(To the Editor of the Bruce Herald.)

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 380, 16 August 1871, Page 6

(To the Editor of the Bruce Herald.)

S ITIj — Jn looking over the political histories Of past generations, *ye cannot but wonder at the tenacity with which men cling to ancient laws, rules, and customs, notwithstanding the injustice and oppression caused by those laws to the great majority of the people.

The history of the British House of Commons furnishes us with numerous instances in proof of this ; as well as the abuse endured hy those who are in advance of the age in which they live, and who stand up as advocates of liberty, justice, and equity. Indeed «-e cannot at first sight look back without, wonder and amazement at the loyalty and submission of the people under their oppressors. But when we look, and look in vain, amongst the representatives of the people for one who sees both the disease and the remedy, then why wonder at the common people—the ignorant mass ? And, again, we have seen wise . and -great men' stand up nobly, and with unabated zeal, for a quarter of a century, advocating measures of the greatest importance for the welfare of the Ration •-.; and yet, so tenaciously do men cling, to whatever is ancient that they will not allow the greatest blessings to be conferred upon them. But we need not go so far froni home, nor so far back, to find an instance of misgoverrunent and injustice on. the part of

hose in power, or of blindness and submission on the part of the people. Let us take the Government and the people of the Province of Otago, in the year abov 3 mentioned, as an instance and what do we find 1 Why, sir, -we find the Government at that time, and previous to that time, paying large sums of hioney out of the publio treasury for thß purpose of inducing immigrants to come into the country, and of paying their passages. This leads us to ask two questions— first, who receives the benefit of this expenditure :of the public funds? Why, sir, the riin(holders, and the well-to-do farmers who were fortunate enough to get the choice of the best lands of the Province. Secondly — how are those funds raised, and who contributes most largely towards them ? I understand that the greater part of the revenue is raised by duties imposed upon all important goods ; and, as nearly all manufactured goods, and a great part of the necessaries of life are imported, it follows that a laboring man, with a large family, may pay a heavier tax than a wealthy man with a large property. Now, taxes in these modern and enlightened times are sums levied by Government upon property, in order to enable the Government to protect that property, to regulate society, and to carry out the ends of justice ; and when any scheme is proposed by the Government, requiring a draft upon the public funds, due care is taken that no injustice is done, that no class is made to contribute or to suffer for the exclusive benefit of another and a wealthier class ; and, in the name of common sense, is it just that we laboring men should he compelled to contribute an equal sum of inon ry with the wealthy for the purpose of bringing out more laborers, at a great expense, for the benefit of our rich masters, and to our positive injury by lowerin"- our wages. And the same imitation of a Government whieh uses the labonng man's money in this way audaciously locks the land from him by placing it at a price altogether beyond hia means, and thus at'ain their selfish end. But thus placing a high price upon the Crown lands is an error into which colonial governments generally fall, thinking it will be a fruitful source of revenue to the government. We may take the dominion of Canada as an example of this kind. The Crown lands were formerly held, in that colony, at from 12s to 30s per acre, while large tracts were sold to companies who speculated upon it, which, on the whole, retarded the progress of the country. While, in the United States, the government land : was sold at from '5s to 103 per acre, on deferred payments ; the consequence was, that the emigrants flowed in thousands through Canada, into the Western States. No wonder, then, that a time of unexampled prosperity should have been the cousequence in the United States, while the Canadian Government was obstructing its own prosperity. But the Canadian Government has seen and confessed its error, and the consequence is that the land laws of Canada are more libera at this day than those of the United States. But our young legislators may think it beneath their dignity to copy the land laws of the United States, notwithstanding their long experience in dealing with immigration and government lands. I cons der that the policy of this Government, not to speak of its injustice, obstructs the progress and pros perity of the country. It is well known that a person cannot, without a considerable amount of capital, buy land at its present price, where implements and all the neces-sKi-ies of life are so dear, and -where the market for produce is so very uncertain ; and the man will find himself caught in a trap if he takes up land under the provisions of Mr Reid's Bill ; because he who is able to pay down for his land will have sufficient difficulty to get along in these times, without having to pay his land by instalments, with a high rate of interest, which he will have to do in this case. Indeed, the only good point in the Bill is the difficulty in finding the rate of interest which he will have to pay. Were the Crown lands thrown open at 5s per acre (with free selection, but with restriction as to quantity,) it would be quite as much as those wishing to settle upon the lands could afford to pay, and consequently enough to ensure the prosperity of the country ; and I do not fear to predict that the politician who might stand up for selling tlie land upon those terms would have a larger following ten years hence than Mr Reid has at the present time, and then the next generation will look back and blush for the blind and obstructive policy of their predecessors. I am, &c. R. Dodds. j Tokomairiro, 7th Aug , 1871.