ON THE CONSERVATION OF FORESTS IN NEW ZEALAND. 41 
indeed of all our colonies, old or young (for not even in India do I 
think the Forest Conservation arrangements yet nearly so complete as 
they ought to be)—has led me to offer to this Association the result of 
my observations and inquiries in New Zealand. These observations 
and inquiries were principally conducted in the province of Otago, 
during a three or four months’ residence in 1861-2; and, where not 
otherwise specified, my remarks are to be understood as referring to 
that province and that date. But subsequent or prior observation in 
Australia and various countries or islands of Europe, and a study of 
the literature of the subject, lead me to believe that my remarks will 
be found to apply mutatis mutandis to all our forest-clad colonies in at 
least the earlier stages of their settlement. 
However interesting in themselves the subject of the agencies of 
destruction of the New Zealand forests, or the other subjects tabulated 
in the preamble to this communication, their due consideration here 
would occupy too much time: and I propose, therefore, confining my 
present remarks to an illustration of those causes of destruction of the 
old, and those other circumstances connected either with the old or 
new, forests of that colony, which seem to bear more especially on the 
necessity for the establishment of a Government Board of Forests. 
l. The “ Bush- Licence " and its abuse.—]In Otago I met with many 
startling instances of sacrifice to a blind and ignorant utilitarianism ; 
but illustrations were equally abundant of indiscriminate and extrava- 
gant destruction of valuable timber, arising from a loose colonial morality 
and an evasion of the written law, which were unfortunately tolerated 
and too general, because there was no active or practical check or re- 
straint imposed by Government on practices in all respects reprehen- 
. Sible. Where a settler purchases bush-land, he has, of course, though 
unfortunately perhaps, a right to do with it what pleases him, whether 
this be or not for the ultimate advantage of himself or the colony. 
But in the eastern districts, at least at the period of my visit, the most 
of the “ bush " (or primitive forests), which there exists for the most 
part in extremely limited patches, was “reserved” by Government. 
Government, however, in these its so-called ** bush-reserves,”’ granted 
to individual settlers a “ bush-licence ” for firewood or fencing, as the 
case might be; the annual cost of the former being 20s., and of the 
latter, 50s. For this paltry sum (as I understood) the licensee is en- 
titled to cut as much timber as he requires, for his individual use, for 
