The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Thursday, November 27, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 961, 27 November 1879, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Thursday, November 27, 1879.

We Lave before us the copy of a Bill intended to make amendments under the Land Act. It is an important measure, and demands a careful perusual of the contents by all wbo interest themselves on the all absorbing question of the disposal of the public lands of the Colony. The Bill proposes to repeal the " Crown Land Sales Act, 1877"; but at the same time does not make void former proclamations, orders, or warrants. It provides that residence on deferred payment sections may be declared optional, if that course should be deemed advisable. The upset price of land purchased under the deferred payment system is to be fixed by the Governor, or m other terms by Ministers, who may, for the time being, be m power. But the upset price shall not be less than 30s. an acre for rural land, and .£4s. 10s. per acre for suburban land. In special cases where the land is exceptionally good, the Governor may advance the upset price upon the figures mentioned. Several contiguous sections may be grouped together if parties desiring to cultivate may agree to

such an arrangement. Among the j improvements demanded by the several clauses is clearing and cultivation. When fencing, building, or other improvements nave been made on land afterwards opened for application on deferred paymant, the selector is to pay the assessed value of such improvements should the Governor decide on compensating the former holder. No person who acquires, or has acquired, land under the Homestead System m the land districts of Auckland and Westland is allowed to become a selector under this Act. Two or more selectors may hold an allotment as tenants m common. Only one of them shall be required to reside on the land, but m, other l-espects each selector shall be subject to the same conditions as prescribed m the case of single selectors. An important feature of the Bill is a provision authorising the Governor to set apart any Crown lands contiguous to any line of vailway or main lines of road as village settlements under the following conditions: — (1.) The total amount of land set apart as village settlements m the Colony shall not exceed two hundred thousands acres. (9.) Every village settlement shall be surveyed and divided into village allotments not exceeding one acre each, and small farm allotments not exceeding fifty awes each ; or; if the Governor so direct, a village settlemeraent may be divided into village allotments only, or into small farm allotments only. (3.) The Governor may fix a day on which any allotment within a village settlement shall be open for application and may appoint that any such allotmeuts shall be sold for cash immediately on purchase, or on deferred payments subject to the condition of the said Act. (4) The price of village allotments shall be no less than five pounds per allotment, and of small farm allotments not less than one pound per acre. (5) All applications for land m village settlements shall be made m the same manner as other applications for land are directed to be made under the said Act. (6) If more persons than one apply for the same allotment on the same day, the right to occupy the allotment shall be determined by lot amongst the applicants m respect of small farm allotments ; but, m respect of village allotments, the same shall be disposed of at public auction at an upset price of not less than five pounds for each 'allotment. The conditions on which blocks of land are to be set apart of special settlements are the following : — (1) The total amounts set apart as special settlements m the colony shall not exceed one hundred thousand acres. (2) One-tenth of the price of the whole block of land selected for a special settlement shall be paid by the person or persons selecting the same within three months after the deposit of the survey plan of the external boundries of the block with the Chief Surveyor of the district wherein the block is situate. Such payment shall be made m manner as the Governor 'shall direct. (4) Occupation and permanent improvement of the land to a certain proportion of its area, to be defined by regulations, shall be a condition necessary to be performed before the issue of a Crown grant for any such land. (5) Neither the whole nor any part of any block of land set aside as a special settlement shall continue to set aside for a period of more than seven years from the date of the proclamation whereby the same shall be set aside every contract made with respect to any such block or any part thereof, whilst the same remains so set aside, shall be performed notwithstanding that the block has ceased to be so set aside. (6.) All lands within any special settlement block which, at the expiration of seven years from the same being set aside, shall not be taken up on the conditions of such settlement, may be declared by the Governor m Council to be open to all purchasers as ordinary Crown lands from and after a day to be fixed m such order. The Governor is empowered to enter into contracts with private individuals or companies with respect to lands for special settlements, and a rebate m the price of i such land, not exceeding ten shillings | per acre, may be made m respect of immigrants introduced by such contractors on it being proved to the satisfaction of the Governor that the immigrants are actually settled on the land and improving it. The Governor is to fix the class, price, and terms or urban, suburban, and rui'al lands disposed of for cash, the price, however, not to fall below the minimum" prescribed m the Act for land iof the same class. There are also clauses referring to pastoral licenses, and the leasing of reserves. These are the chief provisions of the Bill to which few exceptions can be taken. The Bill when it becomes law will be the means of encouraging men of small means to go upon the land as working proprietors.