LOCAL INTLLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 230, 13 January 1855, Page 4

LOCAL INTLLIGENCE.

Chkistchurch. —On Tuesday evening at a meeting' of the Colonists' Society, J. Brittan,Esq, in the chair, the adjourned discussion on the Government Waste Lands' Regulations was resumed by Mr. Hichens. There was afull attendance of members. The meeting was addressed by Messrs. Inwood, Ollivier, Tancred, J. Hall, Sewell, Fitz Gerald, Bees, Brunsdon, and Crawford. Mr. Tancred entered into an explanation of the regulations he had published. Under them he contended that there would be complete protection from the operations of the monopolist, by " the compulsory clause requiring improvements to be made upon one-fourth of the land applied for during the first year. The cost to the occupier of a 20 acre section would be about £2 per acre. To the fee simple of 10s. per acre should be added the cost of ploughing 5 acres, equal to £10 more.. The certificate of the Inspector to this amount of improvement would entitle the occupier to the Crown Grant, but in the event of the non-completion of these improvements the occupier would have to pay a fine of .£4 per acre for so much of the onefourth portion as had not been so improved. The scheme had not reference to revenue,he thought that the system would promote beneficial occupation and encourage improvements, which would result in the creation of wealth, and this was the chief object they had to consider. The of revenue would then arise, and there would be no difficulty in obtaining the reuqisite amount of funds for immigration and roads, by means of taxation. Mr. Inwood objected to the scheme on the ground that it would encourage slovenly cultivation, and be the means of enabling stockowners and others from Australia to obtain possession of the land upoktoo easy terms, and effectually shut out the working settler. Mr. Ollivier shewed that such persons might apply for 4000 acres, and as by the regulations they would be required to cultivate or plough up onefourth, they could acquire the freehold of any quantity of land at a cost of less than 20s. an acre. The license to occupy 4000 acres would cost £2000, and the ploughing of one-fourth would incur a further cost of £1500. This fourth part they would'lay down in English grass at a small increased expense. It was estimated that wild land would carry only one sheep to an acre, but the proportion of cultivated pastures was estimated (at 6 sheep L to the acre. This would therefore be a considerable gain to the stockowners, and a great,inducement to the speculative capitalist. The greatest objection to Mr. Tancred's scheme was, however, omission to make provision for revenue for the purposes of public works and immigration. The colony was too young to endure the imposition of a system of direct taxation. Mr. Tancred replied and adopted the proposed Government ordinance as a means of revenue in addition to his regulations. His objection to the Government scheme was that it might issue in the recognition of the cheap land system which would be ruinous to the settlement. Mr. Inwood resumed and reviewed the proposals of the Government which he considered generally satisfactory if they were practicable. He feared that difficulty would arise from the separation^ of the Ordinance creating the rate from thiy Regulations, and that after the sanction of the Governor had been obtained to the whole scheme the General Assembly might annul the Ordinance, and reduce the price of the land to the minimum price of 10s. per acre. If such a result might happen, he would rather see a fixed price of £5 an acre at once. It had also occurred to him that the rate might be looked on as rent, and that the General Government would require their share of the revenue it created in the same manner that it was claimed from the rents of runs. Mr. Hall replied and contended against the probability of such »

Government, by an act TJirGeneral Assembly, had given to the peoi he power of assenting to their own regulap- .ml having done so, it was scarcely con--110 nTthit the General Assembly would stuiSrU irtvnact by such a proceeding. Mr All then went fully into the arguments raised ?L several speakers. He felt that there was • use for satisfaction that there should be, geneilv so much unanimity among them upon JJ'-Jregulations; he did not share the opinion th Al£ Tancied that the Government scheme would be difficult to work out. They were not himpered with manageable inspectors. Their chief desire had been to frame their regulations that the land should |be retained for beneficial occupation, and to promote, as far as possible, the interests of the working settler. To him, the land was virtually cheaper than if he had to pay £2 down for it. He had taken pains to enquire as to the capabilities of other settlements in regard to the facilities of acquiring land in the vicinity of townships, and he had been informed that land could not b3 obtained at Nelson even for .£lO an acre. Both there and at Wellington all the available Jand had beeu taken. ° After a hw words from Mr. Brunsdon, Mr. Fitz Gerald saidj he had made eveiy enquiry during his recent visit to the North as to the possibility of working settlers obtaining land, and he had found that the largest portion was in the hands of monopolists. Even at Auckland, where the Native Title was being extinguished, every acre was applied for long before the completion of the purchase. His Honor explained the nature of the tenure of ruiis in Australia, contrasting1 their regulations with those proposed for this Province, and entered fully into the importance of the stock-owning interest to the settlement. He Would refrain from offering any remarks upon the regulations before them. Mr. Martin then proposed the adjournment of the discussion to Tuesday next, which being seconded, was agreed to. AtHhe conclusion of the meeting a fine specimen of coal was placed on the table, brought down from the hills by Mr. Knight. It was stated that it could be delivered now in Christchurch at a cost of about £5 a ton. This is an object fof great importance to the occupiers of the Plains. The Papanui " blocks" are fast disappearing, and the cost of firewood renders the opening up of the coal-fields a matter of very serious consideration.