THE POSITION OF THE SQUATTERS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1284, 21 November 1857, Page 4

THE POSITION OF THE SQUATTERS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

[From the Maitland Mercury, Oct. 20.] In the course of a recent debate in the Legislative Assembly of South Australia on the Crown Lands Regulations, Mr. Bonnev, the Commissioner of Crown Lands under the old Government, made the following speech, which furnishes a good insight into the working squatting regulations of that colony:— In order to estimate the policy of the regulations rescinded, and the necessity for the step which had been taken, it might be right to g<» back to the commencement of the svstem now put an end to. It would be recollected that runs were formerly held under annual licenses, assessments being paid upon the stock. That was found to be an unsatisfactory system both to the stockholders and the Government. It appeared to him to have been a very wise step on the part of the home Government to authorise the leasing of the crown lands. The >emulations originated with the home authorities, who in that, as in other cases, were in advance of the colonists in devising judicious regulations. The system in the first instance was applied to New South Wales and Victoria. In 1819 he was called upon as ft Commissioner uf Crown Laud, to report as to whether the regulations were applicable to this colony. Had he been desirous of forwarding the interests of the stockholders, or of avoiding trouble, he would have contented himself with answering that they were applicable; but be bad considered the subject maturely, and made up his mind as to the proper course to be pursued. lie went fully into the subject in his report, and submitted regulations which were afterwards adopted, nearly verbatim, by the Home Government. He was therefore responsible for the recent regulations. They differed in many respects from those of New South Wales, where the lease gave a tenure for 14 < years absolutely, without any power of resmnp- . lion except for churches, schools, or such pur- , poses. The lessees were also entitled to a re- , uewal of the lease. By the South Australian regulation, his Excellency could resume the whole or any portion of the land at six months* notice, ( and there was no light of renewal; and in case of a second lease being'granted, it should be disposed of by auction. That feature of his regulations bad been greatly complained cf by the stockholder, who had frequently mooted the question of a right of renewal. Another point in the New South Wales regulations was the right of pre-emption. There was nothing of that sort iu the South Australian regulations. Had that been the case, the whole of the Mount Gambier land, which realised upwards of £3 per acre, would have passed into the hands of lessees at xl per acre. In New South Wales the stockholders also were entitled to compensation. Under the South Australian regulations they could only claim compensation for improvements upon a resumption before the fourteen , years had expired. The distinction in New South Wales between those who held runs when ( the regulations came in force, and those who afterwards took possession, was unwarranted. He thought the discoverer of a new country bad a stronger claim than any other applicant. In New South Wales, also, there was an unlimited power to tax the stockholders. He objected to that, as it was not fair to the squatter to keep him liable to an uncertain amount of taxation, , and the South Australian regulations were altered in that respect. He intended to have given the power of taxation for local purpec-es, meaning that when the colony was divided into districts the residents should bear the district expenses to the relief of the general revenue- The first point brought forward by the present Government ; for rescinding those regulations was that they i were ignorant of the extent of good land to the I north when the question was recently before the bouse. He.did not know what information they 1 had received as to the extent of good land in this « province; but he had a very fair knowledge of i the nature of the country in the outlying districts, i and he fearlessly asserted that the eccounts ul i the well-watered country recently discovered were 1 greatly exaggerated. He did not believe in the < existence of such tracts. He knew that for 350 « miles north of Adelaide there was no agricultural I land beyond Mount Remarkable. The whole of 1 that land was & pastoral district, and always must remain a pastoral district. (Hear, hear.) v The distance from market would constitute such I objection against its being used for any other purposes, at least, for a great many years. As a proof that the value of new laud was not so great as was supposed, it was well known to all stockholders that any person who discovered u permanent watering place could go into the market and get a high price for his discovery. (Hear, bear.) As much as £6OO had been paid for such a discovery. (Hear, hear.) Well, that was a proof that such discoveries were rare, or such high prices would not be paid for them. Another objection to the late regulations was, that the first occupant, cod not the discoverer, bad the advantage. He maintained that the occupier was better entitled to the rewaid than the mere accidental discoverer. The man who stocked land and brought it into profitable occupation deserved the thanks of the community, and was entitled to the lease. The enterprising squatter who first settled iu country long considered worthless deserved well of the community, Many persons had thought it hopeless to attempt to stock Port Lincoln, but soma shepherds who had been paid in sheep managed to get on ; but ultimately a large stockholder went there to the manifest benefit of the country. It would scarcely be credited what largo sums had been expended in establishing runs. As much as £5OOO bad been expended in sinking wells and erecting buildings, all of which would become public property at the end of the lease. The quality of the land also would be vastly improved by occupation, so that it was not correct to say that granting leases for a term was giving away the people’s inheritance. Making the land available for future occupation was not the only benefit arising from the pastoral leases. The stockholder hud carried the comforts ami luxuries of civilised life into the far interior. That never could have taken place if ibe settlers had not some cerliun tenure of their runs. Persons would not build upon uncertain tenure, nor would they risk their capital if they weie Hable to indefinite luxation. The present system had worked well. It made land available, and carried the refinements of civilisation into the far interior. Another ground upon which the Ministers appeared to go in rescinding the regulations was the dread of having the whole of the country monopolised. Had he been in his former position he would have thought it his duty to caution

he parties not to pay their money until they had f'Xamined the country, rather than tu have hesitated about receiving the money as an insufficient rental for the country. Ho believed many of those neople would be found to be the victims of their own eagerness to acquire runs. (A laugh.) One of the provisions also was, the commissioner should have power to alter the shape of the runs, so that reserves of water might be made at any time. The country taken up for runs was almost a solid block, and a referer.ee to the plan produced some days ago would contradict the assertion then made by the Chief Secretory. Runs bad undoubtedly been selected at different points in the first instance ; but since then the intermediate country had been taken up. A great complaint of the settlers was that they were compelled to take more country than they wanted, in order to keep people away from them. It was said that persons who had small flocks took up small boundary runs adjoining great cattle stations in order to compel the owner of the large station to purchase both their stock and run, as sheep were considered destructive to cattle runs. It was said that the Government proposed to compel the keeping of the runs constantly stocked. There were many runs which could not be kept stocked during a portion of the year, so that it would be impossible to comply with such a regulation. Either the first applicant might take up a run, paying the expense of the survey, or the Government should taka up the aurveying and let the runs by auctiou. Ila approved of the first plan, although he admitted that it was possible liiar; more might be made by the other system. He 1 had indeed resolved to put up by auction the land discovered by the Hou. member for Encounter Bay and Mr. Goydea, in order to decide whether the Government would make more by the auction system than the other, bis own impression being that the public would lose by the auction system. The Chief Secretary bad said that the runs could be surveyed at 2s. 6d. per square mile. He was quite satisfied that uo survey had yet been made at that rate. The stockholders had to pay a much greater price, and they had tbe work performed under many advantages which the Government could not command, imismuchas they would have to send out persons expressly to assist the surveyors. Then there was tho cose of a line of 120 milea coaling £2OO for surveying, which would go to prove that Government surveying was not a cheap process. Tbe system which be introduced had been managed with little expense to the country. It bad not exceeded in cost ten per cent, upon the revenue derived from the leases, and the advance made iu the pastoral interest had been unprecedented. lie knew that c few years ago the cost of management in New South Wales swallowed up the whole of the income. It bad been said that the squatters did not pay their fair share io the revenue. They paid £20,000 a year and their expenditure could not be less than £350,000 a year, which being principally in wages, the greater portion of it was spent in articles such as spirits and tobacco, which contributed largely to tbe revenue. Then the stockholders scarcely used the roads in any of the districts. Nearly the whole of the wool was sent to out-porte, to which there were no roads, and the votes from the revenue expended for their benefit did not amount to £6OOO. Upon those grounds he denied the expediency of the alteration. The whole system having been productive of such benefits they should pause before they substituted another for it.”