OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND DEBT,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 131, 17 April 1862, Page 5

OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND DEBT,

The Committee resumed business, pursuant to adjournment, in the Superintendent's Oliice, yesterday forenoon. Present—His Honor, Major Richardson, Superintendent; Sir. Howarth, Provincial Solicitor;: Mr. W. H. Outteu, Commissioner of Crown Lands -1 Messrs. John Bannatyne, Gillies, and Dillon Bell, arbitrators.

His Honor the Superintendent, on behalf of the Province of Otago, read a document, of which the following is a true copy : — " The Province of Otago claims that the Province of Southland should be charged with one-third of the principal sum of £$1,000 (being part of the sum of £500,000 raised under the New Zealand Loan Act oi 1850) charged upon the Provincial revenue of the Province of Otago. " It is submitted that this debt, being a purely territorial debt, should be considered separately, and without reference to the debt of £35,000. That being a territorial debt, it should be adjusted on a solely territorial basis, that is to say—that its apportionment between the two Provinces should be in proportion to the value of the territory of each Province at the date of separation, namely, the Ist April, 1861. " To arrive at that value, it is only needed to compare the relative amount of agricultural and pastoral laud of each Province, as shown in the annexed return by J. J. Thompson, Esq. (Appendix A.), Chief Surveyor of the Province of Otago. " To arrive at a just conclusion, it is necessary that the amount of land sold in each Province up to the Ist April, 1861, should be deducted from the above amount, and from the most accurate return obtainable (Appendix B.), it appears that there were 187,952 acres sold in Otago, and 103,920 acres in Southland, leaving an available balance of 580,048 acres in Otago, and 515,720 acres in Southland. In this return, agricultural land has besn assumed to be all laud below the level of 500 feet from the sea. This basis of calculation is highly favorable to Southland, as that Province has remaining a much larger area of land immediately available for agriculture than Otago has; and therefore, were the claim based upon a more strictly correct estimate of agricultural land, the Province of Southland would have to bear a niuch larger proportion of thfr debt than one-third, the agricultural land of the two Provinces being in the proportion of 550,048 acres hi Otago, and 575,720 acres in Southland, unsold at the Ist April, 1861. " The Proviucial authorities of Otago suggest that the debt should be charged upon the agricultural land at 6d per acre. " It is proposed to apportion the sum of Id. per acre on the pastoral lands, when the two items would stand thus :—

Otasro agrictl. 580,048 6d. per acre 14,501) 97 „„( Southland do. 515,720 6d. „ 12,893 ] Zl>6Ji Otazo pastoral 6,860,0-10 Id. „ 28,590 Io 9 9q <> Southland do. 587,360 Id. „ 3,697 j °^a° 59,687 Otago. £14,501 (agricultural) Southland, £12,393 „ ' 28,596 (pastoral) „ 3,69 7 £43,097 Total £16,590

" This sum, though not exactly the amount of the territorial debt, is sufficiently near it, to admit of the arrival at the relative proportions which each Province ought to bear, and is hi favor of Southland ; assuming that Province to be charged with one-third : and, should it be the intention of the arbitrators to fix the annual contributions of each Province, the estimate is sufficiently near, inasmuch as the Province of Otngo has already paid the sum of—say £20,000 towards the extinguishment of that debt. " The Provincial Government of Otago having duly considered the matter, are of opinion that the Province of Southland should be charged with one-third of the sum of £81,000, and claim the same accordingly. " (Signed) J. Richardson, " Superintendent.''

APPENDIX A. (Referred to in the preceding Statement.) No. 80. Survey Department. To His Honor the Superintendent.

Total acreage of the Province of Otago, taking the Northern boundary at the line fixed by the Canterbury and Otago Boundary Act, and deducting the the area of Southland, is equal to 21,940J square miles.

Estimate op thh Area of Agricultural, Pas-| toral, and Barren, or Unavailable Lahd in the two Southern Provinoes :— :

to 3 3 3. < a a 8

to o to *»- bO "en M "5 to "ca £> Js _j§ CO g I

3 g OS O •i" 4 o I g |—» O 100 8 £ to jca CO O g & ■g a QO O5

Agricultural sq. miles. Pastoral sq. miles. Barren ; or unavailable sq. miles. Total. Agricultural acres. Pastoral acres. Barren ; or unavailable acres. Total acres.

I The above estimate calls for the following explanations. By agricultural lands are meant those adapted • for argrieultnre, at the present time, and are generally tinder 500 feet of elevation above the sea level. By pastoral lands are meant those lauds lying between 500 and 4,000 feet of elevation, and covered -with natural grasses. In a densely populated country much of these lands are capable of producing corn and vegetables ; but, under present circumstances, agriculture, as a business, could not be carried on. By barren, or unavailable land, are meant lands above 4 000 feet elevation ; also, swamps, lagoons, and ; forests. The latter I class amongst unavailable, as, generally*speaking, with slight exception, near Towns, I forests produce no revenue, either to the Government :or private individuals, and the great cost of clearing prevents their occupation for settlement. (Signed) J. L THOMSON, Chief Surveyor. (Signed) J. EICHARDSON Superintendent.