J.—l.

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16. That your petitioners find that, owing to the uncertainties affecting agricultural pursuits, the occurrence of bad harvests, and occasionally exceptionally low prices of produce, the provisions of the present law, requiring fixed payments annually on pain of confiscation and forfeiture, work exceedingly to their disadvantage. 17. Your petitioners beg humbly to say that they are anxious and willing to pay for their land according to the true and fair price or value thereof, but, owing to the exceptional circumstances already referred to under which their licenses were acquired, they are at present bound to pay far beyond that value. 18. Tour petitioners humbly submit that a revaluation of their lands by competent and impartial persons, and such a rearrangement of the terms of payment as will enable them to pay off the principal price at such times as they may be able so to do, would be equitable in it&elf and for the best interests of the agricultural settlement of the colony. 19. That your petitioners beg humbly and respectfully to direct the attention of your honorable House to a Bill prepared by John Aitken Connell to amend the Land Act, a copy of which, they have been informed, has been sent to each member of your honorable House, which provides, in the opinion of your petitioners, a fair and practical remedy for the grievances under which your petitioners suffer, and which, if passed into law, would, in the opinion of your petitioners, prevent the recurrence of complications alike hurtful to the settlers in the community. 20. That your petitioners approve of all the provisions of the said Bill in so far as the same relate to deferred-payment land, excepting that the words " at auction " should be struck out of clause 34, and that personal residence on pastoral deferred-payment land should, in the opinion of your petitioners, be retained, and that the words " less the amount of the sum of the instalments already paid " should be added to clause 41. Tour petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honorable House will take their heavy grievances into its favourable consideration, and devise such measures for the relief and otherwise, either by passing the said Bill into law or otherwise, as to your honorable House may seem meet. And your petitioners will over pray. Thomas Daily Darton Philip Cahill Thomas Kelly John Sheehan John Hall William Draper John Mackenzie Francis Nicoll William Colquhoun James Harpstonge Michael Monaghan Allan Mitchell Philip Brook Thomas E. Williams John Duncan Daniel Donald William Holland Adam Scott William H. Bayly Hugh Eoss Thomas Cleary Patrick Fahey John Donaldson James Eoss William McAllan John Tucker S. Eowe John Eose Smith John Munro Eichard Webb John Cole Chappie Alexander Eobertson Wright Lowe Eobert Cunningham M. O'Gorman Adam Swan D. Hunter Mervyn W. A. Porteous James Hopkins James McMichael Thomas Brunton James Mclntosh Frederick Cogan Eobert Loudon Eichard Nichols William Bendle George Thomson John Nichols George Dawson John Tuckey ( Eobert Coffee David Gardiner William Folchcr James White Eobert Matheson G. F. C. Browne Patrick Duffy Eobert Simms A. Michael James Eobertson Thomas Darton Eobert Elliott John Smith Patrick Mclnernoy John W. Christie Michael Nash James B. Darton John Fitzgerald John Drew James Cahiil Maurice Spillaue Samuel Abrim David Mclntosh James Dawnes James O'Brien James Docherty George W. Dewes Timothy Driscoll Henry C. Clayton John Smith Thomas G. Bobertson James Chalmers John Bulfin Donald M. Alpine John Morrison John Hughes Alexander Campbell Finlay Munro W. G. Anderson Martin Joyce Philip Duff James Wilson John Joyce John Duffey Daniel Lawrence Patrick Cummings Watts Goodwin Thomas Hinde Timothy Crowly James Buchanan John Thompson Daniel Crowly J. Bennet William Blay Cornelius O'Gormon John Brown Eobert Cotton Thomas Fahey ' Martin Franklin John Long John Donohue Francis Eoss James Kcppel James Hayes Samuel Anderson Charles Mullin Dennis Eoughan Thomas Tyler John Turton Daniel O'Brien Isaiah Mee John Hogg Alexander Loudon Thomas Hoare F. S. Margetts Phillip Flynu John Casius M. Kelleher Timothy Kelleher Patrick Kean William Johnston Michael Hunt James Capstick Patrick A hern George Brook. James Treloar Eobert Eoss

By Authority: Q-eoegb Didsbuet, Government Printer, Wellington.—1882.