WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4025, 12 January 1875, Page 2

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

TIIK SALE OF THE WAIKOIKOI nMiPRED. A special meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday morning, to consider an application lodged by James Logan for the purchase of lands in the Waikoikoi Hundred. At the opening- of the proceedings the following members were present : The Chief Commissioner, Messrs Bastings, Butterworth, Donald Reid, and Strode.

The CiiiEt- Commissioxkr said the business for which the meetiug was called was to consider an application by Mr Connell, on behalf of Mr James Logan, for a deeisionb i- the Board on Mr Logan's application of date Januasy 7th, for the purchase of lands in the Waikoikoi Hundred.—[The particular description of the land referred to is as follows :^Sections 1 to 22 inclusive and 25 to 31 inclusive, block 111., Greenvale district'also, sections 46, 47, 59, and CO, block 111., Gleukenieh district, being- an area of 2,592 acres. Sections 20 20a, 22, 24, 25, 27, 2S, 30, to 34 inclusive, block ll.' Glenkenich district; also sections 1, 2, 4. 6,8 9l 6' 12, 13,14, block VIII., Greenvale district, being- an area of 3541 acres. | The Commissioner went on to say that as Mr Logan was a relative of his, he would prefer not to be present while the matter was bein" considered, unless his presence was absolutely nece£ sary.

The Commissioner then retired, and Mr Strode took the chair. •.-■-;.

The Chairman read the following memo, from His Honour the Superiutendent:— ._■■.. t- " Superintendent's Office, January 11th, 1875 '-*' "This is to certify that, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, on the 15th December 1574,1 agreed to the land in the Waikoikoi Hundred' with the exception of sections 21, 23, 20, and 29 block 11., and sections 3,5,7, and 11, block VIII ' bein«declared land of special value, and sold by public auction in terms of the 85th section of the Ota^o Waste-Lands Act, 1872, and to the land beine with drawn from sale at £1 per acre. „ ._ ~ "J- Macakdrkw, Superintendent." Mr Reid said he objected to this business beinc taken up, as he. contended there was no application before the Board. The land applied for was not open for application, as would be seen by the minutes of the Hoard and the memo, from His Honour which was just read. This land, as the members'of the Board would remember, was declared to be of SDec'al value, and directed to be sold at public auction under the 85th section of the Waste Lands act It appeared that Mr Logan wished to steal a march on the public, and put in an application for the land at the usual nrice of £1 per acre. He (Mr Reid), as a member of the Board, refused altogether to entertain that application in any shape, or give it any footing at all, and he was very sorry indeed that a special meeting of the Board had been called to consider it. He thought it was giving the matter greater importance than it deserved. It should be treated in the same way as any application that might have been made by any other person who did not happen to hold the country in question. He would move the following resolution :— "That inasmuch as the land in the Waikoikoi Hundred has been set apart as land of special value in terms of the 85th section of the Waste Lands Act 1872, the land was not open for application when this application was lodged, and the Board therefore declines to entertain the application." He hoped the Board would decide this point at once, because if it were decided that there was no application before the Board within the meaning of the Act, Mr Connell had no locus standi.

Mr Bastings seconded Mr Reid's resolution. He could not see what desire Mr Logan had to put in au application.

Mr Connell submitted that if he brought the application, and as he was prepared to do, showed clearly and distinctly that the land was lawfully open to application, the Board, unless they heard him, would be working in the dark, and doing a great injustice to Mr Logan. He had conformed with the provisions of the Land Act, and came forward the day the hundred was proclaimed open, and put in an application. He submitted that if the Board refused to hear his argument m support of the application, it would be equivalent to an acknowledgement that his anruinent would Rhake them. If the Board had taken lawful and proper steps in opening the Hundred for application they need not be afraid of hearing what he had to say. But he took it that Mr Reid's conscience

Wr Ktm objected to Mr ConncU beisg heard at al

\ ?™ tii ihepoi?s-be had submitted was settled: Bte J^hi^aAlß^ tb^ bt n was ™necessary to say Mrfe, iw* aPPUcation «*** notte entertainer 'Sredhff*. *"> a '?****>*■ Mr Logan W '■ Stion m, S^ t ntml SKKWfeiPOH' which oSt^^: Ito he^S- him ' a Ppsal red!aie: Board was afrail lothSs^^hV^s dtai be saidontte ; JSJKffiLSSSS? oct that * MrI **--* 'Bol^l 00"116111 The remedy before tMs ithe^r^dfel^K^^"^^^ 5031* Mr Ck>nnell said that befdre-lfie-Board came U> a. de- ' 7!*1' ?V V<"i' d ask ""^.carefully t»«K£ ; of the Act under which they sat y which Act proride* : that all appl.cations for land; in ffie Proviaw sfawS. itJ ? c? d meetings of tbisßoarf!. . If the Board were prepsred'to .divest themselves off ail their functions, and refuse to hear appUcations, it -bos : not for him to point out their twiiree. The BcJani™ • th, e. rl? f? r the purpose of considering an appHcatioa which he contended was-legalj snd:if the Bo^l^ cidodthat it was not le^al, he would: go away quietly ; But he contended thut it wouldlbe a great mfusticeif iSffi^S War-thegro^osorxwhicitße Mr Reid remarked that- it' they began to argue t&» matter the argument would: take- a. very lomr tnne and he. did not think it would alber the decision of file Uoaru. . The resolution was then unaniißDasly agreed toC' JMr Connel! said if he had:been. permitted he wonH. hare shown that this land Had beeSTsold; ulegally^S" arri"ved?u c ofappeal aga«»':the decision jusfc The CiiAiwws pointediout that il the Board ha* acted illegally there was Tlie legality of the action could be tested at the Supreme Court/ Mr Reid remarked that it was about time the pti&11c saw what.sort of people the Board had to dea!w\t&~ when they found men off means, who had held h^-Tn^nuHeSLfd wa^" 1 the P*&-&** Mr ConneU was understood to say that it was wrongto allow Mr Beid to use such expressions, witto^ tn^fi D gm (^ ConneU> an opportunity of saj^ Mr Reid went onto saytha% a nan's sense of pabue Ualvo y .VelyUmitedißdeed Wh6D he^* MrConnell said that if. Mr Reid was allowed to nas such langaa 2 e, he (Ifr Gonneli) might be permitted to say that the members of the Waste Lands Board our&S to be ashamed of themselves, for tryin"- to eetfte argest amount of money out of fie public that the law would allow. He thought Mr.Reid was afKkti allow the matter to be discussed; lest the biot shonHL ns proved to be on the other leg-.,;He (Mr Conneß> might have been able to say something about au under' hand_«=ay of getting money. Mr Retd : At any. mte, the money would not eoatfa my pocket. . Mr Connell saidihe was prepared to behave wittiffie utmost courtesy towards the Board, but the comas they had adopted appeared to.him to be a gross iujastice, and if he had ; been guilty of using strong fan-, guaje he would surely be excused. Sir Reio explained that he had moved the resolution just earned. Jest the Board should give the appltcaikn* any position, on- recognise it in any way. The Boani did not recogmseit in any way, and if they heard sot discussion in its. favour he thou B ht they would he. Civrng; it some.recognition.- In fact; he thought it was c^edtoToSae^!" m«? ln*«:a»»«4

The Board: tlJen adjourned.