MR. JENNINGS AND THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume I, Issue 28, 28 October 1843, Page 3

MR. JENNINGS AND THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.

(Continued from No. 26.) In a recent official report it is stated, that ' 'tho area within the township (town) of Sydney is 1778 acres, whilst the suburbs of tho town without these limits arc, on all sides, rapidly extending ;" tho population of Sydney, 1841, was 29,973 persons, and tho number of houses 4,523. That (say) one-twentieth part of all tho town, suburban and rural sections thus laid out, and one-twentieth of all future allotments of land, shall be reserved for the exclusive use and benefit of the aborigines ; the sections to bo selected of fair average value, as shall be provided for, and such reserved lands to be alienable only by act of the British parliament. That in like manner (say also) onetwentieth of all allotted lands shall be reserved for public use ; to be assigned as may be agreed, to provide for religious instruction, or for the support of the schools. That the remainder of the abovo town sections shall be divided into five portions ; each portion containing a fair selection of sections, in reference to situation and value, and that one portion shall be put on sale in each of the first five years of the settlement. That the remainder of the suburban sections shall bo divided into portions fairly selected, according to distance from the town and other circumstances ; and that one portion shall bo sold annually, and in like manner also, shall the remainder of the rural sections be divided and sold, That all the allotments thus offered on sale, shall bo sold agreeably to fixed prices upon a sale of register. In the first instance, previous to the departure of tho first body of colonists (say for the first year), the relative value inust necessarily be assigned to the right of priority of choice ; but at the time of the allotment of the several descriptions of lands in the colony, simultaneously with the purchasers exercising their choice, agreeable to the order on the sale register, which they .shall have proportionally paid for ; there should be commissioners on tho part of the Association (with one, perhaps, nominated by the government), exercising tho right of choice for all the sections remaining unsold, so that in future salos, in addition to tho order of the bale register, tho valuo of any sections may be judged of, by tho report of tho surveyors, and the situation exhibited on the plan of survey. That the sections in each description of land shall be divided into classes according to their value, as defined by order of choice; and of courso each portion of the lands for annual sale, will contain in it an equal number of each class. The price of the first class of town sections, may perhaps, as well as past experience will afford tho means of judging, be set at £200 per section, the second class at £190, and so -on, upon a graduated scale down to £20 per section ; the classes being so arranged as to consist of but few of the more, and many of tho less valuable sections. The first class of the suburban sections, may perhaps be set at £120 per section, descending to £G0 ; and the first class of the rural sections at £100, descending to £60. That as successive blocks of 20,000 acres shall be taken up from the Government by the Association, they shall be surveyed and laid out in rural sections of 80 acres each, and the fixed price in England shall be £80 per section, the purchaser making his selection at the time of taking possession of his land. That all sales taking place in England during the first five years, as provided, shall be at the fixed' prices of the sale register ; but that at tho termination of each annual period, all the sections, of the portions set apart of each description of land then remaining unsold, shall be advised to the colony; there to bo sold at public auction, the fixed price of tho register being the upset price, and tho auctions being adjourned from month to month ; and a certain proportion of tho whole of the residue of the sections remaining unsold, shall be offered successively at each auction. That sales of further allotments of rural lands, shall also take place in the colony by public monthly auction, at the upsot price of £80 per section ; provision being made that the supply of land so put up, shall at all times be proportionate to the demand for occupation. That it shall be a condition of sale in England, that the purchaser personally take possession of his land within three years after purchase, on pain of forfeiture ; but m order to prevent unnecessary hardship to individuals who may bo prevented by iu>

foreseen circumstances from fulfilling their intentions of emigrating, provision might perhaps be safely made for returning threefourths of the purchase money. That as a recompence for the greater risk and difficulties encountered by the first body of the' settlers, say those embarking for the colony during the first year, a passage allowance of twenty -five per cent shall be made to them upon the amount of their purchases j out of the first allotments. The sale register should at all times be open to the inspection of persons intending emigration, and all persons should be free to make purchases of any unappropriated sections. As a further measure for securing a just and equal opportunity of choice, and appropriation of the sections according to their value, it might be provided that the .first fifty persons joining the Association, should have the right of entry of purchases agreeably to the alphabetical order of their names, or the reverse, as at the time of the first opening of the sale register might be determined ; afterwards the order of application would be sufficient.