C—No. 1.
No. 29. Ah , . Alexander Macdonald being July sworn, examined : — lam a miner, and keep about 14 head of cattle, including calves. I want to get laud. If I could gut it, 1 would take a hundred acres. There is none open in this part of the district. I don't know of any in any other part. I .suppose if land is not thrown open, I must leave the country, and try somewhere else. I have licen in this district between five and six years. lam a married man.
No. 29. M) Mardo)iald. 24th Feb. 18U9.
No. 30. Mr. John M'Loughlin being duly sworn, examined :— lam a miner, and keep about 10 head of cattle, including calves. 1 have and live in a smaF i paddock containing about 10 acres, with four others, on the Mining Reserve in this district. I would wish to take up 200 acres if I could get it. If I cannot get that quantity shortly, it is my intention '■ to leave the country. My family consists of four persons. The new block of 20,000 acres would be of use to me so far as a kind of refuge for my cattle if the run-holders turned them oft'; but I would not, if 1 could get any other place, put them there. I could not say whether they could live or not. If that block had the frontage between it and the river added to it, it would be of great use. I could then carry on mining and cattle-keeping easily. I live on the east bank of the Clutha River. I have been in this district between five and six years. With regard to the shingly block of 1000 acres, none is occupied, except the part cultivated temporarily before the block was open. I should say there are hundreds of acres at the back of that block fit for cultivation, and would be taken up very soon. I consider the separate deposit of i>lo for every 50 acres most mischievous ; and I think that 200 acres should lie allowed to each settler. I believe in the benefit of deferred payments, or rather payments by instalments for land.
No. 30. Mr. M Lovtf/ttin. 24th Feb. 1809.
No, 31. Mr. William Westatt being duly sworn, examined : —■ lam a. dairyman and carrier-, and reside in Roxburgh. I have about 49 head of cattle. 1 keep them on Run 3G9. I live at West Roxburgh, but have no title to the piece lam on. I applied for 10 acres of land two and a half years ago, but to this day I have got no title to the land. At that time 1 lodged XIO. They kept the money for two years, and then returned me £8 of it, without my reaping the least advantage for the balance. I have since applied, two months ago (in December last), for 25 acres of land, including the 10 acres spoken of above, for which I paid a deposit of £5. To this, objection was offered that it was too near the town, and miners objected that races run through it. I have not got the land or my money yet. If there was laud available open for selection, I would take up 200 acres of it if I could get it. At the present time my cattle are ordered off by the run-holders, with the exception of four head. If land is not open for selection, I must seek elsewhere for a living, either in the Province or some other place.
No. 31. Mr. Westatt. 24th Feb. 1809.
No. 32. Extract from " Otago Daily Times, ,, Monday, March 22, 1869. " The whole of the block of land recently thrown open for agricultural settlement at the Teviot, is said to be taken up. The scene at the Court-house, when it was made known that applications for land in the block would b<; received, is described as follows in the Tnapeka Times of Saturday : —Long before the hour for opening of the office, crowds of would-be cockatoos assembled at the door, and an exciting struggle ensued for places. When Mr. Borton made his appearance, he could hardly gain admission ; and no sooner had lie Opened the door than, in spite of all his remonstrances, the office was rushed. A large pile of applications soon littered the counter ; and as each applicant got his receipt, he made a bolt for the door, and, mounting his horse, hurried off to affix his notice."
No. 32. Extract f mm the "Daily Times."
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45
LANDS IN OTAGO.