THE LAND BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 9 November 1907, Page 2

THE LAND BILL.

DEBATE IN legislative COUNCIL. Per Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. The Land Laws Amendment U' ll committed in the Council Hon. Dr. Findlay asked that the WU should be put through ' r nil reasonable expedition. H P members who did" not think certain dauses went far enough would recognise that a fair compromise wu| im l , " at " ; This statement caused Hon. J. lttfeg to deliver a speech condemnatory of certain clauses in the Bill. .He suppos d ■ new members would feel under an obi; gation to the Government-very piopu ly, no doubt. The Government Had not } done all that was expected of it, and_ m consequence it was losing support in the C °Hoii y ' Messrs Barr, Paul, and Callan 4 resented Mr Rigg's reference to new members' obligations. ■ ( At clause 4, making the term of.the renewable lease CO years, Hon, J. T. Paul moved to strike out "GO" with a view to inserting "50." The amendment was defeated by 20 to 7. The Council resumed at 7.30 p.m. Clause 0 provides for the holder of a renewable lease at the end of sixty-six years having the right of renewal for a further term of CO yearß. Hon. J. T. Paul moved to reduce the [ weend term to 33 years.—Defeated. Hon. J. Rigg moved to amend clause ' 1G in the direction of prohibiting the 1 lessee of a renewable lease from having the right to pay off 90 per cent, of the capital value of his 'holding.—Lost by 24 to 1. A proposal moved by the Hon. J. Anstey for the removal of cropping - j'e-.. . after tlie tenant has piro 50 I per cent of the capital value into im- ' provements was defeated by 19 votes to I 2 ' The following new sub-clause was added to clause 10 on the motion of the , Attorney-General:—"Nothing in this section shall so operate as to affect the light of any local authority to the payment of 'thirds' as provided by section 120 of the principal Act. Such payments shall in the case of lands the rent of ; which is reduced under the provisions of this section be payable in such man- ' ner (either out of the rent received from J such land or out of interest payable under sub-seetion S of this section) as the Government from time to time preJ scribes by regulations made under the authority of this Act." j Sub-clause 2of clause 18 provides that • holders of leases-in-perpetuity who convert. their holdings into renewable leases shall pay a rental of 5 per cent, on the capital value. Oil the motion of the AttorneyGeneral 4% was substituted for 5 per , cent. This brings the clause into line . with clause 70 of the Bill. It was urged that the reduction would be an extra inducement to lease-in-perpetuity tene ants to change their tenure to renewe able lease. .. An attempt to strike out clause 20, giving lease-in-perpetuity tenants the e right to acquire tha freehold, was de- „ feated 22 to 4. n Oil the motion of the Minister, clause n ww amended in the direction of cxn tending the right of pasturage, lease, v or license holder to improve his farm in the following manner:—(a) To cultivate v <"iy portion of his run for the purpose e of growing winter feed for stock de- „ pastured on the run. (b) To plough and c sow 111 grass any portion of his run not j exceeding three thousand acres. (c) To clear by felling and burning bush t , or scrub any portion of his run and sow k ,n Srass. (d) To surface sow in (I grass any portion of his run. Any imn provement made under this clause with s Hie exception of cultivation for purposes Of winter feed shall be considered i n e fixing the amounts of. compensation e pavable to the outgoing lessee. % With these and other technical and d machinery amendments the Bill was ren P° rtwl - ? r ,- MEIKLE ACQUITTAL" BILL, a ~ POSTPONED FUIt THE SESSION. Per Press Association. [■ Wellington, Friday, i- In the House last evening tlie Premier said lie had not been able to see the Chief d Justice as lie had intended, but Lad e written to him on the subject of «Ue Meikie Acquittal Bill, more particularly 111 respect to the recommendation of the Commissioners that any legislation should be general in lis terms. He also asked that at the next sitting of the J Court of Appeal the juagos sJiuuid drait tl a Bill wliich would carry out the desires r of the Commissioners and also suggest the amount of compensation. His Honor ' had replied, consenting to bring the matt ter before the Court of Appeal. Tlie , Premier added that legislation would iliei'efore be deferred until next session, fis tlie House had evidently made up its mind that legislation dealing with a single individual should not be allowed 1 to go through, .Air. Massey said lie had listened with surprise to the Premier's statement, lie L ' understood that tlie committee of the l_ House which it was proposed to set up * 10 inquire into the matter would.have no opportunity of doing so, and the Bill on winch the House had spent a eoue siderable amount of time would be e dropped. He did not agree with tlie course proposed, as it was clearly the s duty ol the executive to prepare legist lation and be responsible for it. He s added that if the Government had shown r the same lirmness as it had shown on t« other legislation, then this Bill migat 0 been passed so far as the House ». of Representatives was concerned. », .Mr. Hornsby said he concurred with & what tiie "Premier had intimated. He n reiterated his previous statements that c the measure should be general. a .Mr. Finher, as one who had taken a » great interest in the case, said the Pre* . mier's attitude over the Bill was a ?on- ! cession to six members who had opposed it, and he contended that the same oppo--1 sition would be shown to the Bill next _ year. He was pleased that the question _ of compensation was to be referred to I g a judicial tribunal, and not to a tribunal consisting of members of tlie House. e -Mr. Remington defended his action over the Bill, and reminded Mr. Fisher that this was the first instance of instituting criminal appeal in the British Empire. ill*. T. Mackenzie, in defending his attitude, twitted Mr. Fisher with being absent from the House during discussion on the Bill and failing to raise his voice 3I in its support. He congratulated the r Premier on the action lie had taken. The Premier, replying, said that num--3 bers of members in addition to those 1 who had spoken against the Bill had k intimated that t'h<3y were opposed to the Bill. I