Star.
London, England, 1825-03-16 00:00:00

WASTE LANDS IN CANADA.

Mr. WILMOT-HORTON rose to move for leave to
bring in a Bill for the incorporation and sale of waste
lands in the Province of Upper Canada. He said that
when the Bill was resented to the House in due form,
they would be better in possession of the details of the
measure than he could presume to put them in the pre-
sent stage. It would, he thought, be universally ad-
mitted, that nothing could be more desirable than to
facilitate, by a roper application of capital, the co-
lonization of their waste lands in Canada; and for the
particular purpose now-recommended, it *as intended
that certain grants should be made to an incorporated
Company upon a valuation of the particular lands re-
quired by them in the development (4 their local
plani. The arrangements wet eto be cart ied into effect
by two Commissioners appointed by the Crown, and
two by the Company, with conjoint power to decide in
such doubtful cases as came before them, tespecting the
purchase of the lands; and the basis of the general va-
lue was to be taken from that recognised in the pur-
chase of the other adjacent waste lands. The Company
were to agree to pay the Government 20,0001. a year,
upon being put in possession of particular lands; and
the amount so paid was, in the first instance, to be ap-
plied to the local expenditure of the colony, which had
hitherto been deli ayed by the Ttea,ury at home.—
These details would, however, be rendered more explicit when the
Bill was printed.
Mr. W. SNIITH did not rise to oppose the applica-
tion for leave to bring in the Bill, but merely to suggest
that proper pains should he taken to prevent the Indian
tribei, on the borders of the new incorporation, limn
being prejudiced by the new settlers. Pains were taken
in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for a similar purpose, and he
hoped it would not be lost sight of here.
WILNIOT-11011 f ON had the most perfect con-.
&knee that no danger of the kind alluded to would be incurred on
the present occasion.
Mr. HUME said, the emigrants who arrived at Que-
bec in the years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820, amounted
.tu39,000. Many of these were obliged to go to the
United States to obtain that settlement by the possession
of land which they had looked for in the Canadas.
One of the Committees which had reported upon this
subject, declared that not more than 100 of the 39,000
obtained any settlement on the Crown lands in Canada.
The Colonial Department was of all departments that
which for the last twelve years had given the greatest
number of proofs of mismanagement. If he had a te-
formed House, he declared he would impeach Lord
Bathurst fur his misconduct at she head of that depart-
ment. He spoke not of the Canadas, but of the Cape,
and every part of our colonial possessions. Let the
Hon. Gentleman opposite deny it if he could : .Why
was Lord C. Somerset allowed to remain there? The
conduct of Lord Bathurst in suffeiing tyranny at the
Cape, and the transportation of British subjects from the
Cape to Botany Bay, under circumstances of great ag-
gravation, made him feel ailiamed of hitntelf for having
so long. sat silent upon that subj'e'ct. The Hon. Member
went on to condemn the amount of the public fees taken
in the Canadas. The House would scarcely believe,
that the fee exacted upon the grant of 500 acres was
120/. and so on in proportion. This sum, although small, as coo.
pared with the value of English acres, was a very grievOus penalty
upon the unfortunate individuals who went out as settlers. With
respect to this Bill, be was ready to admit, that capital was of great
advantage to a Province like Canada, yet he should be sorry to see
a monopoly of land given to the Company contemplated in the
measure. This, he thought, would be only shifting the evil from
one hand to another.

Mr. BARING wished to know whether the object of
this Bill was merely to give the Crown the power of
selling these lands; or whether it went the length of
regular ing the matter is detail as regarded the Company?
Mr. M. FITZGERALD wished to correct an expres-
sion made by the Honourable Member for Aberdeen,
with re•pect to the emigrants to Canada. He was ac-
quainted with the condition of the Irish Settlers in Ca-
nada, and knew that it was a very happy one, and that
they felt great gratitude to Government. Government
bad appointed a must humane and able Agent, who conducted the
affairs of the emigran, s in the most satisfactory manner.
Mr GORDON defended the conduct of Lord Ba-
thurst. He thought the Hon. Member for Aberdeen
blarnedble f..r the obtervatlons he had made upon that
Noble Lord. As to the appointments made by the
Noble Lord, he believed that in no Depa: talent of Go.
vernment was so scrupulous an inquiry into character
instituted in the appointment of individuals, as in the
Colonial Department. As to the charge against the
Noble Lord for not having recalled Lord Charles. So-
merset, that applied a, much to every Member of Ad-
ministration as to Lord Bathurst; and he did not think it at all
fair to Lay the blame entirely upon him.
Mr. BRIGHT gave his entire concurrence to the
measure. It was one which bad long been wanted.—
He knew not to what purpose the money to be raised
was to be applied, but it could nut be better used than in promoting
emigration to that part of our Colonial dominions.
Mr. BARING said,that Canada could not long conti-
nue in the situation of a colony,connected as it was with
the Continent by similar interests. And how far it
might be for the interest and dignity of this country to
do that spontaneously, which would otherwise be done
eventually at a great 'edifice of blood and treasure, it
behoved the Government to consider. If we pursued a
different course, ten years would not pass over our
heads, without its being suggested to us in a less agree-
able form. With respect to this Bill, he knew not how
far it was to put the power of coloaization entirely out of the bands
of Government, and give it to a Joint Stock Company.
Mr. WILMOT-HORTON observed, that this Bill
did not relate to colonisation, although that might be a collateral
consequence of it.
Mr. BARING said, that the sale of all waste lands
of a country must affect in some degree the question of
colonization ; and he contended, that to sell all the ad.
vantages, commercial and .otherwise, of an improved
state of a colony for a few hundred thousand pounds,
was an act of folly. He thought it would be far better
to place the whole disposal of the matter in the hands
of the local authorities of Canada, and endeavour to
convince them that it was meant for their benefit ; other-
wise they were at the mercy of any interested agent or
speculator who might mislead them as is points of loc

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