THE PORT PHILLIP ASSOCIATION 185 



see ultimate paragraph of Mr. Colonial Secretary Montagu's reply 

 of 3rd July, 1835, to Mr. Batman) this tract having been oc- 

 cupied without previous friendly intercourse with the natives, and 

 being beyond the operation of any present law, consequently without 

 local government or authorities. 



"Assuming it, as I humbly do, to be the bounden duty of both 

 Government and the soliciting grantees to extend to these benighted 

 people a full measure of kindness and protection, and, if possible, the 

 blessings of Christianity, in lieu of advantages to be derived from the 

 possession of the soil by the British Empire and the Association, I 

 would presume to suggest to your Lordship that a Crown grant 

 be given at a moderate quit-rent, sufficient for the support of a small, 

 but, for the present, adequate establishment, appointed by the Crown 

 to superintend and protect all parties in and connected with a new 

 free colony. This acceded to by Government, the matter would 

 resolve into a question of amount. 



" Although, as occupants in a free colony, the Association would 

 labour under many and great pecuniary and other disadvantages, 

 comparatively with those located in a penal settlement, yet the 

 body for whom I act would not, I have reason to believe, object 

 to the Van Diemen's Land Company being taken as an archetype 

 to found upon. And this being acceded to by your Lordship, the 

 following statement would be the result. I may be permitted to 

 premise, that that Company selected 250,000 acres of available 

 land in six different and distant localities, being allowed 110,000 

 acres more, supposed, useless lands, and not valued to them, and 

 that they do or may have the full amount of their quit-rent, or even 

 much more, returned to them, through the means of convict labour, 

 unknown in a free colony. 



" The Van Diemen's Land Company have 360,000 acres, 250,000 

 of land fit for tillage and pasturage, at 2s. 6d., equal to 31,250; 

 quit-rent l-i per cent., equal to 468 15s., redeemable at twenty 

 years' purchase, or 9,375 sterling, quit-rent not payable until the 

 expiration of five years from the date of the grant or charter. This 

 latter stipulation the Association deeming an immediate super- 

 intendency by a Government Commissioner or officers, for the due 

 protection of all parties, of the utmost importance would dispense 



