30 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



and to men belonging to the detachment of 

 marines serving in Australia who desired to 

 settle in the colony. The maximum grant was 

 not to exceed one hundred acres, and was subject 

 to a quit-rent of Is. per annum for every fifty 

 acres, to be paid within five years of the date 

 of issue. In many cases the grants were made 

 conditional upon a proportion of the land being 

 cultivated, or upon certain services being per- 

 formed. In 1811 the Governor commenced to 

 grant town allotments on lease. In 1829 leases 

 were abolished, grants in freehold being made. 

 Five years later leases were again introduced. 

 Quit-rents generally were collected in a very 

 perfunctory manner, and in later years the 

 Government offered special inducements for their 

 redemption. 



The principle of alienation of land by sale to 

 free settlers was introduced in 1825. Land was 

 allowed to be sold by private tender at a mini- 

 mum price of 5s. an acre, no person being allowed 

 to buy more than four hundred acres, or any 

 family more than five thousand acres. In 1831 

 grants were abolished, except for public or 

 charitable purposes, and sale by public auction 



