The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1869.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2607, 13 May 1869, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1869.

To those who believe that a renewal of immigration is a pressing necessity for the province, it must be satisfactory to find the Government, the Council; and the Press, agreeing upon this point with so much apparent unanimity. We use the town apparent with due deliberation, because we believe that the desire for immigration is much more apparent than real on the part of many who profess to entertain such a wish. We arrive at this conclusion by the simplest process. If we hear any one profess an ardent wish for a certain thing, hut find that he neglects to take the means that are in his ppwer to obtain it, we place but a limited faith in his professions. So with the Government. Wei hear them profess that “ it is to n “ steady system of immigration, more “ than to any other cause, that we “ have to look for a restoration of “ prosperity to the province,” but we fail to see any evidence of an intention on their part to initiate any measure requisite to raise the funds necessary for carrying out their professed views. And, therefore, we decline to believe in the sincerity of their professions.

But aappoaing, lor the take of argument, that the Government are really •inoere in their professed dee Ire for immigration, and that they do dot see any way of cany inf out their wish,

there are still some vital points of difference between us which lie at the root of the whole question. We suppose we shall not be assuming too much if we take the views of our morning contemporary aa those of tie Executive. No one who has read the recent article in the Press with any attention can fail to perceive whence the writer derives his inspiration. In his yesterday’s issue, our contemporary belauds His Honor for expressing himself in favour of immigration, and then proceeds to shew how thinking men, like himself, look upon immigration. Immigration, says the Press, is the means whereby the Government regulates the price of labour and brings it down to such a point as to enable capitalists to obtain a proper remuneration for their investments. The “ thinking man ” who writes for the Press advocates immigration in the way of a direct interference by the Government with the labour market, and seems to believe it possible that the price of labour can thus be regulated, forgetful, apparently, that other thinking men all over the world have agreed to deprecate Government interference not only with the price of labour but with the price of the products of labour. We shall not pause to enquire whether the heresies of our contemporary arise from utter ignorance of the subject, or whether he has other and more sinister motives in advocating immigration for the purpose of bringing down the rate of wages. It is easy to see how the interests of the squatters can be served by rousing the ignorant and selfish fears of the labouring classes. Once lead the people. to believe that the object of immigration is what the Press says it is—a permanent reduction in the price of labour—and of coarse every man whose labour is his capital will vote against further immigration. Then the Government becomes at once relieved from the necessity of devising any scheme for carrying on immigration, and.. can content itself with repeating platitudes in favour of a steady and continuous system-

We have never hesitated to avow our opinions upon the subject of immigration, or to give our reasons for them. We hold that the first duty of the Government of the province is to colonise the waste lands which have been entrusted to them for that purpose by the Crown. We observe that our opinion is held by an important section of the Imperial Press, which, in discussing the questions of surplus labour and emigration, considers that Britain has an inherent claim upon the Grown, lands in her colonies as a home for her surplus population. We entirely agree with this view, and believe that we have no shadow of right to shut up these lands one moment longer than is required to prepare them for settlement. We have no manner of doubt that the legislation which granted away these lands upon long leases, was wrong in principle, in so far as it-did not reserve the power to re-enter at a reasonable notice. We contend that the first duty of the Government is to colonise the land, and to do this as fast as may be done with a due regard to the well-being of the' people who are to be brought in ; and 'settled, ’upon it. We say that' we never had .the right to let the Croikn lands upon long leases when the spirit and ‘meaning of the Waste Lands Emulations clearly indicates that the waste lands should be occupied in thnt way only so long as they are not required for the legitimate purposes of settlement. And if that is the spirit of the regulations, we say it is clear that it was a stretch of power, to lock flp the land by long leases and by granting extensive pre-emptive rights.

If our views are correct, if we have ceased to fulfil our implied contract with the Crown, if we have committed an act contrary to the spirit of the Waste Lands Regulations by shutting up the‘greater part of our--waste lands, and thereby rendering it difficult to carry on the business of colonisation, it is certain that . sooner or later some sort of compromise will have to be arranged with the view of bringing back matters to their original proper position. The land was . handed over to the colony by the Grown, and to the province by the colony, for a certain definite purpose. " The proceeds were clearly intended, to be applied chiefly to the purposes of settlement, and not to be divided amongst ns either in the shape of beneficial leases or yearly salaries. The question of all questions to he considered-by the Government is, how can the waste lands be most quickly turned to their proper account?. A tab|e hist published by authority of the Government shews that out of 6,500,000 acre* of more or less valuable land only 740,000 acres have been toM. THris leaves * balance of about £,sQt) f do6 acres, which, at the low rate of ton shillings an acre, represents two million two hundred thousand pounds. These lands bring the province in a yearly rental of thirty-four thousand pounds,,, or about one and a-h|lf per cent interest upon the purchase‘money, supposing them to be sold at ten shillings an acre. Could the province hard .turned them to a less profitable account than this ? And is it reasonable, with these figures before them, for the Government to sit down and assume that there is nothing to b® done but wait for the ruin which we are led to believe impends over the province ? .