THE LINCOLNSHIRE DELEGATES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6281, 30 May 1881, Page 3

THE LINCOLNSHIRE DELEGATES.

In a private letter from Mr. Grant, one of the Lincolnshire delegates who recently visited the colony, which has been published in a Christchurch paper, that gentleman says • “ Our plan or proposed plan of dealing with it is somewhat as follows : There are (his own and Mr. Foster’s) 17,000 acres, price 345. per acre ; as we have bought it for our friends as well as ourselves we propose taking only 1500 acres each, and we think as we have had all the trouble and expenses, we ought to have the first selection ; that is the only personal privilege we ask for, and the rest we offer to our friends at one price, viz., 345. per acre. Friends who desire to purchase through us here, will have to make their selection out. Of course the land varies in value, and to meet that difficulty we think the best way is to appoint a competent person, say, Captain Whyte, of Hamilton, to put his value, not to exceed 345. in the aggregate. Some land would be only 205., and some might be 455. or 60s. 17,000 acres will be easily taken up, but shall limit to those with whom I have had correspondence on the subject of New Zealand, and are thinking of going out. I may say there are some 20,000 acres adjoining, belonging to Mr. Russell, that we can buy at a reasonable price, if we require it, embodied in our scheme. I propose that those who join in this matter here shall pay their quota for the number of acres they decide upon having, and then any lauds not taken up or sold hera we shall all share at in proportionate quantities, and enclose and farm, &c., and then sell off shares in the colony 'to parties who may afterwards apply, but not necessarily at the one price. I think all who have to embark in it ought to realise some profit over those who dare adventure here. I have several already prepared to go in for portions of it. One gentleman from Yorkshire, with several sons and sons-in-law, wants about 5000 acres of it. He has already sailed, and some of his family are going next spring. They take out altogether some £50,000. Another gentleman wants 1000 acres ; another 500, &c., &o. This is, of course, a rough outline, and wfcat we shall have to arrange, about now is how the land is to bo settled, &c.; but all this can be amicably arranged. We shall have to pay our respective shares here into a fund for that purpose at the Bank of New Zealand, and the money has to be paid to the Government in March next, I expect.”