REPORTS, &c.

Otago Witness, Issue 1640, 28 April 1883, Page 12

REPORTS, &c.

Government Land Sale.

The sale of runs the leases of which expire in March, 1884 ; of surrendered runs ; of de-ferred-payment land \ and of education reserves, which was held in the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon by Mr R. B. Martin, Government auctioneer, was not very largely attended, between 40 and 50 persons only being present. This number dwindled down to about 20 when the deferred-payment land was put up, and there did not appear to be much demand for the sections, only two out of the eight offered being sold; while of the 28 runs put up only seven were disposed of. Of those sold only two (331 and 335b, purchased by Mr Stronach for the N.Z.L. and- M.A. Company) elicited anything like keen competition. The results of the sale are as follow :—

RUNS WHOSE LEASES EXPIRE IN 1884.

833 —About r-1,580 acres ; license for 14 years ; upset rental, £215 per annum.— Passed in. 333 a. ~ 28,790 acres ; 14 years ; upset, £120.— Passed in. 334. -13,890 acres ; 11 years ; upsefc, £200.— £220, Henry Campb«!l.

334b.— 48,0 -.0 acres ; 14 years ; upset, £404.— Upset, Henry Campbell.

340b. -16 530 acres ; 14 years ; upset, £.100 — Upset, Henry Campbell.

331.-31910 acres; 21 yeara; upset, £100.— £250, N.Z.U and M.A Compwy.

H3la.- 13,670 acres ; 21 years ; upset, £80.— Upset, N.Z L. and M.A Company.

3380. - 18,430 acres ; 14 years ; upset, £160. — Ups>it, Hem-y Campbell. 335b - 27,050 acres ; 14 years ; upset, £110.— £100, N.Z L. and M.A. Company.

452 —18,690 acres ; 21 years ; upset, £78.— Passed

391.-38,220 acres; 21 years; upset, £100.— Passed

449.-12,980 acres; 14 years; up3et, £30.— Pa3aed

SURRENDERED RUNS.

Nine runs, the leases of which have expired and po -session of which was offeiedon thnday of sale, were offered, but did not clii.-i a bid. They were-flios. 364, 465, 453, 443, 418, 415, 418, 431, and 438.

RUNS IN WAKAHPU PASTORAL DISTRICT.

Seven runs in this district, possession of which would also be given on the day of sale, were also offered without eliciting a bid. They were Nos. 21, 22, 29, 31, 17, 20, and 30.

PASTORAL DEFERRED-PAYMENT LAND.

Eight sections were offered at an upsot of 20b per acre, and of these two in Lower Hawea, three iv Tarraß, and one in Ttitmau district were passed in without a bid. Two sections only were sold at the upset, as under :—

Section 31, block IX, Tuturau ; 1987 acres.— Connell and Hoodie, for Adam if 'Neil!.

Section 10, block 111, Slopedown ; 4368 acres.— John Plaisted.

EDUCATION RESERVES.

Fourteen years' leases of two runs, Education Reserves, situated in the Waikaia district, as follows :—

Run 327, Waikaia and Garvie districts, tenanted by Mr James Gail, comprising 19,220 acres country. Possession on Ist March, 1881. Upset rent, £240 per annum. — Passed in.

Run 327 a, Waikaia district, tenanted by Hr Jainoa Gall comprising 17,700 acres, fine carrying cipacity. Possession on Ist March, 1884. Upset rent, £221 per annum. — Upset, Roger Robson.

Tlie Massey Case. (By Our Special Reporter.)

iNVEROARaiLi,, April 24th. The criminal sessions at Invercargiil were opened to-day before his Honor Mr Justice Williams, and the hearing of the Massey trial has been fixed for to-morrow.

His Honor, in the course of his charge to the Grand Jury, said : There ia a case of considerable complexity which haß been appointed to be tried here— a charge against the late Town Clerk of Dunedin and his wife of the larceny of valuable securities belonging to the Corporation of Dunedin. As a large croportion of the jury panel in Dunedin are ratepayers of that city, and as it is in effect the property of the ratepayers which the accused are charged with stealing, the case was ordered to be tried here. The caße is very voluminous, but, omitting numerous details, the substance of the case sought to be made out against the prisoners is somewhat as follows : — The Corporation of Dunedin purchased certain waterworks for the city, and in order to carry out the purchase they issued debentures. Afterwards it appeared that the form of some of these debentures was objectionable, and the Corporation decided to issue fresh debentures iv exchange for tha old debentures to such of the holders of old debentures as wished to exchange. Some of the holders gave up their old debentures accordingly, and received fresh ones, and the old debeutures were cancelled. Some, however, of the old debentures were not exchanged, but remained in the hands of the holders, whUe fresh debentures, corresponding in number to these old numbers, were signed and sealed ready to be exchanged for the others. The exchange, however, was never carried out, the fresh debentures remaining in tho hands of the

male prisoner, while the old debentures corresponding to them remained in the hands of the original holders. Last year certain of the fresh debentures which had been signed and sealed ready for exchange, but which had not" been exchanged, were sold in Melbourne by the female prisoner. Now these fresh debentures had been in the hands of the male prisoner for one purpose only — namely, to be exchanged for outstanding debentures. If he did not exchange them, but they were Bold by him, or by his wife at his instigation, it would follow that there would be debentures of the original isßue and of the fresh issue both in circulation at the same time ; while, if the exchange had been carried out, the original debentures would have been withdrawn from circulation and cancelled. The question, therefore, simply is, Did the male prisoner, having the debentures in his custody for the purpose of exchanging them, instead of exchanging them sell them through the female prisoner, and appropriate the proceeds ?