THE LAND QUESTION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 38, 31 October 1868, Page 3

THE LAND QUESTION.

Proposed by Mr. Nicholson, and !^^^be^cKairman of the comniitW T -»'i#j; _Jl ' ■ ■ - , , Mov^by^r M'Leod^cconded by Mr. G-eddes, "That Mr. JSTichohon be secretary."— Carried unanimously. After this stage pf the^proeeedings Mi^ poison, a^ain / cajie { , fomV^rd^ a n<T threw considerable light on the PoHcy of the present^o^ Executive, by dilating on." Minutes of Evidence 'Jaken-by^h™f~U6w; ingee of bj^h Houses of the Legislatu/ef appointed to consider bills and petitions affecting waste-Ws- of-tho-grown IJe entered iully npon Mr. Bradshaws recoinmendatioHj- and the advisability of adopting, that system Otago, viz., accupation tefoi^ -pur-. chasers .'atcpresent established by law:This, Mr/ -Bradshaw thinks,, must -be .do & a in .ordeivfco prevent .inordinate. sp%ula|i6n, TSe also .reconiinended, -on Wence th^ th ?, le °£ ft? freehold^nds v of .the JWce should be subject to a btate tax per acre, whether improved or npt. ,He abjo reviewed •• at -length portions of Mr Macandrew.S' evidence, m which that gentleman'stated/Tisihg his 1 own wds — " That thfere are on 'the goldfields about^QO.OOO acres, open for selection^ for agricultural leases, '&c,.^Ho (Mr. Nicholson) would be glad to see .he truth- of vthat>statement verified, as he, in common with the vest of the public, wquld like to ]pow of its whereabouts, . and if it.haa been -surveyed With .rega^d^qlthe cry-of 4and for- the people, ..he Qlb. ■ Nicholson) would^ assure the, meeting^ that unless it be s^edily"-"app^;sed. it would go on and on, gathering in .force, until it % •Provincial -in^tutions comp\etely aSv.ay before it.--(Cheerß.) Ho also hoped that^tho day might soon arrive when .the General trovernment would delegate Mi;. Bradshaw and the Hoi?. -'Major 'EicKar.dson, and others imbued with the J same 'spirit,' to enquire into .the wants , of,-, the Otago miners. " 'They^ were both the friends of the' people;, the last-named gentleman, from his long residence, and the position he 'had 1 held 'in the I 'Province, he- regarded as peculiarly fitted ,£pr tha^ mission, notwithstanding all the aspersiwi's tnat had been cast upon Tm^hyt the- present leader of the' provincial'" "party, both in public and through the medium of the. press. — (Loud- and -prolonged" cheering.) A vote of thanks to the chair closed the proceedings. -' - - :

-IiiraSIfSIA.STIC'MBiTmd'\AM MO'ASI I LXa\

(Frem our' Mount A" public meeting % was held in front' of the' Gourtf House, l^s# Plafc, % on •Wednesday- last; othel-'resi&eril:s :: ni' i the t dis'ljrict;'-t6 cHn-l What 1 steps ii; take * in* regaYd'fo the £1 per held for 1 ' cattle, 1 ddeiila.ndeaannually^by^ 6ne r -bf : the rinfli'oltLers' ; also, to ."Tirge Oipp^. \th§ jG-overnment the necessity, thaf <53§istsr for -i^pwing onen* t th,ei; whqhk, ,o^ ; tke,; agricultural lanis aiong^jbhe^.pank's •j9f.;the,;Mpiy r neux, from the^.lleaumoiLt upwards, for settlement^ 'wrwf commonage as well ; so ;"fhb soil may Haye^tfie'p'rlvileg'e df rutonig a few head of cattle each, 'without rfek of i/herr-benig J - Fi impbnnded / 'Dy / - &e squatter. \ ' x rr f '. . "li ' \ ■ _ | Mr. Moffat, being )Vpted{ to the' chair, said he wished."th.eir, clipiee had;rather : fallenpnisqm&tpg t^e 'Othe^ gen^leme^i present, who, he^as. sure, were much better fitted" :^6 perform the duties which ha v d4eeiaTass"igned to' fifrAV.he . would, howeyer, 1 &o Ms 'bfest. *■ H^said ' the whole; gist'" or.~Bum'o£'the matter before -. them, might j be^. comprised' ;in three wprds^nr" Men-or .Sheep :,'",whjca was to predominate.^., Were our rich alluvial 'vatlej^ ttvo v r l emain in^ their primeval wildne^s^ntehSriteSj^vS'lDy the solitary- sltepherd 1 and ! his 1 bleating flock; or'.w.ere. they, ito'Cbecome the scene'of., ac,tiye vi jife,;'and.i bjisy-haunts of men. . He^-hacUyepy 'iittip/ hope, of getting any redress/-in<theimai?te.r<f?om the Provincial- Grovernment,;f They-.^ll knew-4what tp t 'exp.ect'jfrom >a ;po^er that had the cooj'f effrontery,', just-, the other day," to offer ,jthe;settlers of.' Tuapeka 3OAO ,'^cres. -$qv pasturage,; when they asked for 5.0,000 or: 60,000 acres. His o wn;opiaion" was; that < they, should make their wants 1 known, to the Gene-ral-jGrovernment, and : request, that, a thorough searching, investigation into their present condition and .requirements be made by it on tlie"Bp'dt,'^as the only means of speedily bringing the ; - Provincial Gro.vernment itftrits senses, -and prove. that the*: present agitation for '• land 1 -throughout the country was' not,, as liad b r een. .stated somewhere; merely a' "clap-trap 'cry/' Mr. M'Leod then addressied % the meeting/ and' after "some" 'fema^ks, moved the following resolution, r which Va3 secbrided bj Mr. 'Patrick-^-'! That in the j event of the'Vu^holdeiv. pbt^acceptifi^lOs.' per head.for cattle/which, in the op'inion^ofji^^iee.ting is amply sufficient . meetingV 'ayows I^3, indention not to pay the v siim; of JSl^eihanS^, ; and' f iTr^ffif^gledges' itself that, in the'event'^S^gai proceedings, .being jbaken , againsjK^ny one indiyi J dual to enforce' the sam^Ojresist,' by every lawful; means;i|Q^p^peer.'' t —.Carried unanimously.' - , * F ', r 'H.; s ■ - ; ': 11 Mr!^ Nichols^ next >ddressed' tK.e! meeting at som^" length, '.and t mbvßd,!'seconded' by 'IOBC Bpatop— "T^iat ' in; .the opmon.ofJtHsmeeting| ihe Vfpf?ss land ; pclicy .bf '^.the, Proyinciaf G-^veni-j 'me'nt is not only injurious^ tp thexeve-, nue, of rthe Province,. Sui i^a^clnall^ 'Uriving people but' of th'e^cWntry."" , ,Mr. Jil'Kav moved, ;^n^.| s |^r. . Dug|l| 'formed, to bewailed the Mouiit Jengerj in , the f 'furt]ie^nc9 o^'jfchej? 'ODJecf. — Uarhea witK^laaijtiQn. . 'condea by Mr. Wfflfc**!^ acoinmittee, be ffpr^eq.,- witiitPP^f?^ aa'd to 'their number, qt'j^i^iOfigmngra. H ffi^GroKQ*w Jkfr ton; Brazil, *lJ|c^p4|oß,,J(lf ckay^^niDmaß, ( P.fitripfc. a^j^^ep^^/TO I.^1 .^ and carryCou^.the object • osf .■;&«•• meef- "*''''' »r^ ''a i *,'a A" 5'5 ' >> - • • ■ -vi -