PASTORAL INTELLIGENCE.

North Otago Times, Volume VI, Issue 110, 29 March 1866, Page 3

PASTORAL INTELLIGENCE.

A largo meeting of the pastoral occupants of tlio Crown has talcen place during tho past month in Invercargill, for the purpose of discussing tho new Southland Land Act, and determining the course of action which it was advisable to pursue. Although the press was not admitted to their deliberative meetings, wo have sufficient evidence to assert that they were characterised by great fairness of thought as regarding other interests, and a desire to canvass liberally tho action of tho Government under discussion — that while desiring to protect themselves from any unnecessary interference, they wore not opposed to tho settlement of tho country. It is duo to tho pastoral organization to say, that thoy have initiated a system of united action essential to the provoking of that public activity which is indispensable to progress. We hope tho time may never come when tho pastoral interests of Southland shall bo held antagonistic to the other interests of tho country — when the agricultural and commercial community shall view it as obstructive. All threo interests are identical, and should work together for tho positive benefit of all. To assert that pastoral pursuits must, in due course of ovents, either amalgamate or give way to agricultural, would bo simply lo give utterance to a threadbare truism. But there is no reason for tho pastoral interest to bo sacrificed, or injustice done to tho occupants of tho Crown Lands. When interference with them becomes necessary, let a fair and equitable compensation bo awarded, and all interests fairly dealt with. Agriculture must advance, and pastoral recede — change its position — before the advancing wave of population and 'colonization. To attempt to stem the progress of the one to foster and pamper tho other, would only be to breed discord, bitterness, agitation, antagonism, and disorder. To facilitate settlement and do no injustice to existing interests — to place an adequate supply of land in the market, and at the same time avoid, as far as possible, disturbing the squatter in the occupation of his run, is tho end to which the Government should now direct its attention. If we can count aright the beating of tho pastoral pulse, this is all they ask, and this is what every politician — not of " stump" celebrity — would desire to give. We subjoin the following document, \radcr which we understand tho representatives of the pastoral interest havo elected to act : —

" Invercargill, 28fch February, 1866. " To tho Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands for the Province of Southland. 'Sib, "We beg to give you notice that wo are desirous of holding our run, No. 181, subject to the provisions of the Southland Waste Lands Act, 1865. In taking this course wo wish to record our protest against Clause 27, by which it would appear that compensation to the" Crown tennnfc for the loss of his run is allowed only so long as the price of Ittnd re* mains at 20s. per acre. The spirit of the resolutions of the Provincial Council on which the Land Act in question was based, was intended to give the scale of compensation contained in the Act without reference to'price. " Wo also protest against ClauRO 75, which must bo looked upon as a threat to coerce the Crown tenants to como under the Act, in order to escape the worse

alternative of having their runs declared into Hundreds. " We further protest against the Provincial Debt Act, 1865, moro particularly Clause 15, which virtxiallv confers an absolute and arbitrary power of altering the prico at which land may bo sold, and also the terms and conditions upon which the occupants of Crown lands hold their leases, thus deterring the runholders or capitalists by a probability of a reduction in price, from investing in the purchase of land as they otherwise would wei'e the prico definitely fixed, and retarding the improvement of the Province by tho Ci'own tenants, as they cannot be expected to invest largely in fencing, and the introduction of superior live stock, so long as the terms upon which they hold their runs are so uncertain. " In thus protesting, wo elect to hold our runs under the provisions of the Southland Waste Lands Act, 1865, without prejudice to our right, by petition and all oilier lawful and constitutional means, of endeavoring to pi-ocure a repeal or modification of the provisions of Southland Provincial Debts Act, 1865, and of tho clauses in the Land Act above referred to. — AVe have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servants, " HotiSIES & BARiraiLL." — Southland Times.