SETTLEMENT ON THE LAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 6

SETTLEMENT ON THE LAND.

The following is the extract from. tfc«B . . speech imade by the' Hon. Ifc. Menaie* m . .. the Legislative Council on moving the sacoadt. V... ) leading of .t he Otago Waste Lands Bill, Get. :,- u- ----■ 2, 1872; referred to in our leading column* •-> '■■ to>day.:-— . •"-■■-. -'■■■' '.•■'•■•■•■-•;• .■-.■..-.:■ .■.■■-..■.'-.■.■•.■...■. d new provisions had been introduce : whichv he believed, were not to lie found ib""': •: :: other New Zealand Land Laws. They bail ; been taken froni'Victorian Acts. The prinei- :; pal point of difference vn the system of mlq,;_': „•* of alienation of land by lease or license <w deferred [payments,' and that would be ». question which no doubt, would be carefully . : considered in the Council. The provisional '■~ whichwere embodied in the Bill had bees modelled for the most part from Victoria!* • ° Acts," which, he had beW inforinedj hadL ; •worked'with Buccees in that Colony. " Tt«; promoters of the Bill conceived that a gPß«fr : impetus to thb industrial, settlement of tim ■. country would be given if this particular modeof facilitating settlement was adopted,, inasmuch as many persons posaeseed ol » moderate amount of capital would r have ifc ■ absorbed; by-the purchase of land, if they ■ 1 were to settle upon it by direct purchase i» the ordinary'1 way, whereas,' 'by retaining ; teeir capitial for the time, they might; ~ apply it, so as to be able to make a liver. ./ lihood until'they had cultivated a imfE- . cient quantity of land either to purchasw . ■ the freehold or extend their possessions. The ■ email capitalists possessed only £100 er£2oo!; if. obliged to, expend probably half of: that iv purchasing land; would be prevented^ from, making such improvements as would oe i necessary, and be consequently crippled i» their progress :':" s whereas,; if ' their, capitat , '.. ■ were' free to be applied to increasing the < : value of the leasehold, whicH it .n», : V ■• i the first instance under the plan propose*!, s and obtaining stock, they might, in two.o*. ; three years, attain a comparatively ihder > 'pautent pssftion, and be enabled toac^u&e ' th^ freehold in a very shorb time. Hewaa aware that it would be said, on the other handj that the precedent was a dangero»a one, and that it was calculated to create a class of Government debtors, whose action. , :, io times of political excitement might be applied in a dangerous way^ No doubt thera was some truth in that; but he apprehended, that the proceedidgs under the provisions o£ this Bill would be of a tentative character^ ' If honourable members would look at th« provisions of the Bill, they would see that the danger was less than they might suppose at iiiat blush—seeing that the debtors— ' those who held the lands under those provi^ : sions—would not stand in the light of Provinciar"debtors. The Province would sell. them the land, but having sold the land, ifar officers' would not be further concerned ire the recovery of the rents or of the final pur— cnaae money. It was proposed that; the Re- ■ ceiver of Land Revenue, w^ho is an p&ce:re£ thie General Government,"should "receive thtt " rents aiid the final payment in the same viay as he now received the land revenue. Therefore, even supposing that the class should becomei numerous/they would not be able to bring any specific press are to^ bear upon Pto^ vincial elections. The Province would natf be tiie suing creditor, but an officer of the General Government—the Receiver of Land. Revenue—who could withhold the Crown Grant until any arrears that might be due had been paid.