The Canterbury regulations concerning the purchase of waste lands from the Crown are among the very best existing.They are all free to any purchaser with the exception of a few Government reserves for certain public purposes,as railway-township reserves,and so forth.Every run-holder has a pre-emptive right over 250acres round his homestead,and 50acres round any other buildings he may have upon his run.He must register this right,or it is of no avail.By this means he is secured from an enemy buying up his homestead without his previous knowledge.
Whoever wishes to purchase a sheep farmer's homestead must first give him a considerable notice,and then can only buy if the occupant refuses to do so at the price of 2pounds an acre.Of course the occupant would NOT refuse,and the thing is consequently never attempted.All the rest,however,of any man's run is open to purchase at the rate of 2pounds per acre.This price is sufficient to prevent monopoly,and yet not high enough to interfere with the small capitalist.The sheep farmer cannot buy up his run and stand in the way of the development of the country,and at the same time he is secured from the loss of it through others buying,because the price is too high to make it worth a man's while to do so when so much better investments are still open.On the plains,however,many run-holders are becoming seriously uneasy even at the present price,and blocks of 1000acres are frequently bought with a view to their being fenced in and laid down in English grasses.
In the back country this has not yet commenced,nor is it likely to do so for many years.
But to return.Firstly,G-had not registered any pre-emptive right,and,secondly,if he had it would have been worthless,because his hut was situated on my run and not on his own.I was sure that he had not bought the freehold;I was also certain that he meant to buy it.So,well knowing there was not a moment to lose,I went towards Christ Church the same afternoon,and supped at a shepherd's hut three miles lower down,and intended to travel quietly all night.