80

POSTAL.

Appointment of Postmasters.

IN virtue of the powers delegated to me by His Excellency the Governor, the following appointments have been made in the service of the Colony.

READER WOOD,

For the Postmaster-General.

Otago.

WILLIAM FERRIS

to be Postmaster at Waitahuna, from the 11th January, 1863.

WILLIAM McLAREN KINROSS

to be Postmaster at Teviot, from the 1st January, 1863.

WALTER MILLER

to be Postmaster at Miller’s Flat, from the 16th January, 1863.

JAMES MACAULEY

to be Postmaster at the Arrow River, from the 13th February, 1863.

UNIMPROVED LAND BILL, &c.

Correspondence between the Honorable the Colonial Secretary, and His Honor the Superintendent.

Superintendent’s Office,
Dunedin, 21st November, 1863.

SIR,—I have the honor to transmit the accompanying Bill, which I propose to bring before the Provincial Council at its next session, which commences on the 26th instant; and I am desirous to be informed whether, if it be passed, it is likely to be favorably dealt with by His Excellency’s Government, the Provincial Government considering it to be a matter of vital importance.

The object of the tax is to give effect to certain conditions of purchase in the Land Regulations, which are in a great measure nugatory from the defect of the Regulations themselves, but which cannot be amended until the next General Assembly. It will be observed that the provisions of the Bill do not affect Crown Lands until they have ceased to be so and become private property.

I have the honor to be, &c.,

J. RICHARDSON,
Superintendent.

The Honorable the Colonial Secretary,
Auckland.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 6th December, 1862.

SIR,—I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor’s letter No. 1,293, of the 21st ultimo, transmitting a Bill, “The Otago Unimproved Land Ordinance, 1862,” which you propose to introduce to the Provincial Council, and requesting to be informed whether, if it is passed, it is likely to be allowed by his Excellency’s Government.

In reply, I have to inform your Honor that there does not appear to be any legal objection to the Bill in its present shape, and that the Government will give to it their favorable consideration. The provisions of the Bill seem to be of a very useful character; but I would draw your attention to the following remarks by Mr Crawford (acting for the Law Officer) on the operation of the Act.

“No Crown grant having been issued, the land will be imperfectly, if at all, entered on the Register.

“When the rate is unpaid a Memorial will be entered against the reputed owner under the ‘Sale for non-payment of Rates Act, 1862.’ The Supreme Court will sell the land. The Registrar will grant a conveyance to the purchaser, and all the while no Crown grant has issued to any one for the land in question.

“This difficulty can only be got over by the General Assembly.”

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your Honor’s most obedient humble servant,

ALFRED DOMETT.

His Honor the Superintendent of Otago.

Superintendent’s Office,
Dunedin, 12th January, 1863.

SIR,—In forwarding, for His Excellency the Governor’s pleasure thereon, the “Unimproved Lands Bill, 1862,” I have the honor to urge upon the Government the expediency of advising His Excellency to assent to the same, as from the great neglect of purchasers to fulfil the condition of improvement which they voluntarily entered into, the Land Regulations of the Province do not protect the Provincial Revenue from loss; and, in the meantime, the Government, to preserve its estate, is obliged to withhold the land from the market, and thus cripple its means.

I am aware that the Government have already intimated their approval of the Bill, and I need not assure you that any irregularity will be rectified in an Amendment Bill, if necessary.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

J. RICHARDSON,
Superintendent.

The Hon. the Colonial Secretary,
Auckland.

Colonial Secretary’s Office,
Auckland, 23rd Feb., 1863.

SIR,—I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Honor’s letter, No. 1506 of the 12th ult., transmitting a Bill, entitled “The Unimproved Lands Bill, 1862,” which had been passed by the Provincial Council of Otago, and reserved by your Honor for the signification of the Governor’s pleasure thereon.

The magnitude of the interests affected by this Bill have caused his Excellency’s Ministers to give to its principles and provisions their most serious consideration. From the debates upon it in the Provincial Council (to which Ministers, not having gathered from your Honor’s previous letter a distinct impression of your Honor’s object in introducing it, referred) it appears that the intention was to pass a measure which should put a check upon the acquisition of large tracts of lands by mere speculators, or, at all events, by persons who would not make the most beneficial use of them. Any measure likely to effect this most desirable object would have had the most favorable consideration of Ministers. But after giving their best attention to the present Bill, they are compelled to come to the conclusion that the proposed imposition of a heavy tax upon unimproved lands so vast in extent and in the hands of so many occupants, would fail to effect either the recovery of the lands by the Province, or the fulfilment of the conditions of improvement under which the lands were bought.