The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

head of the Colonial-office dithered from him on the
sub-
ject. Under these circutt,stancei was it desirable to (1
legate to that assembly the management cf the waste
lands in the coloni,a? In the first place, it was more
than probable that.assembly would not meet, for there
was no inducement; but supposing it did, the interests
of the colonies would cause a difference. South
Australia, for instance, was satisfied with the present
state of things as regarded the waste lands. Van Die-
men's Lan was e7ely day incre.ring in population, and
becoming less and less waste. New South %Vales W 5
a purely pastural country, where five or six acres were
required to feed one sheep. The upset price of the land
was originally sw. an acre, but the Colonial•office had
raised it to 11. What was the consequence?
In 1837 ... 360.000 acres were sold.
1838 315,000
1839 285,000
1840 . .
1843 4,000
1844 ...
.4,000
1843 ... 7;000 9,
1846 ... 7,000
But the population in 1837 was only 85,000, while in
1846 it was 196,000, or more than double. The case
was referred to the Colonial Commissioners sitting in
BirdoAge- walls, but they agreed that the price of the hind
was not high enough, and sent out instructions ac-
cordingly to the colony. This being the case, how would
the matter stand in the federative assembly, which
would be composed of twelve members from New South
Wales, four from Victoria, five from Van Diewsns
Laud, and Adelaide four? The majority would be con-
stantly in Sydney, and there could be no doubt that they
would make the price cf all other land equal to that in
New South Wales. He (Mr. E. Denison) thought se
there was at present no less than half the land fund of
the colonies devoted to emigration, a portion of the re'
mainder should be applied to the use of the labouring
poor. There was now a large Chinese emigration into
the Australian colonies, whose labour as shepherds could
be had equally good and much cheaper than English
labourers. He was of opinion that the control of the
waste lands in each colony should be left to the legisla-
tuzes of the respective colonies. This was the amend-
ment of which he had given notice, and which he sub-
mitted to the Committee.

Lord J. RUSSELL said the view which the Govern-
ment was disposed to take of this question was this.
The colony of Western Australia was founded with the
best intentions by Sir G. Murray, but it never made all
progress owing to the large grants of land that had been
given to the first settlers, and the impediments offered
by these means to the construction of roads and the cal'
ovation of the country. These evils were brought be-
fore the public by Mr. Wakefield, and in 1831 Lord
Grey, then Under-Secretary for the Colonies, proposed
to Lord Ripon, then Colonial Secretary, to sell the lands
at ss. per acre. After this it was raised to 125., and
subsequently to 1/. In 1842, after much discussion, na,u,
some inquiry by a Select Committee of the House, a 1311
passed through Parliament (5 and 6 Vict.), by which
It
was decided that the price of land was no longer to be
decided by the Colonial-office, and that a uniform F3'B"
tem of disposing of waste lands should be followed. That
Act also reduced the power of licensing for pasture to a
year's duration; and it provided that the proceeds of each
sale should be divisible into two parts, one of which
should ho applied to the public service of the respective
colonies, and the other to the promotion of emigration
from the United Kingdom. In the present Bill it wils.
deemed requisite to adhere to the uniformity principle 0'
1842; because if each colony was to:have a separate sys-
tem tat disposal and no uniformity of price, the legisla
tura (lone colony might consider that another colony
whore land should be cheaper was holding out ternpt
Cons to emigrants, which would be a great evil. xle
(Lord J. Russell) believed that the Congress of Or
Ueited Sulu s always 'decided the price of lauds. 1G
was plait), therefore, that the proposition of his 1100.
Friend was an objectionable one. But, upon consider-
ation, he believed, also, that there were valid objections
to a federal legislature having power over the svall?
lands in colonies; and believing, also, that it was 11°`
likely, if constituted, it would come soon into operation!
he was of opinion that the best course to pursue would,
he to omit the provision fir a federal legislature, al)(_,
leave the whole question of waste lands as it existed
under the Bill of 1842. He, therefore, should propos°
that no introduction of the subject should take place la
the clause.
Mr. DIVETT agreed with his Hon. Friend and tb°
Noble Lord as to the uselessness of a federal legislature'
The colonies of South Australia did not desire to be over-
ridden by Sydney, which would be the result of Or_
clause as it stood. He thought that the best thing that
could be done for the colonies and for the country It
to leave land as it stood under the Bill of 1842. P:
was convinced that if the principles of that Act wel`
adhered to there would be an additional emigration '()
South Australia every year. The system of selling,
land at a minimum price of 1/. per acre was the boat
that could be adopted. There could be no doubt that
the best and most popular plan in the colonies was t°
adhere to the present system. In a colonial paper
conduct of the Colonial Commissioners had been 0;
pugned, but this, from his own personal observation, 1!..
was enabled to contradict. He had always noticed 111,1
these gentlemen the best disposition to do equal and ful
justice between the colonies and the emigrant labouriq
population. The Hon. Member here read an extract
from the South Australian Gazette and Mining JournaLt
to which he had referred. With the exception of
abuse of the Commissions, which he had already eal.
was totally undeserved, the views laid down in 11':
paper in question were these which he had reason tu
believe were generally entertained. He wished to spit
with respect to the squatters generally, but he well.
wish to state some of the features of the system of squat;
ting. Some of the squatters held enormous tracts of
laud. The number of land licences was 2,347, btilji
among those who had them were 465 persons who be'
as follows:-
298 held

60.000 acres each

73 „

100,000 ~

150,000 ~
200,000 ~
.......
300.000 „
350,000 „
400,000 „
550,000 ~
600,000 ~
and 2 „
(Hoar.) The gentleman who furnished that statetol
asked what inducement had these men to purchase.l,l34o
at any price? It was to their interest to keep lalleuer-e
thinly populated as possible, and to get labour wh.l`te
they could get it at the cheapest. He was not goinghe
object to this system as far as it went, as he believed o
prosperity of the colony had been in the first insta°ll"o
mainly promoted by these parties; but he though The
price of land ought not to come from those parties. -1- 6,
operation of Lord Stanley's Bill had been moat beoe,4
cial. The number of acres sold in a few years amours,
to 201,444, and the amount realised was 250,8731 e bee'-fes
at the rate of 255. 7d. per acre. So advantageous -abo
this system, that capitalists had been attracted to of
colony, and the best results had followed. It could 13,,
be expected that affairs should always go on so verg's
well; but his firm conviction was, if the system
continued to be carried out, that not only the col°l3e'd,
but the neighbouring region, would be equally benefit 0,
It was most satisfactory to hear the Noble Lord's F recni.
as it would be found the safest way, under all cirea'"?
stances, to a(lhere to the Act of 1842.
Mr. ROEBUCK did not agree with the Noble 14%,
in thinking that a demand for a general assemblYlV.,-eg
unlikely to be made. With reference to the boundg`r"he
of colonies, they ought to be perfectly definite---`ba
limits ought not to be over large, but they ought °eat,
well defined. When these limits should have bee° --er
Government would have cleared the way to a PoPo",
system of management for the land fund. If the Ow
nists had the hope and expectation of a general assen?',4
left to them, he was satisfied the colonies would rapt U 0
expand and grow up. But it was essential to define 'OO
limits of each colony. There should be no dispotedte
to boundary between Victoria Colony and New s°"it
Wales. It was one of his quarrels with this Bill th4"„-cl
made no provision for determining the boundary des
limits of each colony. If this was done, it would fibs
be ascertained how much of the land belonged t° :ge
local legislature, and how much was the aploll7ol
of the poor, or rather the labouring people of txr'te
Britain. All the land within certain limits wag
be considered the property of the colonists—all voir",,l
out the limits the property Of Great Britain. He as'ae.
the Noble Lord to look at the question as a statestrioe
In planting colonies, let Government get rid of the los
of a subject dominion—let Government consider a of
lony as an enlargement of this island—an extensiollehe
England. This would be acting up to the spirit of 1;10
age. Give to each colony the area if they would, All
give the colonists the full control over that area• poll
the lands outside of this area, until there was a gerloo
assembly, were to be considered as under the dote ti
and as belonging to England, for the use of the Pecle-
And why did he advise this? Because it was notA
tf
likely Government would create more colonies, an ro-
an indefinite limit were left to the boundaries ofthel:i to
,sent colonies, the circumstance would ultimately 1" or,
serious disputes and quarrels. Government, 11°„se,,atil
had hitherto never taken this trouble with our P-ies,
American colonies, nor with our Australian o°!°oriti
and now there was almost a quarrel between V'ee",,ey•
and New South Wales about a question. of bolo" lie-
-(Hear, hear.) The reason why he wished P°rofie
ment to draw the line of the colonies was, be
he was not going to give up to ten or tlfeiget
or two hundred thousand colonists, who trod
happen to be settled on the land, all the contr°'ood
advantage of the whole of the land, which might ,e° er
through a very wide circumference. He would ale
oath
tend the system of limitation and definition to had
Africa. In our colonies in America we no lotige'utiaa
the power to dispute the point. He saw no roe 110(1
taken in this Bill to prevent the same things whip i 4
ia
occurred in our American colonies from ocearc'elll-oble
our Australian colonies. He counselled the -bed.
Lord, when he could get light so easily, not to g°
long into darkness. did riot
Mr. AGLIONBY said, as the Noblo Lord cwaste
intend to make any alteration in the disposal
lands, he should not have troubled the House w'r GeV
remarks, hal it not been for the Hon. and Learned ere
tleinan's speech. Much of that Hon. and Lease:K(1;1101
bee's argument he agrred with, but there was a 140
in sore parts of it, which he wished to point ottt'it,
considered the suggestion for defining colonial
litnbY of
an admirable and valuable suggestion, and vvor:for
adoption. The next point of the Hon. and Learned 'The
hey had reference to the disposal of the waste lands. 100
nnet Learned Gentleman wished the outaifit.'le 036
should belong to this country, and the lands inslue this
boundary to the local legislature. He did not a° 00'
was a neceassry conclusion to the premises of the, 0030
Member. He did nut see why the lands inside tue roarc
of the colony should belong to the colonistr, oTIY oie°
than the lends outside of the limits. He was of apt ad
that colonists had no right to dispose of er, clotopeter
I right over the waste lands of colonies which tbeJ

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14 „

3 1,

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