THE PICTON RAILWAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume VII, Issue 446, 9 November 1872, Page 6

THE PICTON RAILWAY.

Those of our readers who may be concerned in lands affected by the route of the Picton and Blenheim Railway will be interested to learn some of the provisions of the legislation of the late session of the General Assembly with regard to the acquisition of such portions of land as maybe required for Railway purposes. By it have been removed many of those difficulties found to exist in practice for acquiring the right to enter upon such lands. The Immigration and Public Works Act of 1870,.and the Amendment Act of 1871, gave a more simple mode of assessing damages than that provided by the Land Clauses Consolidation Act 1863, but the Act of 1872 simplifies it still more by enacting that after the lapse of twenty-one days from the publication in* the New Zealand Gazette, and in a newspaper circulating in the district, of a proclamation under the Public Works Act 1870, the Governor may enter upon and take possession of so much of the land mentioned in such proclamation as may be required for the construction of the Railways, without any agreement with the owner, or any award having been made for compensation ; and further, if lapse of. such twenty-one days the owner refuse to allowj possession to be taken, the Minister of Public Works may issue a warrant to the Sheriff of the district, who will thereupon enter' upon the land, and give possession of the same to the Eersou appointed forthepurpose. The costs therey incurred are to be settled by the Sheriff, and paid by the party refusing to give possession. This somewhat summary process however, while/ aoilitating (the operations of constructing the(

Railway, does not in any way interfere with the right of the owner to obtain compensation for the lands so taken, or for any injury he may sustain by the carrying on of the works. The Act further provides that instead of the cumbrous system of conveyancing hitherto necessary, that whenever the Governor shall have taken land for such purposes, a plan of the lands permanently required shall be deposited in the office of the Registrar of Deeds, and a Proclamation issued in the Government Gazette ; a Memorial of such lands is also to be deposited in the Deeds Registry, and thenceforward they will be vested in the Queen, her heirs and|successors. We have thought it well to point out these matters, in consequence of the publication in our columns to-day of the Proclamation in question, as the legal result of which will be that in twenty-one days from this date the Railway works may be proceeded with on any portion of the line.