Land Sale At Palmerston.

The Crown land sale held here yesterday by Mr. R. B. Martin, Government Auctioneer, at the court-house, was attended by every class of buyers, all anxious to secure land, either town or rural. The court-house was crowded. The sale commenced punctually at 2 o'clock, beginning with the deferred payment land, section 4, block VII., Maheno district. There were 18 applicants, 200 acres, the upset price being £3 per acre, fell to F. W. Reichelt at £17 per acre; section 5, same block, 200 acres, to Thomas Dent at £10. 2s. 6d., for which there were 17 applicants; section 6, 11 applicants, fell to George Dent at £8. 2s. 6d.; section 7, four applicants, was bought by Hugh Fraser at £6. 2s. 6d., area 200 acres; section 12, same block, 200 acres, David Walsh at £9.12s. 6d.; section 13, four applicants, bought by Wm. Heffernan; section 11, supposed to be specially good, 14 applicants, fell to Frank D. Bell at £15. 12s. 6d. For this section Miss Mary Hoad competed spiritedly. Section 1J, block VIII., Waihemo, came next. There were only two applicants, and it fell to Wm. Sanderson, at £4. 5s. Section 13, same block, nine applications, David Muir, £9.2s. 6d.; section 14, seven applicants, Thomas Brown, £6. 2s. 6d.; section 15 was unopposed, and bought by Wm. H. Bayly. Land in Highlay district followed next. Section 11, block III, eight applicants, was bought by Robert Matheson at £9. The rural land in Waihemo and Highlay districts followed the de-ferred-payment land. Section 1, block VIII., Waihemo, land of special value at 40s. was passed in, there being no offer. Section 2, block VIII., Waihemo, Sir Francis Dillon Bell, at upset price, 20s. per acre; section 3, same block, passed; section 4, 305 acres, bought by Wm. Hepburn at 34s., upset 20s. per acre; section 5, Sir F. D. Bell, upset 20s.; section 6, same buyer, at upset 20s.; section 7, same buyer, at upset 20s.; section 8, same page 33 buyer, at 35s., upset 20s.; section 9, Wm. Hepburn, at 23s. per acre. Land in the Highlay district came next. Section 2, block III., 273 acres, was sold at the upset 20s. to John Muir; section 4, 291 acres, to Peter M'Leod at £4.3s., upset 23s. There was keen competition for this. Section 9, John Muir, at upset 20s.; section 12, 207 acres, Connell and Moodie as agents, at £1. 15s., upset 20s.; section 13, 270 acres, Sir F. D. Bell, £2. 1s., upset 20s. The township sections followed next in order as advertised. Naseby township had been withdrawn, and for the Blair Taieri, Hamilton, and Herbert townships there were no offers. In Macraes three sections sold at £7. 10s. each. In Hyde township, after brisk competition, section 8, block III., was bought by P. A. Connelly, at £18. 15s., upset £7. 10s.; sections 38 and 39, same buyer, at £7. 10s. each. In Hampden, sections 19, 20, 21, 22, block III., were bought by A. T. Gillies, at £7. 10s. each section. In this case Volunteer scrip was exercised to the extent of £30. In Waikouaiti, section 7, block X., was bought by Thos. Pratt, at £7. 10s. For sections 8, 9, 10, 11, scrip was exercised by Peter Duncan to the extent of £30. It would seem as though Volunteers began to understand how to use their scrip. At this stage of the sale, considerable interest was shown as to the sale of the Moerski Coal-mining lease. The conditions of sale, which were exceedingly lengthy, having been read, the first premium bid was £5., and the bids gradually worked up, until the lease fell to Mr. George Elliott for the sum of £570, also subject to a yearly rental of £30 per annum, with a royalty of 6d. per ton for all coal raised. I observed five or six keen competitors for this lease. I understand that the total sale of land, including deferred payment, will amount to nearly £35,000. Since the sale, I find the general desire is to open up more land in this district. Judging from the number of disappointed applicants, no doubt a large block would be readily absorbed.