THE "Nothing extenuate; Nor set down aught in malice." THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1862. THE SALE OF LAND AT WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1800, 4 December 1862, Page 2

THE " Nothing extenuate ; Nor set down aught in malice." THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1862. THE SALE OF LAND AT WANGANUI.

At the foot of an almost perpendicular hill on the south side of the Wanganui river, facing the towa on the opposite shore, there are a few acres of land not the most suitable like in the world for building purposes. Scarcely any one not residentin the district, ever heard of this place until a few weeks ago, when an advertisement appeared in the Wellington journals, announcing the sale of a number ot building sites there, to take place in the present month. This would however, appear to have roused the ire of some of tbe townspeople to a considerable extent, and the local paper, which commenced an agitation of the subject moderately enough-, has now worked itself up into a peifect paroxysm of excitement, and broadly accuses the Provincial Government, of attempting to steal the land and fill the Treasury cbest of Wellington, at the expense of Wanganui. Tbe real facts of tbe case, however, do not warrant any such strong assertions ; and may be thus briefly stated. When the plans for tbe township of Wanganui were originally made, a large portion of land on the north side of the river was constituted a reserve, and at the same time, there was some little talk of making a pleasure ground at some future day of the property on the other shore. If tbis was intended then, or if there was au intention to present the settlers with tbis land, in addition to tbeir property on the north side of the river, tbere was nobody to take delivery of it, and as a consequence it bas remained till now in tbe bands of tbe Provincial Government, like any other piece of public property. A growing want of business accommodation, which had been felt by 'the large number of country settlers in the" Wanganui, Turakina, and Rangitiki districts, caused repeated representations to be made to the Supeiintendent, that it would be highly desirable that the land in question, should be laid off and* sold in small building allotments ; and in tbe beginning of 1860, the beech of Magistrates transmitted to his Honor a resolution to that effect. Acting ou this, a sale was about to take place ; but a public meeting of the inhabitants having been held, a piotest signed by tbe cbair. man and three others, was sent to the Superintenrlent, who replied, " that the proposal" to- sell the reseive, had emanated from the settlers themselves, and that it would not be persevered in, till an opportunity was afforded the advr>_ cates and opponents of the sale to express their wishes. A memorial containing tbe names of both parties, for aud against, was shortly afterwards prepared, and those signing in favor of the sale in pofnt of numbers carried the day. Besides tbis, the four representatives of the district in the Provincial Council, Messrs Allison, Bryce, Harrison, and Watt, were all perfectly agreed, that the sale should lake place , while on the other hand nobody but the four r* protesleis, would appear to have been in antagonism. It is thus quite possible, that if the sale had gone on two years ago, nothing would have been said ajrainst it ; but now in face of those facts, which it admits; the Chronicle by a species of "little Pedlinglon " logic wholly inscrutable, comes to the conclusion, tbat the Superintendent, ibe Provincial Council, and the citizens of Wellington, are banded together in a nefarious conspiracy, to rob it of its birthright; its columns are filled with diatribes- about " monstrous acts of duplicity " on the part of the Government, a "Jackson " cries out loudly for separation, while a " Lyon " accuses all concerned, including their representatives at the Council Board, of a gross betrayal of trust. It is certainly rather singular, that in a case where the majority of the inhabitants of the district, have actually raemoralised the Provincial Government, to sell the land, a compliance with their wishes, should raise such a »• tempest in a teapot." There is nothing like self-interest to rouse the indignation of spine people, and we fear that it is the motive power here. As to the actual necessity of the sale, there cannot be two opinions, seeing tbat it vitally affects the convenience of neaily ; the whole of the couniry settlers. The produce wbich finds its way into the Wanganui market is brought almost exclusively fiom the south .side of the river; and yet for the large and increasing body of graziers and cultivators, resident in the districts of country between the Wanganui and Rangitiki rivers ; there is not the slightest- building accommodation at the ferry. They may bring tbeir wool, grain, and other produce a distance of 30 miles to market and find on their arrival, that it is impracticable to cross the river. There is not even a shed ih which to store tbem temporarily *- theie is not a store for the purchase ofthe most trifling article, the only place of accommodation is a publiohouse, in which perforce the settler must stay, until it pleases the fates and the ferryman to cross himself and. load. During the winter season, when •'freshes" in the river are of frequent occurrence, much inconvenience and delay is experienced, all of which would be obviated when the nucleu s of a small township is formed, and proper accommodation provided for the reception of country produce. Another point of importance too is the erectiou of a wharf — at which small coast, ing vessels could discharge and load, thereby saving a cohsiderhble expense for freight across the river. It is due to the interests of the coun try settlers, that no opposition should be made to those plans, which involve- the sale . ofthe land to begin with, : fcut recent events would almost make it appear in the words ofthe Chronicle itself, of August 2,186Q, "as if selfish considerations had induced the opposition of the storekeepers and land holders of the town."