The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-14 00:00:00

~ LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

" TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23.—The Governor said that the
members, of course, recollected that they had met pursuant
to adjournment, in consequence of a letter that he had received
from the judges on the evening previous to the last day of
meeting, respecting the Crown Lands' Bill; he had to ac-
quaint the Council that this letter had been withdrawn, and
therefore it would have been unnecessary for the members
to have met, had it not been for the unfortunate drought
with which the colony is at present afflicted. A number of
persons had proposed to him to allow the importation of
flour and grain free from duty and wharfage dues, and ac-
cordingly he lied prepared a Bill for that purpose ; per-
haps it might be said that this was not sufficient, and the
Council might !think further measures necessary. He
found that in the year 1829, in a period of scarcity, a Go-
vernment order was issued authorising the substitution of
a portion of meat for a portion of flour in the ration of
convict servants ; at present he did not consider such
a measure necessary, and if it should become so it
would always be within his power to issue it. He found
also that on a former occasion the Government had im-
ported corn on its own account ; tenders were called for
and vessels hired and sent for corn, which was received
into the Government store. At that time the colony
was not in the advanced state it is at present, espe-
cially with regard to the commercial interest ; at present
he was not prepared to adopt this course, as he considered
it would have the effect of checking private enterprise. If '
the Government agreed to take a certain quantity of wheat
at a certain price, that would of course rule the market, and
perhaps prevent merchants from importing. He was aware
that one vessel has been sent to Valparaiso, and he was in
hopes that there is quite enough enterprise among our mer-
chants to prevent us from suffering from scarcity. He had
directed inquiries to be made from the different police ma-
gistrates as to the quantities of wheat that may be expected
in their respective districts, and, as might have been ex-
pected, the answers that have been received are unfavoura-
ble, but still he thought the crops would average about one
half, and for that half we are indebted to the rains that have
fallen within the last ten days ; had it not been for them he
believed there would have been a total failure. In Illu-
warra the crops are looking well, and at the Patterson they
are pretty fair, but generally speaking there will not be
more than a half crop. It must not be forgotten, however,
that our population is daily increasing; that new mouths
are coming among us every day, and that we shall depend
upon importation to protect us from scarcity. Still he
would be sorry to do anything that would cheek the enter-
prise of merchants, or interfero in the trade in grain any
moro than the trade in anything else, and, therefore, at
present he should only lay the Bill before the Council; but
should the necessity become more urgent, he would not
hesitate to act on his own responsibility, and call for
tenders and send ships for grain, relying on the Council
afterwards to defray any expense that might be incurred.
His Excellency then laid upon the table a Bill to exempt,
for a certain time, from duty and wharfage rates, flour, meal,
wheat and other grain, and pulse, imported into New South
Wales.