ; but such -ale shall net take place un'il aLer three m<n hs' no'.iee of the application to the Coinn.is>i«>ni-r to purchase such la::d ha.s been left at tome station on the run. The Land Reuuh tons from which the above provision is extracted, are clearly me nt to deal with two descriptions of land — Agricultural and Pastoral. 'Ihe former jiiay be purchased by any pc son. in spy pro 1 inied Disnict, wl ether included iVa Run or not, by the simple pro -ess of filling up a printed f rm and^ 1 a} ing 10s. p?r acre lo the Commissioner ; when the purchis •: miv at once enter on his jfrc'chold, an make whatever use he ihi.ks' proper thereof. With Pasto al Lands ho • eve-, t'^case is different ; ai>;l with consumma e-wijv or, our 1 ite Governor devisVd a totally diffe ent way of dealing with ;tkem. A rieultural land inus: be poor indeecfif it will rot p iy it 10s. ]^er acre ; whi,le that exdu i.ely Pastoral 1 ;nd m% Hi is intrinsic a lit/ wo t \ .aore than ss. must be of very superior quality ; and, if so. it will fetch its y.'»lue. for it must go to auction. And yet it is commonly argued, upon the strength of the old uvixim which says "a thi gis worth wha? it will fetch," tlkt if anybody cati be; bund to . . offl-r 10<". per acre, tie land ought to he iiis at that price. Now this is* a «?reat f .llacy ;. «md we mair.t in that, upon •i jusf and strict interpretation of these. ye» ''dilations. su"<4i lanr' — if included in a ju>i ilr-ady sufiicit'nily stockeT^|w/gonpMs^ T for the regulations say that land so "if unavailable for agricultural: purposes, } shall be certified etc., and thus, as we haye^; already saW, if it be so avail bie/or^/^-^

)<i!piup:,:e a o b.- or h lCs. or even 2( s. i v il; fe.ch ih t t-xnw. Mai.y a man ray ;le induced fu ni a fai:Cj he x: ay have for • s Hi c piciu: sque hem spite agaii.st t c rurholtier. cr a thoatai d o;her reasons j h m thereto ii:ovir,g, lo offer 10s. <^ acre fwr | (for agriculture) t r worst posMUe kind of ! 1.-ti.d ; and it v ; : s t< protect ihe iui holder I from laviirr 1.i.-s n.e us of liv. ;ih od cut iroin • r.d. r ifen ith vi ! i kiiov ltdge, i o . < f .he a!) A-eor"m gin»ry nas( us, t ;.. cl;a;sc .1 Ava a. ■» eil Ir Sir G. Grey io i Lain ]\i : ul: u'ons. i>< r, ;n atkii:g 'o'- this ajie i) b jipj ic-d in i s i'l 11 "ii tel?ri y" at' the to:,. 1 ry of the Provii.ee s kinjr o (.trail. ;.ny 1 cv. p : ivil( go t r undi c afv: I.la c o\\ 1 the c al pt.biic, v. !o arc ar :dy M.filciei.tly :r .ecieu by the S:h c-ki.se. " . I It vLI tl us be f-ren tl:«t 'tl e i e vcol j irrr.wiujr gentry" ac: i.tlic,:i ei'rtle 81 -' I p> rirtn deicy c;.lis il'.Ui) la\c n<- dtsi.e ! <! V< k vp ( rtc niM c.poiis. n.ort- ihiiii tin ir Mr shi!K--r.f lie pi;baiclTi.d«. 11. ey a:e sin.ply r.'kilig for iluir ju.st ri«:lit T i.iid 1« r "h: t f.ir pl.y vhith. us un;.i>ts c f the public, tl ey l:;:ve a ]i«.ht to lee k for vi the hands rf their lai.dl< yd* : ;hey n»e.tly v. i.-h to be allowed :o use for t: eir cwn (.efeiiie hat s] iild Wi ich the. h^v has j n vidtd fc.r hur. Mt. Russell tcml the draft of a memorial . hie 1 l.ad been prepared. .( n the subject. It v as ::dopted by ti.t- ineeting, and is,iuxiv j g< ing romul the lMstiiet for .sign; ture.