New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1885.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 674, 30 January 1885, Page 12

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1885.

The last section of the Land Act Amendment Act which was passed last session is of peculiar interest just now in consequence of certain steps which, are being taken to give effect to it. It runs as follows: — “It shall be lawful for the Grorernor in Council to set aside a block of ten thousand acres adjacent to such part of the sea-coast as be shall see fit, situated between Catlin’s River and Mataura, for the purpose of forming a special settlement, to be offered to such of the crofters in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as may be disposed to emigrate to New Zealand ; one third of such land to be free-granted in areas not exceeding ten acres for each male adult, on such terms and conditions of occupation as the Governor in Council may prescribe; the remaining two-thirds to be open for application by the said crofters in sections of twenty acres, at twenty shillings an acre ; the manner and form of such application, together with the terms of occupation and residence, to be regulated by the Governor in Council, by Proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette.” On Tuesday last a deputation waited on the Premier in Dunedin with reference to the introduction of the crofters. Amongst the gentlemen present were Mr Macahdbew, Mr J. Robin (president of the Caledonian Society), and Mr H. Gottrley (the vice-president). Mr Robin made an eloquent and touching appeal on behalf of the class in whose interests the deputation was acting. There are parts of his address to which we may refer more fully in another issue. At present we shall confine ourselves to a very brief consideration of tbe question of settling a number of Scotch crofters in New Zealand. The foundation of the movement is the legislation of last session, and Mr Macandbew was the originator of the section which we have already quoted. Mr 1 Robin urged the Government to take immediate steps “to enable tbe boor crofters in tbe Highlands and .islands of Scotland to take ad;vantageof the land set apart for their’ Social;., behoof during the last pegsidnr, of, Parliament.” After enlarging most, truthfully upon their excellent qualifications for the work of colonisation,;and - upon their present wretched' condition,'he said : —“ We have plenty .pfrjroojn here ; tbny wiii people our country, the very thing we ! so much 1 -require, and infinitely improve' their’ own position. ■W&, vqnt.ure'tb libpe the. set.apart for , thenL is • .the . very .best land tbat can be got, as to settle tbe 1 poor people on 1 indifferent soil would greatly “retard ; tbe progress of' the settlement! ’tffie.., further think that some Kelp, should be them on their arrival—sayy d house-ofc three -rooms-built;, aud'they could pay it off in smalTsums annually .‘la] so think that larger, holdings, of, say, from. 30.0,, to 400 acres, ought to be interspersed, throughout the settlement, so. tbat the small holdetv might gdt olebasional -’work from bis'betthir off- neighbour; until lie hitnself People trained { jfco, -^ljsorts ,of toil by. ' land and sea are thei very people we want for'this grand-land l of ours.’j The 1 ; Premier belidved that the •’Minister^' <jf Lands' bad given notice to the. 1 Imperial .. Governmentof; c the offer made .by -v the ' Colony.' He supposed the Galedonian ; Society would 1 give the crofters advice arid; some sort of assistance if ,qut;. “of' in-a case like,this,., ,\vbere peoplecame ' orit to-further, ■settlement - J in 'a ‘ new country,-’ they would wririt som'e ; such';help:” j . 'There ifas rip .oilthe, part jpf, ..Mt’ : , "Robin in promising, s.ucb assistance ; ,“!tbe iCaiedo-Diaa'iSooietyr would,’' besaid; “ consider it their duty arid' theit 1 ' ' Highest J -privilrige : to''do I .‘aIl; ;t%peqple.^; : feeiuier ■j t , .-navri r.o«Toc.o,iK ••• i. -iAGei wj ia

ru-a** t*iiw m&watu u

said there was the question of the passages ; “be thought the Imperial Government should give some assistance, seeing that the New Zealand Government undertook to give the crofters land, and look after their location as settlers. It would be only a fair equivalent if the Imperial Government became responsible for their passage-money to New Zealand. The Government would put themselves into communication with the Home Government, but if the latter declined, he did not see how the New Zealand Government were to set about the matcer.” Mr Macanbrew argued at some length tbat tbe arrival of a number of crofters would not have a depressing effect upon the labour market. A great deal more was said, but we have brought out the principal points of the conversation. The case, then, stands thus: There is a large number of Scotch crofters who are in very poor circumstances at Home, and who, it is believed, would do much better in New Zealand. The Legislature of the Colony has thought fit to set aside a block of land for them, and the Caledonian Society of Otago, whilst willing to render assistance to them if they come out, think that the Government should further amend the Land Act in their behalf [compare the section we have quoted with Mr Robin’s suggestions], and should build them houses, the cost of which would afterwards be repaid by the settlers. On the other hand, the Premier, though he does not see his way to promise to bring the crofters out at the expense of the Colony, or to do more for them than give them land after their arrival, yet engages to solicit the Imperial Government to pay the passages. We heartily sympathise with the Scotch crofters in their difficulties and hardships, and we believe that they have been frightfully oppressed by the very class which ought to have stood most firmly by them. We are sure that they would make excellent settlers in New Zealand, as they have made elsewhere. We should rejoice if they were to come to the Colony. We do not believe that their arrival would be followed by a depression in the labour market. But we protest against special legislation, special State assistance, and special State consideration, on their behalf. It is an injustice to others to single out Scotch crofters and give them land whilst the rest of the people have to pay for it. It is not right for the Government of the colony to beg from the Imperial Government passages for Scotch crofters, whilst other men must stay at Home or themselves find the money wherewith to emigrate. Ragland and Ireland could at this moment supply tens of thousands of people willing to try their fortunes in the Colony, and quite as hardy, frugal, moral, prudent, intelligent, and industrious, and quite as miserably poor, as the Scotch crofters. If the latter are to have free passages, free land, and (perhaps) free houses or houses on* deferred payment, so should the former. If the Qolony can afford it, let the gifts go round, and let it be suggested to the Imperial Government that it should provide the means for supplying New Zealand with poor but respectable immigrants of all the nationalities.