PAPER DELIVERED BY THE DEPUTIES FROM PORT NICHOLSON TO SIR GEORGE GIPPS, OCTOBER 2, 1840.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, 10 December 1840, Page 1

PAPER DELIVERED BY THE DEPUTIES FROM PORT NICHOLSON TO SIR GEORGE GIPPS, OCTOBER 2, 1840.

The Deputies from Port Nicholson have had the honor to receive from the Honorable the Colonial Secretary a minute of propositions suggested by His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales, with regard to the purchases of land made by the settlers at Port Nicholson. The Deputies feel bound to express their sense of the liberal consideration which the circumstances of the settlers at Port Nicholson have received from His Excellency. The Deputies admit the expediency of the principles laid down by His Excellency as to the terms of disposing or land. They ">ould only suggest that in a case where little more than one fifth of the laud is available, some modification of those principles might equitably be permitted. The proposals of the New Zealand Company offered to the first purchasers an unlimited right of selection over the whole of the district acquired by them. Every purchaser therefore, might expect to obtain 100 acres of land, the larger portion of which would be susceptible of cultivation. The lottery was not supposed to contain any blanks, but to decide the apportionment of prizes of different value, with reference both to the town and country lands. To follow out the plan of the New Zealand Company, of allotting sections of 100. acres, in connection with the proposal of His Excellency of taking 110,000 acres in a continuous block, would create an unexpected and most injurious distinction between the owners of the earlier and, of the later choices. The owners of the later choices would receive a right of selection which would be absolutely worthless. The owners of the earlier choices would have an unlooked for value conferred upon their land by the virtual monopoly thus occasioned. The Deputies are aware that these are consequences against which the Government may not consider itself called upon to provide. Should such be the case they must acquiesce in the decision of His Excellency. In that event, however, they anticipate that the settlers at Port Nicholson will agree to such a modification of the plan of the New Zealand Company as would give to every holder of a land order a share in the available land within the district. In this belief they should nccept with cheerfulness the first of the propositions contained in the minute of His Excellency.

The settlers at Port Nicholson have, howtver, as yet no corporate existence which sajght enable them to provide for the survey

and management of the lands to be conceded to them. The Deputies would therefore suggest that the Agent of the Company should be made the instrument for putting them in possession of their land ; and that upon »ondition of making all needful reserves for such public purposes as are referred to in the minute of Mis Excellency, such Agent shall be allowed to give to each purchaser' from the Company a town section, and to distribute among them the country sections. The Deputies in repeating their expression of the willingness of the settlers at Port Nicholson to provide for all local purposes out of their own resources, beg again to submit to His Excellency the expediency of conferring upon them a charter of municipality for the whole district, as indispensable, in order to enable them to raise the funds required for such purposes.