A VEXED QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9450, 22 August 1889, Page 5

A VEXED QUESTION.

OLD SOLDIERS' LAND CLAIMS.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.

GRANTS OF LAND RECOMMENDED. [BY telegraph.—special CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. Tins report on the Naval and Military Settlers Land Claims Bill was presented today by Captain Russell (chairman), and on that gentleman's motion referred to the Government for consideration. The report is a very long one, and states that the committee found it impossible to examine properly into tho merits of every individual case (the number of claims being nearly '2000), and they therefore determined not to enquire into the prayer of each petitioner, but to limit the enquiry into the general principles which should, in their opinion, guide them in recommending the House what course should be adopted to make a final settlement of the claims. The committee recommends that such persons as were entitled to scrip under the Auckland Naval and Military Scrip Act, 1856, whose claims have not been settled, should be considered as still entitled to a certificate for remission of £20 in the purchase of Crown lands in that provincial district. With respect to naval and military settlers, the committee thinks the conditions as to residence, and the time in which claims should bo made were not known to many men, and the report remarks upon a feature of the cases that many persons applying for land hud to wait till surveys were completed ; and, according to Mr. Percy Smith, the surveys in some cases took months, and in many eases years to complete. The committee think, that although some of these claiming forfeit their claims on a strict interpretation of the law, the Government are equally to blame, and they recommend that any officers and men who were discharged in the colony, or who having retired from Her Majesty's service arriving in New Zealand on or before December 31, 1808, should be considered as though they had become entitled to land claims prior to the passing of the Auckland Waste Lands Act, 1807. The committee further recommend that these claims be settled in land, not in money. It is recommended that all Forest Rangers enrolled under the conditions sot forth in the memorandum of Thomas Russell, 1883, be granted land ; also that the original forest rangers should not be debarred. The committee cannot recommend a grant to Major Jackson for distinguished service, tho service in question having happened after the disbandment of the original Forest Rangers. It is recommended that volunteers who were enrolled prior to the passing of the Waste Lands Administration Act, 1870, should have all their rights respected which had been acquired previous to the passing of that Act. All mombers of the defence force who completed the conditions of their enrolment are entitled to the same grants of land as the officers and men of the volunteer and militia settlers. The committee recommend, finally, that power bo given to the Chief Commissioners of the Waste Lands Boards to inquire into the equity of each case Which may bo brought before them, and to grant land without further reference.