DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 15.

Otago Witness, Issue 1024, 15 July 1871, Page 12

DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, JULY 15.

To the evident disappointment of the Executive the Land Bill has passed through Committee without any debate worth speaking about having taken place upon it. That the provisions of the measure are not acceptable to all the members is a fact which is well known, but the minority, aware how futile it *rould be to attempt to alter the Bill in the Council, prefer to reset ye their energies for another place. Even when before the Assembly it will be found, we believe, that what has hitherto been known as the Conservative party upon the land question will not offer any opposition to the more liberal principles of the Bill. The views which have recently been enunciated by Mr Cargill., Mr Driver, and others, are even more liberal in their character than those of Mr Reid and Mr Bathgate. The resolutions of the latter are thrown into the shade when compared with Mr Cargill's bold proposal that there should be free selection throughout the whole province, with grazing

rights attached. Indeed, the course pursued on the land question by the members of the late Executive and their supporters during; the session, has furnished a complete answer to the charge whioh has been so frequently preferred against the runholding party, namely, that it is its aim to retard settlement as much an possible. What that party will contend for in the Assembly, and what most assuredly it will obtain, if an Ofcago Land Act be passed at all, will be the introduction of machinery for regulating the declaration of Hundreds, in place of the provisions of the Acts of 1869 and 1870, the repeal of which is sought. It is certain that the constitution of the Assembly is not altered to such an extent that it will consent to the repeal of those Acts, unless the principles which they contain are embodied in the new measure. Has anything occurred since those measures were passed to lead the Assembly to suppose that the Provincial Council can now be trusted with the administration of our land laws? Is it at all likely that the Assembly will ignore principles which two years ago it almost unanimously insisted on engrafting upon our land system 1 No one knows better than Mr Reid how hopeless it is to expect that the Assembly will give effect to the Land Bill of his Government, unless there are introduced into it certain salutary checks against the reckless dealing with the land by the chosen of the people in the Provincial Counoil. No doubt he is playing his cards well for the future by refusing to provide in the Land Bill machinery for regulating the declaration of Hundreds, and he will score another point in the politioal game when he enters his protest in the House of Representatives against the introduction of this principle. Looking at the Bill as a whole, it will be seen that if brought into opers? tion, the greatest possible inducements will be held out to persons to settle upon the land. The adoption of a system of selling land on deferred payments, however, will materially diminish our provincial revenue, and it may come yet to be a matter for grave consideration before the Bill becomes law whether we can afford to forego payment in full for any land that may be taken up. It was fairly pointed out by Mr Cutten during the debate that a liberal provision for settlement and a large land revenue were incompatible ; that members must make up their minds which they would have, as they could not have both. In making revenue a secondary consider ration, we think the Council has acted wisely, more especially in view of the introduction of immigrants under the General Government scheme, We pointed out in a recent article that it is now the opinion of the Ministry that the policy of last session will not be properly carried out unless there is, along with the construction of public works, a constant flow of immigration into the colony, and ample provision made for the settlement of future immigrants upon the soil. There is every reason to suppose, therefore, that Ministers will lend their aid towards rendering the provisions of the Otago Land Act of 1871 as attractive as possible to the intending immigrant. The coming session will certainly become a memorable one, if the action taken by it enables political parties in this province to bury the hatchet upon the Land Question.

Considering counter attractions, Mr Haughton's lecture in the Port Chalmers Mechanics' Institute, on Tuesday evening, was well attended. The lecture was similar to that delivered in Dunedin by the same gentleman, and was highly appreciated by those present. A hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, proposed by Mr M'Dermld, seconded by Mr Rolfe, was carried by acolamation. The Roslyn and Kalkoral Literary Institute held their usual weekly meetings in Roßlyn Hall on the 30th of June and the 7th inst. The meeting on the 30th June was held to hear a lecture from Mr J. Black on Astronomy. Mr J. Kilgour was in the chair. The lecturer showed great ability in popularising his subject, and kept up the attention of the audience throughout. The principal business transacted on Friday week was the completing of arrangements for holding a discussion with the Dunedin Mutual Improrement Society, on the subject, "Should the Bible be read inSohoola?"