The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-27 00:00:00

LORD BEACONSFIELD AND CANADA.

The Tinter of Tuesday published the following letter :
Sir,—l have to ask permission to correct one or two
errors, unintentional, I am sure, into which the Earl
of Beaconsfield was betrayed in his rtcent speech at
Aylesbury, as reported in The Times of the 19th inst.
Referring to the Canadian land system, his lordship
is reported to have said :

"Every man of fair character who comes to Canada has a
right to apply to the Government to claim and obtain what
Is termed a quarter section of land. That quarter section of
land consists of 160 acres he receives those 160 acres on
condition that at the end of three years he will reduce them
to perfect cultivation, and that in the interval he will raise
substantial and real buildings upon the land."

The " condition " of title to the 160 acres, it is proper
to observe, is much less onerous than as stated by his
lordship. The Consolidated Lands Act, which applies
only to Manitoba and the North-West territories, in
the section relating to Homestead rights, is thus
officially summarized :

"Free grants of quarter sections-160 acres—are made to
any male or female who is the head of a family, or to any
male not the head of a family, who has attained the age of
18 years. on ,otuiition of three years settlement from the
time of entering upon possession. A person entering for a
homestead may also enter the adjoining quarter section, if
vacant, as a pre-emption right, and enter into immediate
possession thereof, and, fulfilling the conditions of his home-
stead, may obtain a patent for his pre-emption right on pay-
ment of the same at the rate of 1 dol. an acre."

The " conditions " upon which the settler may
obtain his free grant are not defined in the Act.
Practically, however, the erection of a dwelling, to-
gether with the cultivation of a few acres each year
and continuous occupation, would entitle him to the
fee-simple of the homestead, and also to the posses-
sion of the pre-empted lot (purchased at 1 dol. an acre)
to be paid for at the expiration of three years. Mean-
while, it may be observed, that the land is secured to
the settler by official registration. In fact, a farmer,
with a very limited capital, may acquire one or two
quarter sections of fertile prairie land, and will not
have to wait, as the noble Premier mistakenly asserted,
until he "has completely cultivated the 160 acres and
raised the ,necessary buildings" before he is entitled
to claim, upon payment of 1 dollar an acre, another
quarter section of 160 acres.
It is proper also to correct the error of his lordship
that "the rudest labourer will get 12s. a day and a
skilled labourer 16s. or 18s," the price of farm labour
in Canada, except occasionally in harvest time, rarely
exceeding 4s. a day.
The Land Laws of the Dominion, it is necessary to
remark, have been largely modified under regulations
of the Government which came into operation on the
let of August last. The lands within 110 miles on
each side of the Canadian Pacific Railway have been
withdrawn from the operation of the Act above re-
ferred to. Within five miles of the railway the lands
are held for sale only, at 6 dole, an acre. In a succes-
sion of belts outside a five-mile line, homesteads limited
to 80 acres each may be obtained, and land purchased
at prices varying from 3i dole, to 1 dol. per acre, by
instalments extending over a period of five years. Out-
side the 110-mile limit above referred to, the law in
relation to the quarter section of homesteads and pre-
emptions of 160 acres are still in force.-1 am, Sir,
your obedient servant, WILLIAM ANNAND„
Canada Government Agency, 31, Queen Victoria-
street, Sept. 20.