LAND IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Colonist, Issue 16, 15 December 1857, Page 3

LAND IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Subjoined are two statements respecting Land in Australia, replete with instruction. One of them shows that seventy millions of acres are leased at some two thirds of one farthing per acre; but nearly sixty millions of that are about half a farthing per acre, or at the rate of eight acres for one penny, or one acre for that sum during eight years. What a fine system 1 The other statement, in the form of an interesting letter, may serve usefully to guide us in our inquiries relative to the mode of disposing of waste land here. The keen Australians are beginning to find some change necessary. He must be a bold genius who would deny that. Crown Lands Leased.—A return of the quantity of Crown Lands leased iri the settled, intermediate,, and unsettled districts. of New South Wales for. squatting purposes has just been published, showing also the average rental paid per acre per annum. The quantity of land . iri the settled districts amounts to 7,379,218 acres: the rent per acre ranges from half a farthing to one farthing and 8-9ths of a farthing; in the intermediate districts the quantity of land leased from the Crown amounts.to 3,883,570 acres, paying an average rent of three-fifths of a farthing; and in the unsettled districts 58,824,911 acres are leased at a rental of rather more than half a farthing per acre:— making a total of 70,086,699 acres leased at an average of two thirds of a farthing per acre rental. This is about 105,000 square mile 3of territory, or more than double the size of England. —Empire. . The .Administration of the Public Land's;-—Tc \ (heEditor, of the Empire.— Sir— As it is my intention to endeavour to secure the introduction of an additional mode of sale into the Government -Land Bill now before the Assembly,'! sjiall feel obliged by your giving this letter a place in the Empire. I take th's somewhat extraordinary course, because I am desirous that the public should have an opportunity of considering the matter at as early a pe-10l as possible. Whatever difference of opinion there may be as to the exisring rights and vested interests of the pre eat occupiers of the public lands, all, I believe, will at, this time of day admit that, did such rights and interests not exist, it would be the duly of the Government to distribute the lands so as best to secure their settlement and improvement by freehold occupants—indeed, the great desire of the colonists generally for such facility of occupation, is unquestionably: the main if not the only cause of the deep anxiety on the land question so generally felt throughout the country. Met as we are, therefore, on the very threshold of the subject by the obstacles that the claims of the squatters present, it is proper here briefly to state the nature of those claims. The squatters hold the lands from the public for various periods at a nominal rental, but are at the same time liable to an assessment upon their stock, unrestricted in any way as to its amount; and are also liable to have any portion of the land taken from them at any time for public purposes. Had those who planned the sysiem sought tp do as much mischief to the public and as lit'le good to the squatters as possible, they could scarcely have devised a scheme more likely to secure that object. The squatters, however, endeavour to obtain a reeoguition of all those por.ions of their bargain thit are beneficial to them, while at.the same time they cry out lustily agiinst the application of those portions thereof that are favourable to the public,—they dis'ike reserves for public purposes, and as for an As-. sessment Bill to equalize their rent, anything of this^ kind is to them unbearable, as a mistobjectionable class tax. The present Government on coning into power found themselves in some such position; as, would the bx-ir to a property wh63e,predet;es~or had been idiot enough to let it on-'-iiuilar terms. In such case, certainly, it would be unredso .ale for the tenant to expect the new owner to abstain from assessing his stock on any such grounds as those tak"n by the squatters against the Assessment Act, while at the same time he (the tenant) claimed to hold the land for tie full term at the nominal rent reserved. Surely cmi mon- sense would point out to parlies bound by so faulty a contract, that the only satisfactory course open to them would be to make new terms. The Assembly then, representing as it dops, or ought to d), all classes of the community, including the squat.'ers.-h-is, I conceive, a perfect right to deal with the whole question .of the public lands'; and the attempt to denounce its doing so as an act of repudiation, certainly will not hold water. Having traced the question thus far, it is not my intention to offer any comment on th.3 Government bill, as I am of opinion that it can, in co.nmittee, be so fir perfected as to meet all the objects it contemplates; I will, therefore, now merely suggest a comparatively unobjectionable plan to facilitate the settlements of farmers without the delay and vexation that they are now subjected to, and for the removal of which, as it appears to me, the bill alluded to does not sufficiently provide. I would desire that, excepting .with respect to land specially reserved from the operations of the provision, any person may have any portion of the public laud at J&l per acre, without competition and

without delay, either for survey or otherwise, on his paying the Commissioner of Crown .Lands of the district 25 per cent, of the cost of the quantity he "desires, and registering with that officer a description of the locality, arid thenceforth resides thereon. The remaining 75 per cent, of tlie purchase money to be paid at' •the end of five yeais, and the title taken up ';'■ but no title to be given unless 25 per cent, of the land is then under cultivation, and the pur-! chaser or his family residing thereon. Failings compliance with these provisions, the deposit of 25 per cent, to be forfeited, and the land to revert to the Crown. The object of these condition's being to prevent persons from taking up large blocks of laud for purposes of speculation, of course the Government Avould have the option of abstaining fiom exacting their strict letter in cases where the parties were acting bona fide. Of course, during the five years allowed tor getting 25 per cent, of the land under culti-. vation, there would be ample opportunity for the. Government, at the least possible cost or inconvenience, to have the laud surveyed. Thus would be removed the depression, misery, and loss which new settlers meet with under our present system, from its wearying delays —new settlers would have 75 per cent, of their capital reserved in their hands, to enable them to sfock and work their laud—agriculture would prosper insteadiof languishing as at the present time—thecountry would be made attractive—: we'would no longer be called upon to vote, hun^ dreds. pf thou-ands.pf pounds for-emigration purposes, in the vain hope of the people remaining here, when a more attractive colony is -within three days' passage of our port—and the position of none would be riiore advanced than that of the squatter, but it would be iv a legitimate way, from the impetus that would be given to the prosperity of the whole commu-^ty causing a greater demand and better market for his produce. I am, yours faithfully, John Robertson.— Empire, Nov. 14ih, 1857.

THE SEPARATION OF MORETON BAY. The despatches of the Governor-General relative to the Separation o£ Moreton Bay have been published. They will not give satisfaction in Brisbane ; but they will seem to all disinterested persons to be very fair and straightforward in their suggestions. Sir William

Denison certainly has not laid himself open to the charge of grasping too much on behalf of the elder colony. He has put forward no claims but such as are recognised at once as moderate and reasonable.

It is true that he does not advise the anexation of the Clarence and New England districts to the northern colony, but he gives reasons for his recommendation which are so obviously conclusive, that Mr. Labouchere finds himself compelled, in defference to them to forego his own openly expressed opinions. The geopraphieal features of the country determine the routes of its commerce. The absence of good harbours along the coast, and the existence of ragged ranges to the north of New England, divert to Sydney much traffic that would have found other outlets if such hindrances did not exist. A line drawn across the colony midway between Sydney and Brisbane, would not separate the traffic that flows northward from that which flows southward. The causes that divide; the streams of traffic are permanent in their nature, and do not depend upon political determinations. They must always remain in force, as much as, they do now. If it had been to the interests of the residents in the Clarence and New England districts to ally themselves commercially Avith Brisbane in preference to Sydney, they would ha\'e done it long before now. But though urgently invited to do so they have turned a deaf ear to the pressing solicitation, and confess practically as well as verbally that it is more convenient for them to retain their connexion wiih the Southern Capital, even though it should be a few miles farther off. Country settlers may be trusted to know their own interest. Prejudice and partiality would not blind them to obvious and pecuniary considerations, they would not persist in losing money year after year, simply to glorify one city and spite another. No material change in the present relative connection of the country districts and the seaports is likely to occur. Whatever impiwed facilities for; connecting the interior with the seaboard may be made in the northern colony will be accompanied by similar impfoverrients to the south. Neither colouy is likely to have a monopoly of railways. New England and the Clarence will always remain more accessible from the south thau from the north, and Moreton Bay can never, from the nature of the case, compete with Port Jackson in the facilities offered to shipping. That the traffic from New England and the Clarence does draw down to Sydney, and that the settlers in those districts are in favour of retaining their present allegiance, are facts that no one disputes. The only defence put forward for the 30th parallel in this respect, is, that the settfclers are blind to their own interests, and that if they were forcibly annexed to Moreton Bay, thy would find the change to their advantage, and would readily aquiesce iv it. But this is an assumption so gratuitous, and so opposed to ,al probabilities, that-Sir William Denison would not have been justified in recommending Mr. Labouchere to act upon it. If the chief town of the northern district had been at Wide Bay, or Port Curtis, or Rockingham, we should have heard nothing about the 30ih„parallel as a natural boundary. But-cir-cumstances have for the present concentrated the greater pirt of the population at Brisbane. Whether it will always retain ihis pre-eminence cannot be foreseen. Much will depend on the deve'opment of the resources of the different parts of the territory. Brisbane has some natural advantages, which are counter-balanced, however, by other natural disadvantages. But it is certain thot a large proportion of the zeal for separation was prompted by a desire to make Brisbane a metropolis, and had it been made by the home Government, an indispensable condition that the seat of Government should be farther north or farther inland, the " boon of separation " would have be_n looked upon somewhat differently by the holders of allotments on the Bremer. It is this assumption that Brisbane is to be the metrop >lis, both at first and permanently, that, has been at the bottom of much of the clamour for the annexation of the Clarence and New England. According to the division adopted, the metropolis will be close to the southern boundary, instead of being in a central position. If this is found to be an inconvenience it will be a very good reason for fixing the si'e of the capital somewhere else, but it is not a good reason for arbitrarily detaching a district that naturally coheres to New South Wales. The metropolis should be adapted to fit the colony, and. not the colony to fit the metropolis. Of the existing territory of New South Wales, by far the largest portion is now to be cut off to form the new colony, and this port:on containß some of the richest and

most productive land. Both as to quantity and quality, therefore, our northern friends might be content with their share of the spoil, without grasping at more. They are at liberty to fix their capital in the middle of their'territory if they like. Several eligible spots invite their selection. The north is " all before them where to choose." The principles laid down by Sir William 'Denison as determining the distribution of the n debt cannot be complained of on behalf of the growing colony. If they were faulty at all, it is that they will bear hardly on the old colony. Our national debt, though small compared with, our resources, is larger when compared with what Aye have to show for it. Much of the money unfortunately has been more easily borrowed than wisely spent. But repentance is now too late. The burden must be borne! The younger co!ony escapes altogether" from any share of the imprudent obligations, though it was a party to. contracting them. It s'dps away from under the burden, and leaves the whole weight to full on the shoulders of the old colony. ■.' '" With reference to the reduced value of the security for the public debt, Sir William Denison says that fourpence an acre for the remaining public territory would pay it off. No doubt the security is still ample not only for the existing debt but for much more. But the'question is,-do the lenders think so, and are they willing.to Accept the altered security. If a land -maniac should prevail, aud sales be forced far in exces*s of the natural demand, the' remaining territory. would be unsaleable altogether for some years, and might not yield enough if sold at fourpence an acre,.to pay the interest of the debt.— Herald. ; YOUNG INDIA AND YOUNG IRELAND. The Times draws Nana Sahib's portrait in the character of Young India. We are told he is quite an accomplished gentleman, an Asiatic Coningsby, preux chevaUer of the jungle. He speaks English fluently and Avell; pays us the compliment of flattering and betraying us in our own tongue. No niore constant visitor at Cawnpore. It was o_ly his last visit there that he paid with fire and sword. The smiling villian \yas a bosom friend of our officers; joined them in their pic-nics; was the 'companion, "of their field-sports; went with them, hunting bra?ts less savage than himself. As many of our readers were probably ignorant that a young India existed, we have given these few features of its representative man. / But who has riot heard of Young Ireland ? We had hoped indeed that this wicked folly was extinct, but we were, mistaken, for it still exists, if it can be said to flourish, and yearns of course to Young India, even as the heart of David yearned to Jonathan. Here is a hearty cheer for the sepuys from at least one voice in the British islands:— "Sweeter than the voice of love, sweeter than the warm accents of friendship, dearer, thau the mellowest sunshine of the heart is the news of English discomfiture in India to the breasts of the Irish peop'e. They are delighted, rejoiced, and gladdened beyond measure when they hear of the torture and humiliation of their ancient foe. There is not a vessel of her's wrecked, there is not a general of her's who is slain, there is not a battalion in her service which is routed and overthrown, that the people do not gloat over with the greatest satisfaction and delight, From the deepest recesses./, of, ithijir hearts they wish her defeat and! misfortune in whatever enterprise she is engaged. Loyalists, slaves, sycophants, and West Britons may seem aßtouuded by all this, but from our knowledge of the people we can assure that what we have stated is a fact. The Irish millions wish to see England subdue,!, her in■sblence c_asr.ise.l, her barbarous and tyrannical power broken to pieces, her domineering and bruial disposition tamed and sobered down, aid her . outrageous desire to annoy, bully, insult, and plunder weaker nations, rendered impotent and powerless for evil for all tim^ to come. Th.~y are consequently de'iglited by the intelligence received from the East, where the forces of the Great Mogul are pounding the armies of Great Britain. Wherever' England draws the sword or lights ihe mat.-h, Ireland prays for her defeat, and at no dine has she prayed more fervently in that way than she does now, when the patriot sepoys of India are endeavouring to strangle the British power, and sweep it root and branch from the fair and fertile fields of Hindostan." We may well leave this to be its own commentary, but are there no strait waistcoats in Ireland to restrain the maniac that indites this offensive trash ? How completely the writer falsifies the genuine feeling of Ireland from Dingle to Deny will appear from the fo lowing quotation from the Freeman's Journal, the journal that is perhaps the best mirror of the spirit and sentiment of the Irish-people. " The feeling on the Indian news in the mercantile world is very strong. Any idea of jealousy between English arid Irish interests seems quite to be lost in a feeling of intense indignation and disgust at the atrocities which would have disgraced even the most noble cause for which ever arras were taken; and though it might be supposed that an ..East Indian question would have little sympathy here, the outrages committed have completely divested the cause of the insurgens of the slightest .sympathy, and, as far as regards the* merc'aritiki classes of this city, Protestants or Catholics, Liberals or Cons.-rvatives, we find but one feeling—that of a patriotic, indignation against the savages who have so outraged our countrymen and countrywomen, as well as those of the sister country, and an enthusiastic admiration of the heroic courage displayed by so many of whom Ireland as well as England has cause to be proud." Submarine Telegraph — Europe and Africa.—We (Economist) have had recently to lament the failure of laying down the Atlantic Telograph Cable; and the disappointment to the public was no doubt the greater from the preparations which had been made and the importance which had been attached to it. The present week has, however, furnished in some measure an antidote to that disappointment, so far as to remove any apprehension as to the practicability of laying a telegraph in deep water. While a great public, company, with the assistance'of'English and American ships of war, and having the command of all the science and engineering capacity of the country, has failed to lay a cable iri the Atlantic, a.private firm, relying only on its own resources, arid having the use only of a private ship, hired by themselves, have succeeded in laying a cable safely in 1700 fathoms of water from the coast of Algeria to-Sardinia. The success of private; efforts in the present case is the mo:e to be remarked upon from the fact that a year ago the same attempt was made, and aided by the French Government in every possible way, but

without success. We hope when the next, and , Aye trust successful, attempt is made to lay down the Atlantic line, the company will eschew all public ceremony and parade.as-much as possible, and allow the officers and others engaged to concentrate, tho whole of their attention upon the matter of business in hand, and not be distracted by extraneous or unnecessary, diities.. The following announcement of the success of the work is from the Globe: —24, Abirigdonstreet, Westminster, S.W., 10th September. To the Editor of ihe Globe. Sir,— We have the pleasure to inform you that a. telegraph despatch from Cagliari, dated September 9, announces to us that the submarine^ cable connecting Europe' and Africa has been successfully laid between Bona and Cape Teulada. The communication between Teulada and Spartivento (a distance of seventeen mile's) has to-be made before regular telegraphic communication can be opened with Algeria. The calls is a heavy one, with four conducting wires, and has been ■si.icce-~s_u.lly laid'in above 100 riautical miles of j 1(300 to _700 fathoms of water; the total dis- I 'tance covered is 124 nautical or 145 miles. We are, your faithful servants, R. S. Newall, and Co. Late Riots at Ningpo.—We publish the letter of M. Montigny, Consul-General of France, to the Tautai of Ningpo on the subject of tlie late outrages at that port, and the Tatui's proclamation thereon. The Portugese prisoners taken after the fight and brought down to Macao are, we understand, undergoing their trial. This we need hardly inform people-acquainted, however sligMly with Portuguese forms of justice, is a lengthy'affair, and, as it is asserted that the culprits are likely to be discharged, it Avill be a very unsatisfactory affair. T ae st°ry> f°r the truth of Avhich, we.do-not vouch,*"-is that,the men are natives of Macao Avhere they have families, and the belief ist that they will be discharged without punishment; If this turn out to be the case we hope that in. future British ships of Avar Avill be sent to seize such pirates and bring them to Hongkong, AA'here they, Avill obtain their deserts shortly and sharply. Leguminous End.—ln the new general dissenters' cemetery, at Nottingham, there is a tombstone of an old lady, furnished by a sculptor whose name appears to most of the stones, which finishes thus —" Her end was peas.—Walker." Two Sides to a Compliment.—Boswell was one day complaining that he was sometimes dull. " Yes, yes," cried Lord Karnes, " Homer sometimes nods." Boswell being elated Avith this, my lord added, " And it is the only chance, Jamie, you have of resembling Homer." The Greatest op all Bulls.—An Irishman, Avho Avas lately reprieved, as he stated the night before the execution, and who wished to get fid of his wife, Avrote to her as follows :—" I was yesterday hanged, and died like a hero; Do as. I didj and bear it like & man.'