CLAIMS OF THE PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON AGAINST THE COLONY. SETTLEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS AT PALMERSTON.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1872 Session I, G-40a

G.—No. 40a.

CLAIMS OF THE PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON AGAINST THE COLONY. SETTLEMENT OF IMMIGRANTS AT PALMERSTON.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OF HIS EXCELLENCY.

WELLINGTON.

1872.

G.—No. 40a

CLAIMS OF THE PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON AGAINST THE COLONY.

No. 1. Mr. Stewart to Mr. J. Knowles. Sir,— Gorge, Manawatu, 20th July, 1871. Several of the men employed on the public works in the Palmerston District have desired me to apply for them to obtain permission to occupy twenty to forty acres of bush land in the district adjoining the Scandinavian immigrants' lots, or in that neighbourhood. They have offered to deposit part-payment for the land, and wish to get it in time to fall bush for this season. Several are married men. They would form a valuable class of settlers, trained to work on the roads. I have, &c, John Knowles, Esq., Under Secretary, John T. Stewart, Public Works Department, Wellington. District Engineer. N.B. —A surveyor is at present marking out the immigrants' lots, who might without delay mark out a number for the roadmen if authorized. J. T. S.

No. 2. The Hon. W\ Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 31st July, 1871. I have the honor to forward copy of a letter received from Mr. Stewart, the Resident Engineer at Manawatu, in which he states that certain of the workmen employed on the public works now in progress near Palmerston, in that district, are desirous of settling on land in the neighbourhood of the reserves made for the Scandinavian immigrants, and for which they are prepared to pay a deposit at once, and the remainder by instalments. I have telegraphed to Mr. Stewart, directing him to inform me what particular sections they are which it is desired to have reserved, but I take the opportunity meanwhile to express a strong hope that your Honor will be able to take the necessary steps to attach these workmen to the soil by the means suggested. I shall be happy to instruct Mr. Stewart to collect the deposits and instalments abovementioned, and to co-operate with your Honor in any other way that may be requisite. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

Memo, by the Superintendent on foregoing Letter, written on back. J. G. Holdsworth, Esq., Commissioner of Crown Lands. Please report as to the practicability of acceding to the suggestions herein made. I wish (so far as the law permits) to carry out the recommendation of the Hon. Mr. Gisborne on this behalf. W. Fitzherbert, 31st July, 1871. Superintendent.

No. 3. Mr. Holdsworth to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sir, — Crown Lands Office, "Wellington, Ist August, 1871. Referring to your Honor's minute accompanying the Hon. the Colonial Secretary's letter, and Mr. Stewart's application for land on credit on behalf of some of the workmen employed on the public works at Manawatu, I have the honor to report that, while I have every desire to comply with the request, and so secure the settlement of industrious families in that part of the Province, the Proclamation of your Honor of the 23rd June last has closed from sale (for the present) the land applied for. If it should be found necessary, as has been suggested by the Attorney-General, to pass a short Act before the lands can be again thrown open for sale, a special clause may be introduced securing to all those who have been placed on lands with the sanction of the General Government, a title to the same under the proposed Amended Land Regulations. At the time the Scandinavians were put on the land, it was pointed out that the regulations in force did not provide for sales on credit, and it was supposed that to meet the difficulty, the General Government would purchase from the Province the 3,523 acres selected as a special settlement. At the present time, the sections as originally laid out are being subdivided into 20 and 40 acre sections, and to cut up a few more could without difficulty be undertaken. I have, &c., Jos. G. Holdsworth, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. Commissioner of Crown Lands.

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CLAIMS OF PROVINCE OF WELLINGTON

No. 4. His Honor W. Fitzherbert to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, 2nd August, 1871. In reply to your letter of the 31st July, enclosing copy of a letter from the District Engineer, Manawatu, in which you express a hope that I may be able to make the necessary arrangements for certain men employed on the public works in the Palmerston district to occupy land, I beg to state that I referred your letter with enclosures to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for his report, which I have now the honor to enclose. Until a measure shall have been passed by the Assembly, which I have been requested to introduce, asking for authority to dispose of land on credit, the existing Land Regulations of the Province prohibit mo from making any absolute engagements in the direction you recommend. I am however of opinion that conditional arrangements may at once be made on the same terms as are embodied in the draft Bill of which I have the honor to enclose a copy. I shall be prepared accordingly to receive deposits, to be returned in the event of such an Act as I contemplate not receiving the sanction of the General Assembly. I have, &c, William Fitzherbert, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 5. The Hon. W. Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 11th August, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the 2nd instant, in which, with reference to the proposed location of certain labourers now employed on the public works in the neighbourhood of Palmerston, you express the opinion that conditional arrangements may at at once be made on the same terms as are embodied in the draft Bill of which you enclose a copy, and state that you will be prepared accordingly to receive deposits, to be returned in the event of such an Act as you contemplate not receiving the sanction of the General Assembly. The Government agree in your Honor's suggestions, and request that you will be good enough to make such temporary arrangements as may be necessary for carrying out the objects in view. If you will acquaint me with the arrangements when completed, I will at once instruct Mr. Stewart to act upon them. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 6. His Honor W. Fitzherbert to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir, — Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 21st August, 1871. In reply to your letter of the 11th instant, I have the honor to submit for your approval the following temporary arrangement, viz.: — That Mr. Stewart should act as agent for the Provincial Government pro tern. That he should cause the sections to be subdivided, and send a tracing to the Land Office for approval. That he should receive any deposits, forwarding the amounts from time to time as received to the Provincial Treasury, accompanied by a schedule of particulars. I have, &c, William Fitzherbert, The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 7. Mr. Holdsworth to the Hon. W. Fitzherbert. Sir, — Crown Lands Office, Wellington, 17th August, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Hon. the Colonial Secretary's letter of the 11th instant, addressed to your Honor, and referred to me yesterday for my report, and in reply have the honor to suggest that, in the carrying out of the proposed arrangements, Mr. Stewart should submit to this office, for approval, a tracing showing the particular sections to be dealt with, and the subdivisions to be made, and, if agreed to, should undertake the necessary surveys. Any sums of money that may be paid to Mr. Stewart or others on account of land cannot be received in this office as land revenue, there being, so far as I am aware, no legal authority for dealing with Crown lands in the manner desired. I would take this opportunity of again calling your Honor's attention to the necessity of legalizing what has already been done in the way of allowing Scandinavians and others to occupy Crown Lands in anticipation of regulations yet to be approved by the Colonial Legislature. I have, &c, J. G. Holdsworth, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington, Commissioner of Crown Lands.

AGAINST THE COLONY.

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No. 8. The Hon. W. Gisbohne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. SJE > — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 2nd September, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st ultimo, submitting an arrangement by which these road labourers near to the Manawatu Gorge can be located on land in the neighbourhood; and in thanking you for your suggestions, I beg to inform you that Mr. Stewart has been instructed to carry out the necessary arrangements. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 9. The Hon. W. Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. IE > — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 13th September, 1871. As your Honor is already aware, certain Scandinavians and others have been located in the neighbourhood of Palmerston, the title to whose allotments is not provided for in the Land Regulations at present in force in the Province of Wellington. In the Bill now before Parliament for selling land on deferred payments, and for setting apart land for special settlement in that Province, provision is made by which your Honor, with the advice of your Executive Council, is empowered to proclaim blocks for settlement on such terms as may be sanctioned by the Governor in Council. I shall be obliged if your Honor will inform me whether, in the event of the Bill becoming law, you will submit for His Excellency's sanction a Proclamation setting apart the lands on which the Scandinavians and others have been located on the terms arranged with them, those terms being described in the following extracts from Mr. Halcombe's letters of the 24th April and 3rd July addressed to the Honorable the Minister for Public Works, and printed in Parliamentary Paper D. No. 3a., 1871:—"Each Norwegian family is located on forty acres of land, which they are to hold on the following terms :—Twenty acres are reserved for two years certain, and they have a right to purchase it any time within that period; but if they purchase within twelve months, the other twenty acres are reserved for two years longer, in order to give them the opportunity of acquiring it at the upset price of £1 per acre. " Next day they (Swedes and Danes) moved on to the land which had been selected for their occupation, and on which they are located on the same terms as the Norwegian immigrants, with this exception, that twenty acres only have been allotted to each single man." With regard to the few road labourers who desire to settle in that neighbourhood, Mr. Stewart has been instructed, in terms of arrangement made with your Honor, to locate them on precisely similar terms to those afforded to the Scandinavians. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 10. His Honor W. Fitzherbert to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sik > Superintendent's Office, Wellington, 15th September, 1871. In reply to your letter of the 13th instant, relative to certain provisions in the Bill now before Parliament for selling land on deferred payments, I desire to state as follows, viz.:—That in the event of this Bill becoming law, I shall be prepared to submit for His Excellency's sanction a Proclamation setting apart the lands on which the Scandinavians and others have been located on the terms arranged with them, those terms being described in certain extracts from Mr. Halcombe's letters of the 24th April and 3rd July, addressed to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, and printed in Parliamentary paper, D. No. 3, 1871. I have, &c, William Fitzherbert, Ihe Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Superintendent.

No. 11. The Hon. W. Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. SlB) — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 20th September, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor's letter of the 15th instant, relative to the land to be set apart for the special settlement of the Scandinavians and others at Palmerston, Manawatu, and to thank you for the same. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 12. The Hon. W. Gisbobne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sie > — , Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 27th February, 1872. By the ship " England," expected to arrive during the next fortnight, there are fifteen families of Scandinavians and a few single men, whom it is proposed to locate in the Manawatu on terms somewhat similar to those which your Honor has undertaken to allow to the immigrants already located there, who are unable to purchase their land within the time originally arranged.

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CLAIM OF WELLINGTON AGAINST THE COLONY.

I have therefore to request your Honor to be good enough to inform me, at your early convenience, whether you will allow the Scandinavians shortly expected to arrive to locate themselves on land at Palmerston on the terms of deferred payment authorized by " The Wellington Special Settlements Act, 1871." I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 13. The Hon. W. Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 25th May, 1872. Tour Honor is aware that a small party of Scandinavians have lately been forwarded to the Wairarapa, with a view to their being located on the block of land beyond the Opaki, and that it is intended that other parties should follow as circumstances permit. As the terms on which the land is to be obtained from the Provincial Government for the settlement of these immigrants have only been verbally arranged, I have the honor to state that the Government is prepared to purchase from the Provincial Government the block of 4,000 acres (more or less,) shown in the accompanying tracing, at the price of 15s. per acre, subject to the following conditions: — 1. That the Provincial Government survey the block into 40-acre allotments, first laying off all necessary roads in conformity with the features of the country, accommodating the sections to the roads, so that easy access can be obtained to all parts of the block. 2. That the Provincial Government undertake to expend a sum equal to half the purchase money in making a road to connect the block with the main road or railroad through the Seventy-Mile Bush; and also to make cross roads giving an access to the back allotments, and to employ the immigrants located on the block on such works. I have, &c, His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.

No. 14. The Hon. W. Gisborne to His Honor W. Fitzherbert. Sir,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 25th May, 1872. Referring to the recent interview between the Provincial Secretary and the Minister for Public Works, relative to the mode of dealing with the two blocks of land at Palmerston occupied by the Scandinavian immigrants who arrived last year, at which it was proposed by the Provincial Secretary that the Government should purchase the land, say about 3,600 acres, at the upset cash price of £1 per acre, I have the honor to inform you of the decision at which the Government have arrived. It is found on inquiry that the immigrants were located at Palmerston under the sanction of, but without any definite arrangements having been made with, your Honor's predecessor, and that on calling your attention to the necessity for having reserves marked out and regulations framed, you stated in reply that the immigrants were " located on land reserved for their use, in sections varying from 40 to 20 acres, and it is the intention of my Executive to bring these under ' The Land on Deferred Payments Act, 1871,' so soon as that measure shall have received the sanction of the General Assembly." Acting on this assurance, the immigrants were informed last February that on the first day of June next they would be called upon to pay the first instalment 'of the purchase money, and that thereafter they would have to conform to regulations made under " The Wellington Special Settlements Act, 1871." Since your Honor has asked, through the Provincial Secretary, that the blocks should not be occupied under " The Wellington Special Settlements Act, 1871," but under purchase at the upset price of £1 per acre, cash, the whole question has received careful consideration, and it has been concluded that the most desirable mode of occupation would be under the Deferred Payments Act, as originally proposed by your Honor, — i.e., under " The Wellington Special Settlements Act, 1871," of the General Assembly. But if your Honor should entertain a decided objection to this course, the Government—while unable to agree to purchase the blocks, as suggested, for a cash payment —will be willing to take the land at the upset price of £1 per acre, under the conditions set forth in sections 61 and 63 of "The Immigration and Public Works Act, 1871." I have, &c., His Honor the Superintendent, Wellington. W. Gisborne.