THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE OTAGO LAND LAWS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 41, 24 August 1870, Page 5

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE OTAGO LAND LAWS.

[A correspondent at Wellington has favoured us with the following sketch of the doings of the General Assembly in regard to the various measures which have been introduced during the session for the amendment of our land laws. The manner in which the Cromwell Commonage Petition was disposed of is also fully described by our correspondent.] Wellington, Aug. 5, During the last few weeks several measures have been before the General Assembly which affect remotely and immediately the interests of the people residing at Cromwell. Amongst the measures may : be mentioned three which relate to the I disposal of the public estate of the Province of Otago, namely : a Bill brought in ! by your Superintendent, Mr JamM Macan- ' drew, called the "Regulation of Hundreds I Amendment Act, 1869"; a Bill bi'oughf iu by Mr J. C. Brown, called " The Regu-

lation of Hundreds Repeal Act, IStT9 ” ; and a petition from the Mayor and Council of Cromwell, praying for land fur a common for tho use of the residents. The first Bill has Leon read a second time by the House of Representatives, and has been before tho Waste Lands Committee. and now ,stands for committal. The second, after a sevcra.oppositiun at, every stage, has been thrown out by. a majority of fourteen ; there having voted for the second reading fifteen, and against it twenty-nine. The names of the Otago members that voted for the Bill are Messrs Bradshaw, Brown, Haughton, Howorth, and Mervyu ; and against it, Messrs Birch, Driver, Graham, Macandrew, Main, M‘lndoe, O’Neil, Reynolds, Rich, and Vogel. I have stated that the “ Regulation of Hundreds Amendment Bill” has been before the joint committee on waste lands. In the committee there were several attempts made to amend some of the obnoxious parts of the Bill, without avail. On clause 3 being read, Mr Bradshaw moved that the clause be expunged. The result, on a division being called, was that one voted for its expulsion, and seventeen for its retention. The names are—Mr Bradshaw in favour; and Messrs Bunny, Buchanan, Driver, Eyes, Hall, Holmes, Lndlam, Menzies, Renwiok, Reynolds, Robinson, Taylor, Webster, Wigley, Whitmore, and Williamson against,—Mr Mervyu declining to vote. The clause, therefore, which says thafc tho Government can' take only certain qualities of land for settlement, stands. Its repeal would have enabled the Government ta take what lands the public required; and as the Bill provides compensation at the rate of twelve years’ rental, and also compensation for what improvements have been made by the pastoral tenant, I cannot see the justice of debarring the Government from taking such lands as it requires for public purposes. . ■’ . 1 In clauses G and 7of tho same Act, Mr I Bradshaw moved that the runholder have j the pre-emptive right to purchase only 200 I acres instead of G-tO. However, his pro- ■ posals wore negatived by 11 to 3 and 12 to' 3 respectively. The petition from Cromwell, having been brought before the House, was referred to the Waste Lauds Committee for their report, Their report has been given ; and in order to put the people in possession of the nature of that report, and how it affects them,-1 send you a copy qf^it:— “ That the petition of the Mayor and Council | of the town of Cromwell is a matter for the consideration of the Provincial Government of Otagi>, I and that, in the opinion of this Committee, i grievances of the nature complained of by the j petition would not have arisen had the Provincial Executive put the various existing Acts affecting waste lands into operation.” The Committee therefore affirm, by way of censure, that there is sufficient provision in the several Waste Land Acts of Otago to enable the Provincial Executive to satisfy Cromwell’s demands. The first resolution, proposed by tho hon. R. Campbell, ran as follows : “ That the petition of the Mayor and Council of Cromwell is a matter for the consideration of the Provincial Government of Otago, and that in the opinion of this Committee, grievances of the nature complained of would not have arisen, had the Provincial Executive put the ‘ Hundreds Regulation' Act, ISdO,’ into operation.” This was a direct censure upon the Government of Otago for not putting an Act into operation, which tho people had almost ! unanimously condemned. Mr Bradshaw 1 moved as an amendment that for the words i “ the Otago Hundrels Regulation Act, 18G9,” the following words be substituted, namely, “ the various existing Acts affecting the Waste Lands of Otago, which made the resolution of Mr Campbell read as reported to the House. The miners on the gold-fields of Otago have always been placed in the position of tbe frog, and have been very well trampled on by the two bulls—the General and Provincial Governments, aided and assisted by the “ Holy Army of Martyrs”—the Crown tenants, more commonly known as the squatters. There is no overlooking j the fact that the “ Wastj Lauds Act, ISGG,” and the “ Gold Fields Act, I860,” have been fearfully administered. The 16th clause of the latter gives ample power to the Government to satisfy the demands of the petitioners at Cromwell. But this I clause has never been brought into operation ; —and why 1 I leave that question j to be answered by thoio that are ill power | in the Province.