The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-06 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

QUEENSTOWN, WEDNESDAY.
The ship-Royal Charter, from Melbourne, passed
eastwards at two o'clock this morning. All well.
64 days' passage.

By the arrival of the Salsette, the pioneer of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company's line under the
new contract, vc'e have received files of papers from
Melbourne to the 14th February, and from Sydney
to the 11th February.

VICTORIA.
(From the Melbourne Herald, Feb. 15.)
POLITICAL.

Since our previous summary was sent to Europe
not-quite a fortnight has elapsed; but within that
brief period there have arisen some political events
worthy of special record.
Of these the chief is the promulgation of their
intended land policy by the present cabinet. On
Tuesday last, the Chief Secretary laid the brief
outlines of his scheme before the Assembly. No
discussion has yet been taken on it in the house;
but, as may be supposed, it has formed almost the
sole topic of comment in the press, and of conver-
sation in places of public resort. The following is
the statement :

1. That large areas of agricultural land shall be pro-
claimed near the chid centres of population, within which
areas ordinary farm lots, in no case exceeding 320 acres,
will be open to selection by bona fide settlers, without auc-
tion, at a fixed price of £1 per acre.
2. That within these areas the unsold land shall consti-
tute a free commonage for the settlers, subject to regula-
tions to be made in an agricultural municipality.
3. That an enlarged municipal system be constructed,
embracing agricultural districts as well as towns, under
which system, the inhabitants will possess a direct control
over the local expenditure for public purposes, at present
defrayed out of the general revenue, such municipalities to
obtain a certain proportion of endowment out of the public
estate, and the power of levying an equitable taxation on
fixed property, in lieu of the grants in aid now provided for
out of the estimates.

4. That common pasturage be secured by law to the
inhabitants of all towns and gold-fields where Crown lands
exist.

5. That water frontages throughout the interior be re•
served in perpetuity for public use.

6. That, all auriferous land be reserved from sale.

7. That-all towns and suburban lands, and such other
lands as may be rendered peculiarly valuable by their posi-
tion, shall continue to be sold at public auction ; and that
provision be made for bona fide settlers who may require
larger allotments than are provided for in the agricultural
areas.

8. That at a. period to be fixed by law all preferable oc-
cupancy of the public domain by the pastoral tenants now
in possession shall absolutely cease and determine.
9. That in the meantime the pastoral tenants shall con-
tinue to receive an annual licence, revocable on such
notice, and held at such rent as the legislature may de-
termine.

SPECIAL STATEMENTS.

1. One member of the Cabinet would wish to make the
experiment of deferred payments in one area.
2. In reference to the principle of selection within spe-
cified areas, another member of the Cabinet would prefer
the application of the principle to the whole country.

But both, rather than risk the success of a bill based on
the principles already stated, would support the pro-
posed measure.

The first reception given to this new policy was
by no means a favourable one. It elicited no de-
cided expressions of approval from any section of
the house, and for a day or two the Press was
dubious. From only one party, however, did there
come an immediate and emphatic condemnation of
it. This was the Convention party, as they call
themselves, who hold ultra-liberal views on the
land question, and go the length of advocating in-
discriminate free selections, and a universal com-
monage of the unsold lands. This party, within
two hours after the Chief Secretary had made his
statement in the Assembly, held a meeting to de-
nounce the Ministerial propositions as being utterly
unsuited to the requirements of the colony. But
Conventionist doctrines are held by only a very
small section of the community. The really popu-
lar views of the land.question are of a more mode-
rate kind. As the Ministerial scheme came to be
more fully considered it rose in favour both with
the Press and the general public; and several of
our contemporaries are already warmly supporting
it. Our own conviction is, that though the scheme
is undoubtedly a liberal one, and a great improve-
ment on any other hitherto proposed, yet it is in
its present shape too indefinite to be accurately ap-
praised.

On Friday next, at latest, the house will rise for
the dissolution. The Assembly has passed the last
item of the estimates for the current year ; and the
Appropriation Bill will be introduced to-morrow,
and passed, as a matter of course, without opposi-
tion. Many minor measures of considerable local
importance have been passed through their last
stages—including one for temporarily settling the
long-pending disputes arising out of gold-mining
on private property—one to modify the taxation
levied on the Chinese within the territory—one to
promote union amongst the various bodies of Pres-
byterians in the colony—and one to make more
equitable the levying of the assessment on the
squatters. A motion to introduce the system of
paying members of the Assembly with the inaugu-
ration of the next Parliament, ivas rejected a few
nights ago by a large majority. The Upper House
is engaged in critically revising the Bill to amend
the Registration Act. There remain only a few
odds and ends of business on the Parliamentary
daily lists, and therefore the adjournment for the
dissolution cannot be extended beyond the time we
have specified.