The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 704, 6 August 1859, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

' <■:•■'■■:.■.>.■■.■.>'>.•■■■■■ ;>:;:; : -"■ Saturday, August- 6.; "; >The,appearance of < Amended Land'-Regula- • ;tions' •■;• in bur columns;1 'to-day1 might; alarm; isOmetof o^r readers^ at .first ' sigut > and .'until; ;they had satisfied themselves that rip change; ;is;'contemplated,.in,,the !reguktions-; passed heretofore..by, the Provincial ■Co.uncii.. We understand that, owing to the present uncertainty as to > the eventual fate of ;the'Waste1 .Lands Act1 of 1858, the Provincial Govern-; jment have' vdeeme~d r'hV advisable to( proceecH : iinder'the \ act'of.lßs4' wiijh respect.to that; portion of the,,;regulations; which, is now,of• .doubtful legality.., r -^; ;-. ; , / : ■'..:-.■ r-.^-^ '■■■. ••:'• : :Jn our" ; issue of.-;.-.the 4th;'June last.'we reviewed the-history;of-the landlaw; but we:s must recur briefly to the subject' to enable'the passing reader to' understand the meaning'p¥ the regulations published to-day. .';" v-:!;/,. < 'Qur Land Regulations-0f1856 were passed,' by the Provincial Counciiand proclaimed,by the. Governor under authority of the act of 1854.- A few amendments were added in' August 1856 by virtue of the same apt. There'; isno doubt of the validity of qur waste lands legislation so far. In the 'November session of 1856 a Waste : Lands Regulations Amendment "Ordinance, .was passed: and' assented •to by the Governor, under the authority of the Waste Lands, Act of 1856.- This latter act having been disallowed, it; is generally-be-lieved ; that; all .provincial ordinances framed .under its authority are invalid. A second Provincial Waste Lands Regulations Amend-, merit Ordinance w.as passed in February 1858, but was .'not, assented to by the Governor, owing to the disallowance of the act of 1856; so that this latter ordinance, although passed by the Council, has remained a dead letter. The- original regulations, together with all the. amendments passed at different times by the Provincial Council, were included in' the schedule to the Waste Lands Act of 1858, reciting the waste lands laws of the different provinces,,. The act of 1858' may still be allowed by her Majesty, but it* has been deemed prudent to prepare for legalizing under the act of 1854 the amendments passed by the Provincial Council by virtue of the disallowed act of 1850.

The Eegulation?j ; ; : \^|)ich appnar in our columns to-day are simply the provisions of the two Waste .Lands Regulations Amendmerit Ordinancesl.ofthe,,Provincial, Council withoirt'a%!,,alteraiion;,;' Fi;om: the' 'tenor of the Colonial S«crotafy's llet;ter to'the Superindent of Auckland inviting the' Superintendent and"'G)rfuncil of that province topass the tjiovisioris 'of the Aucldand; Waste Lands!:A.ct of 1858 ?n s the shape:^of ilegulations under the Act pflss4,;it istpbe understood that his Excellency's Governmentonly contemplates a confirmation' of existing lawy and 'that tlie'Governor would not'tie prepared to Sanction any chahges under.present circnmstWces. V;: ■;' As we before ;saidy the Waste iands Act of I^sß. may be,allowed by her Majesty, and it -,may not be, necessary for our .Council to act in tlie nia,tter,;but'it; js just as well to be ready for any; contingencfes.1 -'I'he legality of our land fe'too important'a matter to be^leffrto:chaneey;":'V;' ';-; ;