The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1883.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2764, 2 August 1883, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1883.

In the early part of last year, the Agent- Genera], Sir Dillon Bell, addressed to the Government a very important letter, which is well worthy of the attention of those who are inclined to be led away by agitators for so-called reforms in tho land laws. "Why the publication of that letter was delayed until the present Beßsion, we are at a loss to understand ; for not only was its early publication desirable on general grounds, but it had a special bearing on the legislation proposed or effected last session. Sir Dillon Bell wrote ostensibly to explain why there was no competition from England for the Otago runs which were sold by auction in February 1882. His remarks on this point are very suggestive. They are tantamount to saying that the absence of any competition from England was entirely due to the persistent agitation which was got up in the colony regarding the sale. The Government, it will be remembered, postponed the sale, in deference to the views of the agitators, until the latest date permissible by law, with the result, as Sir Dillon Bell states, that the notification reached England " when it was too late for anyone to avail himself of it, so far as the runs are concerned." He adds that, under any circumstances, he was " never able to make any authoritative statement of ■what would really be done, or even to give anyone an assurance that the new leases would be put up for sale at the time and in the manner appointed by the Land Act of 1577." He had made it known that the Government " would have been very glad to invite in good time the competition of intending settlers for the Otago leases, if it had been practicable or honest to do so without at the same time warning them that when they got out they might find thewhole question indefinitely adjourned and nothing for them to compete for." In short, the absurd and aimless opposition that was offered by a section of " Liberal " politicians to the operations of the Land Department in connection with the sale of the Otago leases, deterred all competition from Home, and no doubt deprived the colony of many valuable settlers and much capital. We well remember pointing out at the time that if the object of the land reformers were to secure the widest competition for the runs, they were going to work in a way that was certain to defeat that object ;: for the reason that no men of business from abroad would have anything to do with transactions which were the subject of a violent and uncertain political dispute. Our view was borne out to the letter by the Agent-General's testimony, and by that of actual events ; for, as a fact, the sale was confined to local bidders, and the runs, with scarcely an exception, passed into the hands of their former holders. So much for the effect of agitation upon the sale of the tuns. The Agent- General next refers to the question of selling pastoral land on deferred payment, and expresses an opinion that much might be done in that way, if he were in a position to say positively what land is intended to be offered for sale. He then launches out into a bold and most just protest against the reckless and mischievous manner in which the interests of the colony are sacrificed by our tinkering politicians. It is to this part of his letter that we particularly wish to draw attention. " There can hardly be a " doubt " be says " that the knowledge " of there being a chance of acquiring " such land would have attractions for " farmers accustomed to keep sheep on " the hill-farms of the North ; but this " bare knowledge is of no use to them " unless the Agent-General can tell " them precisely what they have an " opportunity of getting. Nor is that " enough unless he can add to that in- " formation some reasonable assurance "of stability in the land law. It is the " instability of that land law that is the " real mischief ; and, after a year's ex- " perience and close application, I do " not hesitate to say that, if there is " one thing more than another that " deters people of the farmer-class here " from going out, it is that no one can " feel sure of the land law remaining " for two sessions the same, nor can an " intending colonist rely upon being " able to make an investment which " would not be immediately affected by " some new agitation for a change. " Even in the case of tho leases for " subdivided runs, whenever I have had " to explain that a hill-farmer who " should go out with the intention of " bidding for one at the Government " auction and laying out his email " capital in pastoral pursuits is liable " to be turned out without compensa- " tion any day at twelve months' notice, " I have invariably found this provision "to act as an absolute deterrent. We " complain in the colony that one of " the classes we should most like to see " making it their home — namely, bill- |" farmers with small capital — are not

" induced to come out to us ; but we " take care to let them know that, if " they do come out, they shall have no " security of tenure whatever in the •' pursuit wo invite them to engage in. " This subject of the land law is of " such supreme importance that, if it " would not have been meddling with " what is not within my province, I " should ere now have offered some sug- " gestions to the Government upon it." The subject of the land law is indeed of supreme importance, and it ia infinitely to be regretted- that the Agent-General should have been driven to refer to it as he has, by the blunders of the Government and Legislature of the colony. We have never ceased, for our own part, to watch with great anxiety these constant concessions to wrong headed clamor, and these visionary experiments in land administration, which have played havoc with our land laws ever since the abolition of the Provinces. Up to that period, the Provincial Governments kept their reepective systems of land administration intact. They might be faulty systems ; but at least they were stable. It was easy then to find out how to obtain land in any part of New Zealand ; in no part were the difficulties very great ; and in all parts, the tenure, no matter by what process obtained, was to all intents nnd purposes permanent. The consequence was that settlement progressed apace, and that great numbers of new colonists engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits. Now, it is almost impossible for anybody in the colony, and wholly impossible for anybody outside of it, to ascertain how to buy Crown land in any part of it ; and practical effect is being given more and more every year, to the views of that small minority of theorists, who are altogether opposed to the selling of Crown land and to tbe freehold tenure. Sir Dillon Bell truly observes that though he knows New Zealand from the North Cape to Foveaux Strait he is quite unable to tell an applicant in London, whereabouts he can get t a bit of land to settle on, what he will have to pay for it, or what the nature or . duration of his tenure will be. The consequence of all this is that scarcely any new settle- , ment is going on in New Zealand. L The Minister for Lands boasts that a large area of deferred payment land has ', been taken up during the last year, , and he offers that as a final answer to ' those who say land administration is not what it ought to be. It is true that ; a large area of deferred payment land ' has been t;iken up ; but not by new settlers. The proof of that is that very few new settlers indeed have come into , the colony during the past year, not '. enough to make any appreciable \ difference to the progress of settlement. , The influx of new colonists intent on buying land, investing capital, and p making homes hoiv, has almost entirely ceased. It could not be expec- , ted to continue in the face of , the discouragement offered by those f who have the making and administration of the hind laws. It is not likely to be renewed until stability and , common sense are substituted for " empiricism and caprice in that branch B of our politics. The settlement of the j lands of the colony is virtually stagnant, i and to that cause unquestionably, the r long-prevailing depression is to be \ largely attributed. The process that is going on of occupation of land on deferred payments, adds but little to j the wealth or prosperity of the colony, j It consists in the migration of popula- . tion from one locality to another ; the transfer of capital and energy from one a pursuit to another ; and the exchange of one tenure for another. The change is beneficial, in so far as settlers enjoying an actual or prospective freehold of the land, are better calculated to make it productive than j mere lessees or licensees. But that is t all. These deferred payment settlers , were in the country before, and it is to \ be presumed that they were not idle. ' The country had the benefit of their energies in one form or another ; and it , is not at all improbable that in many " instances those energies were more profitably applied before than they are now p in working deferred payment land. The case of new settlers coming from abroad ' ? is quite different. They and their I capital, be it great or smull, and their labor and enterprise, are a net addition ' to the resources of the colony, and tend \ directly to improve the condition of everybody in it. The efforts of our politicians l and our land administrators, therefore, ought to be devoted to attracting this j class to the colony, and making them I satisfied with their position when they get here ; — not, as at' present, to det terring them from coming, and f harassing those who do come, until , they wish they had never heard the name of New Zealand. We have never |. wavered in our opinion that the Canterbury system of free selection at a , sufficient price was the best system \ ever adopted ; and that if it had been | made universal throughout the colony, r and had been rigorously adhered to, i the settlement of the lands would have , been rapid, steady, and productive of a \ large revenue, instead of being slow, I fluctuating, and in every respect unL satisfactory. • L We were not at all surprised to hear of [ the assassination of Carey, the informer, [ because we had always thought it ex- , tremely doubtful whether he would be . able to escape the vigilance of tho i secret societies whose diabolical pro- , ceedings he had been so largely . instrumental in bringing to light. It is impossible to regret that such a scoundrel as himself met the fate which he and his associates brought, or conspired to bring, upon so many innocent men. As un informer, by whose evidence the Phoenix Pai-k murderers were brought to justice, Carey undoubtedly rendered a great service to the cause of law and order ; and if he had been nothing but an informer, his assassination would have been a public calamity. But he was not merely an informer. He was himself a murderer and a maker of murderers. He plotted the atrocious crime in the Phcenix Park, and he induced others to take part in it, who but for his persuasions might have lived innocent and useful lives. He was responsible not only for the death of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr Bourke, but also for the death of the five miserable men who were hanged for that cold-blooded outrage. Carey was more guilty than those men, and he richly deserved to be hanged with them ; and for that reason it is in one sense satisfactory that he has not been

permitted to enjoy a life which, in strict justice, should have been forfeited to the law on tho gallows. At the same time it must not be lost Bight of that the shooting of Carey, degraded wretch as he was, is just as much a murder as the stabbing of those inoffensive and high-minded gentlemen who fell victims to his ruthless designs. It would have been a great misfortune if Carey had been put to death by a secret and unknown hand. As it is, his assassin is in custody and will, no doubt, be executed in due course. This event, therefore, teaches a double lesson, firstly, that a murderer cannot make sure of his own safety by betraying his accomplices and dupes, and secondly, that those who wish to wreak illegal vengeance on informers, ninst be prepared to pay tho penalty with their own life. All true friends to Ireland should rejoice that the mystery of the Phcenix Park tragedy was cleared up, and the murderers brought to their just doom, no matter by what means ; and no one, we suppose, will care very much if the result is a feud of extermination between the surviving Invincibles and the informers.