COLONIAL POLICY. 303 



tion might be a serious inconvenience. The proprietor would get a 

 fair price for his land, and, not having contributed to the improve- 

 ment of the country around, could not legitimately consider himself a 

 loser, in consequence of any additional value his property may attain 

 from the enterprize and industry of the emigrants. In fact, he would 

 get the value of his land the moment there were purchasers, it being 

 always open for sale. Great care, however, should be taken by the 

 governor not to have the private lands valued too high ; otherwise, the 

 government, indirectly, would become a supporter to the land specu- 

 lator, by freeing him from the burden of taxation. 



It is my firm conviction that the only opposers that would be 

 found to a bill framed upon the above principles being brought before 

 the colonial legislature, would be the land jobbers, who, though a 

 powerful body at the seat of government, would find themselves in 

 the minority amongst the representatives of the people. Tn fact, a 

 measure calculated to be of such service to the welfare of the country, 

 would be hailed as a most liberal boon by the colonists generally. 



I am inclined to think that the wild land in our colonies in New 

 Holland should be sold at the same price as that in British America 

 and for this reason. In New Holland there exists no neighbouring 

 republic that has thrown off her allegiance to the mother country, 

 and which at the present period is exerting all her endeavours to in- 

 duce emigrants to resort to her territory. Therefore, in New Holland 

 we may be guided entirely by circumstances peculiar to that country ; 

 and although the distance the emigrant has to transport himself is 

 very much further than to North America, yet the rate of labour in 

 all new countries is so much higher than at home, more particularly 

 in the remote colonies, that the price of five shillings per acre is only 

 sufficient to secure to the capitalist a supply of labourers, who would 

 assuredly leave him were the land sold at a lower rate. I consider 

 the delightful climate of New Holland as equivalent to the richer 

 soil of Canada, and to the increased expence of the voyage there ; 

 and I have observed in America, that the settlers upon the lighter or 

 inferior soils are generally more prosperous than those who have 

 chosen a richer country. This is accounted for from the increased 

 expense of working, or bringing the latter into cultivation. 



But still I must not forget that the farms in New Holland are 

 principally for raising sheep, consequently differing very much from 

 the ordinary mode of farming in North America. The quantity of land 

 necessary to an emigrant for grazing bears no comparison with what 

 is necessary for agriculture ; and it appears customary in those colo- 

 nies for the government to rent out large tracts of land in the remote 

 districts for the express purpose of being grazed. Whether it would 

 be advisable to make a distinction between the price of lands avail- 

 able for agriculture, and those only available for pasture, I will not 

 pretend to decide. Yet I have heard that many grazing farms in 

 Van Dieman's land would fetch (if sold) a pound an acre ; if so I am 

 still of opinion that the government, even in those colonies, should 

 adhere to one uniform price, which might be at the same rate as I 

 have recommended for the North American colonies. 



A great mistake has been made in Canada, by encouraging emi- 



