The Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1863.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 48, 14 October 1863, Page 4

The Lake Wakatip Mail. Queenstown, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1863.

It seems perfectly clear that the Provincial Government has the pewer to sell allotments within the township of Queenstown. It seems equally clear that, for some inexplicable reason, they are determined not to do it. We are afraid that the question of permanently settling the lands of the district must be fought in another way than by petitions and adjurations addressed to the Provincial executive of Otago. The prospect of the opening up of a. harbor on the West Coast will do much to enhance the very high prices which have already been [given for transfers of occupation of allotments in the township. Had the Government some time ago cancelled the license held by Mr. Rees, or a portion of it, and sold the allotments in the township, its permanence would have been established, and a considerable sum added to the nearly overburdened sevenue of the Province. Selling the township would have brought enough money to have given compensation to the squatter, roads to the Shot. over, and have reduced the price of provisions two-thirds. As it is evidently predetermined, however, that no settlement is to be permitted in any shape upon lands either township or agricultural, the people of this district will require to wait with patience until it shall please those in the Provincial Council to allow it. It would be vain to speculate as to what may be the reason for this conduct, but we will state plainly for the benefit of our readers one or two results which would accrue if a sale of the town lands were to take place at the present time. Allotments would be procurable at practical, and not fancy prices, for extravagant sums would not be required, because of expenditure in improvements in the centre of the township. Every purchaser would be upon the electoral roll by the first of October next, and the member for Wakatip, instead of being elected quietly by three friends to represent five, WLuld be elected by the common sense voting of the business men of this and other sold townships in the district. A reference to the Government Gazette of the 3rd April, 1862, will show that the opinion of the Attorney General is opposed to that of the Superintendent and Council. He says in a despatch to the Superintendent —"There '* seems no reason why your Honor should " not at once take steps to suspend the licen- " ces of runs 53 and 54 over such parts of

" the land as is required for the goldfields." And further on in the same despatch he says —" And then direct a survey to be made of " the two pieces of land on which you propose to establish townships." And again —" A clause will be proposed in any amending Bill, enabling the lessee of any lots " within a township to become a purchaser " thereof, either at the price realized by the " adjacent lot when it shall be sold, or at a " price to be fixed by arbitration." It is plain, therefore, that His Honor must have some other reason than protecting to the squatters the monopoly of supply upon the various townships. The communication which we have just partly quoted, states expressly " that a part of the run may be cancelled." This could be done, and yet the squatters realize enormous fortunes by monopolising the supply of beef as heretofore. We must then look another way for a solution of the puzzle, and suspect it will be found in the fact of a sale putting so many voters on the electoral roll. We know it is often improper to impute motives, but instinct tells us that no man acts without a reason, and after searching round this is the most likely principle we can find. If the member for the district of Wakatip were elected by those who have certainly the greatest stake in the prosperity of the country, we would never likely hear of his voting away 640 acres to each squatter. In fact, were the people of Queenstown on the electoral roll, the Government would have to contend with another independent member. We venture to say that the commercial transactions of Queenstown for one year embrace an amount large enough to purchase in perpetuity all the agricultural areas within the boundaries of the Wakatip district. And yet we are compelled to lead a nomadic life; like the sons of Ishmael we must dwell in tents. It does not suit the policy of those in power to give us a chance of settling on the lands, and until this is done we have no fixed habitation nor voice in the management of the country; we are even prevented from managing our own local affairs, as the qualification is the same for elections, whether voting for members of council or members of town boards.