I.—B,

IV

deferred payments, or for lease for a term of ten years, so soon as the law will allow The widest publicity should be given to such intended sale. Where possible, the deferred-payment pastoral blocks should be placed alternately with blocks offered for lease only 8. All other runs, not so judged to be immediately required for settlement or public purposes, should be again offered to the existing tenants at current rents until March, 1884, without prejudice to the Crown's right as aforesaid. 9. A short Act should be introduced by the Government this session, giving power to take the whole or any portion of any runs terminating in March, 1883, or subsequently thereto, immediately required for sale, settlement, or public purposes; to grant temporary licenses of such portions of the runs not now required, to the present tenants or others, until 1884 ; in such last cases to provide that it shall not be necessary to re-let such portions of the runs for ten years as required by the existing Land Acts. 10. Careful amendments of the Land Act should be prepared during the recess, to enable the balance of the runs not immediately required for settlement or subdivision to be dealt with, so as to give the freest facilities for settlement where and whenever required, and to insure limitation of area and fixity of tenure to all leaseholds, with valuation for improvements to be paid by the incoming tenant at the end of the term, and to compel residence in the case of each of such leaseholds. 11. The Governor should be advised to intimate his approval to the Board of an immediate notification, to be given to all tenants whose leases expire in 1882 or terminate in March, 1883, that their runs, either in whole or in part, will be required for sale under Part 11. of, the Land Act, or for sale or settlement on deferred payments under Part 111. of the Act. This would overcome any difficulty arising from a doubt as to when the leases expire. 12. That, in order to prevent future difficulties in the way of settlement, care should be taken, iv any classification of the Crown land, to exclude all land fitted for agriculture from areas proposed to be leased for pastoral purposes. 13. That, subject to such classification, pastoral lands should be leased for a period of years, "with fixity of tenure, so as to encourage the lessees in improving such land. 14. That holders of deferred-payment agricultural lands be allowed to take up deferred-payment pastoral land without the enforcement of the condition of residence. 15. That in any amending law provision should be made for the above purpose. The Committee approve generally of the proposals submitted by the Government as to the mode of classification and proposed subdivision of the runs, subject to the recommendations proposed in the foregoing resolutions. Moved by Mr. Pyke, That the consideration of clauses 1 and 2 be postponed, in order to consider clause 3. —Carried. Moved by Mr. Thomson, That clause 3 be agreed to. —Carried. Moved by Mr. Pyke, That clause 4 be amended, by the omission of the words "of a detail character." and that the clause, as amended, be agreed to. —Carried. Clause 5 was adopted without amendment. Moved by Mr. Pyke, That clause 6 be adopted, as amended, by omission of all words after " for sale." On the question being put, a division took place, which resulted as follows: — Ayes, 4. —Mr. Ballance, Mr. Bastings, Mr. Pyke, Hon. Mr. Eolleston. JS/oes, 3. —Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The motion was therefore carried. Moved by Mr. De Lautour, That in clause 7, line 3, after the words " pastoral lands," the words "not sold on deferred payments" be inserted. —Carried. Clause 8 was struck out. Proposed by Mr. De Lautour, That, in clause 0, all words after " public purposes " be struck out, and that the clause so amended be adopted. —Carried. Moved by Mr. Oliver, That, in clause 10, all the words after " term " be struck out. On the question being put, that such words be struck out, a division took place, which resulted as follows :— Ayes, 3. —Mr. De Lautour, Mr. Oliver, Hon. Mr Eolleston. Noes, 5. —Mr. Ballance, Mr. Bastings, Mr. Pyke, Mr. Shrimski, Mr. Thomson. The motion was therefore negatived. Clause 11 was adopted. Moved by Mr. De Lautour, That, in clause 12, after the word "leased," the words " for a term of years " bo inserted.—Carried. Clause 13 was struck out. Clause 14 was struck out. Clause 15 was struck out. , Clauses 1 and 2, consideration of which had been postponed, were struck out. The adoption of the last paragraph was carried. Moved by Mr. De Lautour, That the resolutions, as amended, be the report of the Committee. — Carried. The Committee then adjourned sine die.