LAND LAWS. 193 



'Obtained without its being first submitted to public 

 auction. But this act is no longer in force as regards 

 ^any further alienation of land from the Crown. 



In 1864 an act was passed enabling the govern- 

 ment to lease Crown lands for twenty-one years ; which 

 leases by a subsequent act, No. 5, of 1870, could be con- 

 verted into real property on " Quitrent Tenure," at 

 such price as should be fixed by arbitration. In no case 

 could the arbitrators fix on a less sum than what the 

 yearly rental capitalised at six per cent, would come to ; 

 or, in round numbers, sixteen times the rental. A 

 perpetual annual quitrent of one per cent, on this 

 amount was also imposed. 



These two acts continued in force until 1878, when 

 they were repealed in so far as any lands not disposed 

 of up to that date were concerned. But a large extent 

 of country was taken up under the act of 1864, and 

 although in many cases the lessees took the land at 

 rentals exceeding its value, owing to the spurt which 

 Ostrich-farming has now given to the value of land, 

 these farms will probably before the expiration of the 

 twenty-one years' lease be converted under the provi- 

 sion of the act No. 5 of 1870 into quitrent farms. 



In 1870 and 1877 two acts were passed which 

 dealt with the disposal to agriculturists of small farms 

 not exceeding 500 acres in extent, and which will be 



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