Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 19th August, 1851.

HIS EXCELLENCY the Governor has directed the publication of the following Regulations relating to the occupation of Crown Lands for the Depasturing of Stock, and for Cutting Timber.

By His Excellency's Command,
ALFRED DOMETT,
Colonial Secretary.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

FOR THE ISSUE OF PASTURE AND TIMBER LICENSES FOR THE OCCUPATION OF WASTE LANDS OF THE CROWN OUTSIDE HUNDREDS.

Issue of Depasturing Licenses outside the Boundaries of Proclaimed Hundreds.

1. All persons requiring Licenses for Runs on unoccupied portions of the Crown Lands, or for portions of the same which they now occupy, shall lodge a description of such run (as near as may be in the form of Schedule B. hereunto annexed,) with the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the District in which such Run is situated.

2. If no objection exist to the applicant being allowed to occupy such Run, the Commissioner will thereupon publicly notify that it has been claimed as a Run, and he will at the same time publish (in the Government Gazette, or in a local newspaper) whenever he has the means of so doing, the name of the person claiming the Run, and the description of it.

3. No person shall be allowed to dispute the claim of another person to any Run described according to these Regulations, unless he shall do so within three months subsequently to the date of the publication above alluded to.

4. From the date of the expiration of the above named period of three months, the applicant will be required to pay rent for the Run at the rate and in the manner after mentioned; and he will be required to distinguish, by marked trees or posts, or in such manner as shall be satisfactory to the Commissioner, such boundaries of the Run as are not distinctly defined by streams or natural boundaries.

5. Any person who shall have a Run, or any considerable part thereof unoccupied by the requisite amount of stock for a period of six months after he shall have claimed the same, shall be liable to be regarded as having abandoned such Run or part thereof; and if the Commissioner of Crown Lands shall find it necessary publicly to notify that such Run or part thereof has been so abandoned, it shall thereupon be given into the occupation of the first applicant for it.

6. In estimating the Sufficiency of Stock for any Run applied for, the Commissioner shall not allow for natural increase in any proportions, with respect to the amounts of Stock on the Run, greater than those set forth in the following scale:—

For any number of Sheep up to 500 inclusive run to be granted for any number not exceeding ………… 5000 Sheep

For every additional hundred between 500 and 1000 for … 500 additional Sheep.

,, 1000 and 3000 ………… 400 ,,

,, 3000 and 5000 ………… 200 ,,

,, 5000 and 10,000, ………… 100 ,,

And in no case shall a Run be granted capable of containing more than 25,000 Sheep. In estimating runs for great Cattle, one head of such cattle shall be rated as six sheep.

7. In case of any question arising as to attempts to evade the foregoing Regulation, or to obtain unduly the benefits thereof, the Commissioner shall have full power to decide such questions in such manner as may most effectively carry out the true spirit and meaning of such Regulation.

8. So soon after the time at which rent for a Run may have become payable under these Regulations, as the occupant may in the opinion of the Commissioner have sufficiently stocked the same, he will be entitled to a License to depasture Stock upon it for fourteen years in the form of Schedule A. hereunto annexed, and subject to the following conditions:

1st. If at any time during the currency of such License the land comprised therein, or any part thereof, shall be included within the boundaries of any Hundred, the said license shall cease and determine as to so much of the land as shall be included within such boundaries, from and after the day of the date of the Proclamation by which such Hundred shall be constituted.

2nd. If at any time during the currency of such License, the land comprised therein, or any part