NEW ZEALAND

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6258, 3 July 1890, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND

WELLINGTON, July 2,

In the Divorce Court, the Chief Justice made the rule absolute in Elly v. Elly, husband’s petition, and Hearlo v. Searie wife’s petition. Mr 0. S. Mixon, landing waiter here, is to be removed to Lyttelton.

WESTPORT, July 2.

The Westport Coal Company have exported 101,347 tons for the six months ended June 30th, an increase of 26,000 tons over the corresponding period of last year’s export. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day Thomas Johnston Jones was committed to the District Court for assault and grievous bodily harm on John Marshall, manager of the Westport-Wallsend coal mine.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 2

The Lyttelton Harbour Board approved of the action of their chairman in selling the dredging plant to the Government for £12,000 for the Westport Harbour Board. Delivery will be given at the conclusion of the present dredging operations, not later than October 15th. The chairman reported that on June 26, with a rise of tide of only sft 4in, and a bit of a sea on, the Coptic drawing 26ft 2in, left the wharf and proceeded to sea without the least difficulty or delay.

DUNEDIN, July 2

At a meeting of the City Council to consider the balance sheet the Mayor said that the overdraft exceeded the amount allowed in the general account. He suggested as a means of nutting the finances on a better footing that a rate of 3d in the £ for charitable aid should bo struck and that the second moiety of the water rate should not be collected. The water accounts showed a surplus of some £2053, but this could not bo credited to the general account. Iho matter*, was referred to tho finance committee,

A question cropped up at tho Land Board to-day regarding the effect of the Selectors Land He-valuation Act. The Board was asked to decide whether, a person holding 640 acres of first class land, whose rental rate has been reduced below £1 per acre, he could consider his land in consequence of the reduction to be only second class, and could be take up an additional section. The matter has boon referred through the Chief Commissioner to the Minister.

INVERCARGILL, July 2

A case of- interest came before the Land Board to-day. A holder of a deferred payment section named Mao AIL ter who hud forfeited, asked the board to reconsider the decison to forfeit with a view to giving him the land if possible. It was stated that ha took up the land at 100 s (?) per acre, improved it and paid instalments totalling 325, when being unable to continue his payments the board declared the section forfeited. Immediately afterwards the revaluations under the Act of last session was legalised and the valuers assessed the land at 30s per acre, or 2s less than the first settler had paid in instalments. The applicant therefore thought that be bad a claim in equity to bo placed on the land again. Chief Commissioner Spence was of opinion that the board could do nothing as the provisions of section 73 of the Act on which it was argued that a- rehearing could be granted, applied only to cases of dummyism, and that in other cases a rehearing" must be within a 30 days’ period, which had long since elapsed. He read a memo on a similar case in which it'was stated that no relief could be granted in such circumstances, the first selection having been out of possession before the 80-valuation Act passed. Mr T. M. Macdonald, for the applicant, said that Macaliater bad interviewed the Minister of Lands who bad expressed an opinion that the Board had power to undo what it had done. Mr Denniston, a member of the board, contended that they had power under the Land Act to deal with such matters independent •of any expression of opinion from Wellington. Eventually it was decided to refer the matter to the Minister of Lands.