SEQUEL TO THE IMPOUNDMENT OF THE LAND FUND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1349, 16 January 1879, Page 3

SEQUEL TO THE IMPOUNDMENT OF THE LAND FUND.

The following letter has been placed at the disposal of the Press for publication : — Chriatchurch, New Zealand, 2utb December, 1878. Sir, — I am requested by tho committee appointed by several County Councils and Road Boardß for the purpose of obtaining payment of tho portion of the Cante-bury land fund due to Lbem, but which was withheld by the Colonial Government, to inform you that their work has been brought to a conclueion, and to request your co-operation m the payment of the expenses incurred. As directed by the general meeting of representatives of the above mentioned bodies, the committed, after having obtained the best legal advice within their rench, had recourse to legal proceedings with a view of compelling the Government to pay over the money which they wrongfully held back. These proceedings were frustrated by the position assumed by the Government, that even if their conduct were illegal, the Supreme Court had no authority to compel them to carry out the law. The committee have no doubt that if the Government had not sheltered themselves behind this not very creditable defence, their conduct would have been declared illegal, and the whole sum impounded by them would have been recovered. Legal proceedings having failed, for the above reason, the committee prepared and forwarded lo the House of Representatives during the late session of Parliament a petition setting out fully the facts of the case, and praying the House to cause justico to be done. In the cnurse of the session the claims of the local bodies whose revenues had been impounded were frequently and urgently pressed upon the attention of Government and of Parliament by the Canterbury and some of the Otago members ; and eventually a compromise was arrived at by which out of the Bum of £225,000 so detained, £155,000 wns agreed to be paid. Of tbia amount £55,000 has already been remitted, and the balance is to bo paid m the course of two or three weeks. Although this partial success was not immediately the reault of the legal proceedings taken by the committee, they are assured by the members to whose exertions they are so much indebted, that those proceedings contributed very materially to this result, by bringing the whole circumstances of the case prominently under p..blic notice, and alao by ehowing the determination of the local bodies whose funds had been misappropriated to leave no stone unturned by which this wrong could be remedied. The committee feel assured, therefore, that the expenses incurred by them will be readily shared by all partial interested, the greater

number at whom Law indeed alre uy ngnitu-d their willingness to do co. The turn total ol the-e expenses, including the Government costs, is £^70 os 7di, being about 3s 6d per cent upon the amount recovered. I pball feel mucli obliged if you wi:l lay this letter before your Bjurd, m<d inform me as coon &s you conveniently enn, whether they ure willing to contribute m proportion to the amount recovered for them. As coon a« the number of Boards willing to do bo has been a-cei tamed, and the exact ■urn pujuble by each can consequently be determined, I will forward you a list of such sums, and request a remittance of the mioun! due from you. The committee h .s learnt with regret th it the circular Uaued by them inviting the cooperation of County Councils and Komi Boards, has failed t> reach some of thjre bofi'-s. If this hns happened m your cuae, the committee trust you will attribute i. to a pure accident, and not to any intentional omission on their part. I have the honor to be, sir, Tour obedient eeivnnt, J. L. Wilson, Chairman of the Committee. To tho Chairman of — Rond Board.