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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 784, 19 November 1873, Page 3

We learn from the Arrow O'neroer that las Wednes lay evening a public mj .'tiug was h-dd in the Library Hall, Arrowtown, to consider the action >fth'Provincial authorities in determining to sell the Wakatip Run. Mr L'.vis If irris, President of the local Miners' Association, occupied the chair. After c m-iidjrable discussion of the matter, the following resolution was proposed by Mr H. Graham, and unauimously carried—"That this meeting uses every endeavor to prevent the sale of the runs in the Wakatip district." The remarks of the seconder of the motion, Mr John A. Miller ("tie of tlie Commission appointed by Government to enquire into the best means of utilising the runs) are worthy of note. He said, " that every one he had heard was against the sale ; the evidence taken before llip Depasturage Commission was also against it; many persons had attended that Commission at great inconvenience to give evidence. Their report was however ignored, and the course proposed instead would, he believed, prove very detrimental to the district." Mr Alex. Times, another gentleman who acted as one of the Commissioners —and who was at that time representing the district in the Provincial Council—" read a paragraph from the report of the Commission, which said that after taking evidence, the Commission ' finds that a very general opinion seems to prevail amongst all classes, that it' would be contrary to the best interests of the district to sell the right to occupy the commonage at present.' He had not intended to speak on the subject, but might say that the proceedings of that Commission were now public property, through being placed on the table of the Provincial ; and in the minutes it would be found that the third clause of the report, referred to by Mr Bastings, in his letter to Mr Robert Clarke, already published, when proposed in the Commission, fell through for the want of a seconder. He only referred to what was shown by the minutes." When two of the Depasturing C'om- ) mission speak thus plainly, what plausible excuse can the Government find for over-riding its recommendations?

The Provincial Gazette of this day week contains several notices relating to the reservation of certain lands in this district —to wit: In Queenstown, Plantation reserve of 3} acres or thereabouts; land set apart for water reserves for the use of the inhabitants, being ad that parcel of land shown on the record map of the town of Queenstown, as a water reserve, being sections 7 and 11 of block XLV, Queenstown, containing 2 roods and 28 poles, more or less ; also, all that parcel of land, being sections 7, 12, and 13, of block XXXV, containing 2 roods and 32 poles, more or less; and also all that piece of land, being sections 1, 0, 7. and 8 of block XLIV, Queenstown, containing 2 roods aud 20 poles, more or less. The following has been set apart as a recreation reserve : —All that parcel of luid lying on the northern shore ol Lake \Vakat'ip, situated in the town of Queenstown, extending in length from Hay-street to the south-western boundary ot the township reserve, and in breadth from high watermark of lake to a line one chain distant from the frontage lines of blocks viir, xxvr, XXVIL and xxvnr, exclusive only of the area occupie I by s ction 1 of block XVII; and also all that parcel of land 011 the north-eastern shore of Queenstown Bay, extending in length from block XIV to Home Creek, and in breadth from high water mark of lake to a line parallel to the frontage line of blocks 111 and XXV, and one chain distant from same, exclusive only of the area occupied by section lof block LI- For quarrying purposes, that land has been reserved bounded towards the north-east by Queenstown commonage, 258 links; towards the south-east by Weaver-street, 391 links ; towards the west by Robertson-street, 4'H) links; and towards the north-west, by section 9. of block XX, Slvtover District, 118 links. The following has been gazetted as a reserve for a Miners' Institute, at Arrowtown All that parcel of land containing by admeasurement one acre, more or less, situate in the town of Arrowtown, being section numbered one, bljck XXIV, 011 the map of the said town: bounded towards the north-west by Crown lands, three hundred and twenty-one links ; towards the north-east by Crown lands, three hundred and thirty-two links; towards the south-east by Crown lands, two hundred and ninety-two links; and towards the south-west by Bedford-street, one hundred and thirty-four links, and two hundred links. It is likewise notified that Government have agreed t" cancel portion of George Kirk s agricultural lease at [ Skipper's Creek.