The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-14 00:00:00

,-*efgediesan the Member far Oxford. The Bill was liberal
any colonial measure ever proposed to the House,
The wag acceptable to the great body of the colonists.
only objection to the Bill was with reference to a
wouguie chamber; but even this objection the colonists
the ',have power by the Bill itself to get rid of if
ei_ny.snould so think fit. He appealed, then, to those
7° Members who had hitherto supported the Bill still
t•hegive it their votes in this, its last stage, and not fur-
aff•
,t,e delay legislation on the subject. The Right Hon.
Iseeneteman pposite had, in the course of his remarks,
thoe:red tot e question of waste lands. He considered
gr:stushjeet of waste lands in the colonies as one of the
lead e t importance, 8,3 well fn. the people of Eng-
zisatitce)sn
was
the people of the colonies. The sole
how they could be best managed for their
) 'meat?i The Houourable Gentleman thought they
teid e best managed by the local legislatures. He
~,0,,t-rot deny that there were in the colonies persons
; res;capable of dealing with the subject, but, at the
utne, he thought they might be exposed to local
tiee, sure, not, perhaps, amounting to jobbing or corrup-
vhieliout see,t
might end in their passing measures
large hw°ald transfer the waste lands to a number of
Rou. elders far a very low price. When the Right
thee IGentlerletee talked of two chambers being better
forg,are for the management of waste land, he mint have
t,. teen the ease of Canada. [Mr. Gladstone made a re-
marte ross the table.]:The Right Hon. Gentleman seemed
ehe:uateilt that all the difference lay in having the two
two ehere elective, but could he suppose that even with
fece„ 'active chambers there would be so essential a dil-
e letel:ebetween the members of each as to constitute a
fiche Ree the subject of the disposal of waste lands ?
`with „'ght Honourable Gentleman had found fault
eearitet4o Bill because it did not provide for a fa-
auprn Project of his—the establishment of a
difeer-itrte court.—(Hear.) But the case of Australia
of 1.-,14 from America, inasmuch as it had not one body
be e `4! but four. The question of the franchise
theala• ught would be better dealt with by the colonists
the 1100 e that House. The Right Hon. Gentleman and
t alee. and Learne Member fr Seffield had referred
w Zealand, and—d making use of ha
hack neyed phrase
~t'oP°ke of it as one of the blunders of the Colonial-
ep,se'r, But with regard to New Zealand, the House had
'pre%en' unanimously and bona fide a Bill establishing re-
peod relative institutions. Thit measure had been sus-
ell nedebirnPlY on the statement of the Governor that in
te4ueability the laws made by so small a minority as
Popel„4,7)Peatis would not be submitted to by the native
revers tone paying, as they did, nearly the whole
reeei," e• That was two years ago. Accounts had been
laidnd the other day from the colony, and would be
eeta,a4 the table shortly. It appeared from them, so
ta',er was the Governor with the progress that had
e ',Place, and with the tranquillity that prevailed, that
le 1,14' intimated to the Secretary for the Colonies that,
1) had
opinion, representative institutions should not
ar.onger withheld. Without making any positive
iiteetigttilootin the subject, he might say that he had every
of laying oa the table this session a measure
•!...jr(ieranting to New Zealand representative institutions.
tt,""tr, hear.) Under all those circumetances, he hoped
''`re House would read the Bill a third time.
ef'4,,• E. DENISON said that on looking at the state
eo tee !louse he perceived that it would be useless for
teeYallm. Member to propose an amendment of which
tti Government disapproved. The Bill having reached
ehiarest stage, he could not refrain from stating that, in
taut
°Pinion, it was, in its present state, objectionable in
'"'Y points,and particularly so in the form of consti-
nej .
th„, n which it would confer on the colonies. He
fa`lfehe it wrong as respected the federal assembly, and
el' More wrong in withholding from the colonists the
jaeaxl agetnent of their own waste lauds.—(Hear, hear.)
th'had always thought that the principle of the Bill was
!ee granting to the colonists the management of their
eh 4 nfrairs. True, a
en power was given them of altering
cstitution conferred by the Bill; but that power
4h'eh they most desired—the power of dealing with
°4' waste lauds—was withheld from them. The Right
f °r4 the Uner-Secretry had alluded to- the feeling in
that of the d
Bill, but a
it had been announced to them
eatotheY would have the management of their waste
'
HALVES—Ia General Assembly.
year• B. DENISON—When the Bill wa introduced last
tt no mention was made of waste lands, and on
Loquestion respecting them being put to the Noble
rd St the head of the Government, he answered that
„e
4-,„'cml,d take some days to consider the subject. After
s'ing deliberated upon the subject, the Noble Lord
• eeown and announced the determination of the Go-
te!Teeent to grant the management of the waste land,
of tar! colonists. That declaration had been the source
teat satisfaction to the colonists. So much impor-
-1- , did the colonists attach to the question of waste
e.,l'`'ei that he believed they would accept the manage-
s..74l of them without this Bill, rather than this Bill
17„theut the management of them.—(Hear, hear.) The
1r "I originally deleeated to the federal assembly the ma-
agement of waste lands; but when it came to be dis-
en'sed in Committee, the Noble Lord withdrew the ma-
ae-Ceeneent not only from the federal assembly, but from
colonies altogether.—(Hear, hear.) One reason
efsigned by the N'oble Lord for placing the management
waste lands in the Colonial-office, was the necessity
tn." retaining uniformity of management. Uniformity'
tr.eant that one rule should be directed to the adminis-
tite of affairs which were similar; but nothing could
More dissimilar than the condition of the separate
▪ °ineies, and therefore uniformity of manage-
!), he would be deformity of management in
ehi-e" a case. The Noble Lord had also referred to a
haP,etch of the Governor of Van Diemen's Land to show
et his opinion was that it was desirable the discussion
?r4tiweete lands should not at present be proceeded with.
.a• great object of that dispatch was to point out the
Nip
Ls:rence between the colonies, and to show the injury
evhee, would be done to Van Dienaen's Land if New South
eatea had a preponderating influence in any federal as-
Port`'lY In this dispatch reference was made to a
„, frona the Legislative Council of New South Wales,
It-7°Bt important- document, and to which he begged the
fb`ention of the Under-Secretary for the Colonies.
the the report had not reached the Colonial-office,
r„ e° aiithor of it had arrived in this country. He had
rred with the author of it that very day. [Mr.
e,-4.es intimated that he had got the report.] That re-
ste.ted, in the strongest manner, the inconvenience,
wVela,,e,,ll'-ert and injury of maintaining in New South
ets an upset price of 20s. an acre for waste land,
rod recommended a reduction to ss. per acre, with a
lit or pre-emption to leasehole. He believed that
e attempt to keep up the pricders of land had been
rtrl .ductive of mischief, and that the scheme of which
te was a part had failed. The colonists would not
ale satisfied unless they obtained the manage-
Rnt of their waste lands. It would be better to
4e them that management now, and produce satisfac-
i4F4 a than to have it'wrested from the Colonial•office
oat' 'rwards. He also regarded the principle on which
federal assembly was to be based as vicious. The
'ale and Learned Member. for Sheffield had said that
ee tit, federal assembly would be of great use in questions
Coi,hr°ad 3, canals, and railways. He had had some com-
b —alunicrition on this subject with gentlemen con-
iloected
With the colony, and he wished the House to see
le-„,''ne policy of the management of the waste lands in
een-, .„(I.onial-effice, and the keeping up s high price,
bad operate operate in such a work as a railway. Suppose it
ter'totcarred through some waste land, the parties
ee? .ld have pay 20s. an acre, or if they desired con-
k( miens, would have to make application to the Govern-
// ;tit in England. Much time would thereby be lost.
ii noble Friend said that the present Bill did not inter-
"'re with an Act of Parliament. Now, that was one
ies°ll why he (Mr. Denison) thought it objectionable.
jeti d Bill as he
a did d
that the t
would not Bill in its present
do that shwhape
chi was t
peased
rof
a goo
to do ,n
in the most expedient manner, and that
:1; way not such a useful measure as it had been described,
le.° would not hesitate to give his vote against the third
eading of the Bill.—(Hear.)
4r• ANSTEY would suggest to the Hon. Gentlemen
:,e-ePrisite who represented and supported the Govern-
)46'4, the expediency of considering the questions
th,ought under their notice by the Hon. Member who
einh.," last soken. With resect, however, to the waste
`-73 or Van Diemen's Landp he did not think that sub-
liZts excited much interest in that colony, seeing that the
r 415 had been imprudently distributed by various Go-
. eirlatuonts which had preceded the present. Of the ad-
'''`nistration of the land fund in that particular colony,
I
thought the colonists had every reason to complain.
'lad taken the liberty of proposing an amendment,
h he hoped would be favourably entertained by her
Atiaeinestre Government. Between the years 1824 and
`"a system of free emigration to Van Diemen's Land
4,ae prevailed, which had been attended with favourable
The emigrants who had proceeded to that co-
°Y Within those years had done so in the hope and
,ender the impression that the system of penal settleme its
44' about to be abandoned. The proportion then of
~rte Population, as compared with convict, was not half
bad at it was in 182 e. But in 1840 the Government
for
determined upon making the colony a receptacle
ban convicts, and since that period the latter population
44 increased in proportion to the free population to such
of eetent as would cause great difficulty in the working
eanthe new constitution, Great expense had been
eeeileti by the increase of crime; and the taxes levied, as
is as the
corks produce of the land sales, had been absorbed
tile %pence of that additional expenditure. From
th year 1828 to 1840 the amount of money invested in
4,seed by the colonists had been no less than 218,000 Z.,
1845'4, according to a dispatch from Sir E. Wilmot in
it was not calculated to exceed the sum of 2,0001.
fairjost criterion with respect to the administration of
44,14° ought to be adopted with respect to all the colo-
retti ' Other colonies might be interested in the propo-
bet" of the Ron. Member for Melton (Mr. E. Denison),
40 Unfortunately, Van Diemen's Land etas not. The
br ,Member had said that if the proposes Bill were
eieiegnt under the consideration of the other colo-
that ~,tiheY Would reject it, because it contained
sure Anne ; and he had contended that the mea-
did nr which they might have expressed their approval
that
contain such a clauee. Now he (Mr.
that
50Y) thought the Hon. Gentleman was in error in
harelPposition ; for although such a clause might not
zep,lerleeen in the Bill submitted to the colonists, the
and i t of the Committee of Council was before them,
th© lams, position
known to be the opinion of the Governor that
Lams, position of the waste lands ought to be left in the
teat the the Government. He had, therefore, contended
the ';'aPProbation of the colonists had been given to
whieer,:ecut measure, notwithstanding the provision
leads, " was known to contain with respect to the waste
eoriee, An far as popular opinion was concerned, he
altheZilthad been expressed in favour of the measure,
133' the had many defects. It was vitally demanded
profess mrcurnstancee of all the colonies with which it
tiltat,tblehile two d.eal, but one, and that.. one was New South
etch a sort of constitution bad been already
Preset.), (1, and which was therefore indifferent to the
ehoale" measure. Was it not strange, then, that they
al be
different asked to delay it because that colony was in-
wateed • ".° its progress, although three other colonies
r
luad Van Diemen's Land was in favour of the
Nand a repolutiou of censure, al a Mat