82 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



was to a large extent based on the popular demand, as voiced by 

 the speakers of the "People's Convention". Its fundamental 

 principle was the entire abolition of sale by auction for country 

 lands. In lieu thereof it proposed the immediate survey of 4,000,000 

 of acres of farm lands in blocks of from 80 to 320 acres, available 

 to any applicant at the uniform price of 1 per acre. The date on 

 which applications would be received for such lands was to be 

 advertised for a month, and if more than one person claimed an 

 allotment it was to be sold by tender, as between the applicants 

 only. Any one thus securing an 80-acre block was entitled to 

 purchase at the same rate, or to lease at Is. 6d. an acre per annum, 

 the remainder of the 320 acres of which it formed a part, with 

 exclusive right of purchase during currency of lease. This was a 

 modified concession to the demand of the Convention for deferred 

 payments. To ensure that the applications were bond fide for use 

 and cultivation, and not for profitable resale to the neighbouring 

 squatters, the successful selector had within the first year to effect 

 improvements to the value of at least 1 per acre of the purchased 

 land. If he failed to do so the leasehold tenure was forfeited, and 

 if within two years the required improvements were not effected, 

 he became liable to a penalty of 5s. per acre, at the suit of any 

 common informer. In spite of all the sympathy in the House, and 

 by the Convention outside, it was evident that the typical " poor 

 man," with whom it was desired to supplant the rapacious squatter, 

 did not command the confidence of his political friends. His 

 honesty in the face of temptation was of so doubtful a quality that 

 the forty-ninth clause of the original Bill imposed a penalty of 200 

 upon any selector who should within one year after purchase enter 

 into any agreement to sell or mortgage such allotment, or borrow 

 money upon its security. 



The Bill did not go far enough for the Convention party, who 

 demanded free selection before survey, deferred payments, the 

 abolition of all squatting tenure, and free commonage throughout 

 the colony over all unalienated lands of the Crown. It did not 

 please the Legislative Council because it left the claims of the 

 pastoral tenants untouched, to be dealt with in a separate measure. 

 Wilson Gray and Charles Jardine Don, the leading spirits of the 



