NEW HOLLA N D. 
but that it is (till neceflary to continue, to a certain extent, 
the importation of falted provifions. The foil and climate 
are defcribed to be extremely fine, healthy, and pro¬ 
ductive; difeafes, with the exception of fuch asarifefrom 
intemperance or accident, are little known ; and freffi 
fruits and vegetables are produced from the beginning to 
the end of the year. The river Hawkefbury is however 
occafionally fubjeft to violent and' fudden floods, which 
have in fome inftances totally deftroyed the produce of 
the farms in its vicinity, upon which the colony prin¬ 
cipally depends for its fubfiftence. Great difficulties have 
in confequence at times occurred; and, though precautions 
are now taken to remove the crops as foon as poffible 
from the low grounds in the neighbourhood of the river, 
no perfeft fecurity is yet obtained againft the recurrence 
of thefe difafters. The out-fettlements of Port Dalrym- 
ple and Hobart’s Town, in Van Diemen’s Land, are re- 
prefented as enjoying a purer climate and more generally 
productive-foil than New South Wales, and to be other- 
wife profperous and thriving. Yet your committee mult 
concur in the opinion already exprefled by his majefty’s 
government, that more benefit to the colony will be de¬ 
rived from the cultivation and improvement of the fet- 
tlemenfs that are already formed, than from the formation 
of new and diftant eftablilhments, whatever may be the 
encouragement that a fertile foil or an advantageous iitua- 
tion may appear to hold out. 
“ The currency of the colony confifts principally of 
government-paper and copper money; but, from its 
fcarcity, many of the tranfaftions which in other coun¬ 
tries would be accomplifned by money are here carried on 
by barter; thus the labourer is not paid in money, but 
in kind : he demands from his employer fuch articles as 
he is moll in need of, and they are delivered to him at the 
prices which they bear in the market. At times, indeed, 
•wheat and cattle have in the courts of juftice been con- 
fidered as legal tender in payment of debts. To remedy 
thefe inconveniences, a fupply of filver coin, to the 
amount of io,oool. has lately been fent to the colony ; 
but, whilft the neceflity of large importations continues, 
with the rellraints upon exportation, it is not likely that 
this coin will long remain there in circulation. The ex¬ 
portations from the colony have hitherto principally con¬ 
fided of oil, leal-(kins, coals, and wool; the fiffieries appear 
to have been much neglefted; and the iron-ore, of which 
there is abundance, and of very fine quality, has not yet 
been worked. The trade in (kins and coals is the moll 
thriving, but is much ftraitened by the reftriftions in 
favour of the Eall-India Company. The (lock of fheep is 
not yet fufficiently large to make wool an article of large 
exportation. The culture of hemp has been lefs attended 
to than might have been expedited ; a profitable trade in 
fandal-wood has at times been, though illegally, carried 
on with the South-Sea ifiands and China; woollen manu- 
faftories, potteries, and breweries, have been eltablilhed, 
but not with any great luccefs. The commercial regu¬ 
lations of the colony have in many inftances been fo im¬ 
politic as much to dilcourage mercantile fpeculation ; for 
many years a maximum price was impofed by the gover¬ 
nor upon all imported merchandife; and at this price* 
often too low to afford a fair profit to the trader, the whole 
cargo was diftributed amongft the civil and military officers 
of the fettlement, who alone had liberty to purchafe; and 
articles of the firft neceflity were afterwards retailed by 
them, at an enormous profit, to the poorer fettlers, Part 
of thefe abufes were corrected in the year 1800 ; but, in 
the traffic of fpirituous liquors, they continued to a very 
late period; and it is therefore with the greateft fatisfac- 
tion that your committee have learnt that meafures have 
been enforced, as well by the government here as in the 
colony, to put an end to thefe practices. One commercial 
regulation appears however to be Hill in full force, which, 
in the opinion of your committee, ought immediately to 
be refcinded; it is that by which no (hip is allowed to dif- 
pofe of any merchandife in Van Diemen’s Land, unlefs it 
(hall have previoufly touched at Port Jackfon. By this 
reftriciion all mercantile enterprife is at once put an end 
to in the dependent fettlements; and fupplies, abfolutely 
eflential to the fupport of its inhabitants, may in their 
greateft neceflity be delayed to them. The impolicy and 
injuftice of this regulation are fo apparent, that your com¬ 
mittee trull it v.’ill not long remain in exiftence. 
“ The want of an extended corn-market, where the 
prices are regulated by a fair and liberal competition, is 
much felt in the colony. Of 10,452 inhabitants, 4277 
are wholly, or in great part, victualled from the public 
llore ; and three-fifths of the corn brought to market are 
purchafed by the governor, at a price, over which, from the 
largenels of his demand, he has always a power of con- 
troul, and which many governors have taken upon them- 
felves abfolutely to limit, fo as Icarcely to afford to the 
farmers a fair profit for their produce; and, in the diftant 
parts of the fettlement, they have been known to feed 
their pigs with the corn for which they could not obtain 
a fufficient price. From the occafional overflowing of the 
Hawkeftmry, and confequent fcarcities, a larger cultiva¬ 
tion of corn than is neceflary for the mere annual fub¬ 
fiftence of the colony, is extremely dsfirable : and your 
committee are of opinion, that an enlarged market, great 
encouragement to agriculture, and a free fupply of fpirits, 
may be afforded to the colony, without lofing the revenue 
which would be produced by the duties on importation, 
if diftillation within the colony were permitted under 
proper duties and regulations ; and they confidently fug¬ 
ged, that this is ameafure which ought to be fubftituted 
for that propofed by governor Macquarrie: it would ex¬ 
tend agricultural fpeculation; it would be a refource in 
times of fcarcity; and, with proper attention, would 
afford a better lpirit than has been hitherto imported; 
for the importations have, for the moll part, been of 
Bengal and American rum. But your committee mull 
at the fame time regret, that an impediment has arifen to 
the immediate alteration of the prefent fyllem, from'a 
contract entered into by governor Macquarrie, under 
which certain merchants have agreed to build an hofpital 
for the fettlement, on being allowed, during the enfuing 
three years, exclufively to purchafe fpirits at the govern¬ 
ment-price, no other fpirits being permitted, within that 
time, to be imported into the colony by private indi¬ 
viduals. 
“ The courts of judicature are inftituted bycommiffion. 
The civil court is called the Court of Civil Jurifdiftion, 
and confifts of the judge-advocate, and two refpeftable 
inhabitants of the colony, to be from time to time ap¬ 
pointed by the governor; and they have full power to 
hear and determine, in a luminary way, “ all manner of 
perfonal pleas whatfoeverthey have alfo full power to 
grant probates of wills, and adminiftration of the per¬ 
sonal ellates of inteftates dying within the fettlements; 
and, if either party find him, her, or them, (elves, aggrieved 
by any judgment or decree given or pronounced by the 
faid court, he, (he, or they, (hall and may appeal to the 
governor; or, in cafe of his abfence or death, to the 
lieutenant-governor; and, if any party (hall find him, 
her, or them, felves, aggrieved by the judgment or deter¬ 
mination of the faid governor, in any cafe where the debt 
or thing in demand (hall exceed the value of 300I. fuch 
party fo aggrieved may appeal to the king in council. 
An allowance,-to be fixed at the difcretion of the court, 
is to be made by all complainants, at w’hofe fuit any per- 
fon (hall be imprifonod, to fuch defendants, provided 
fuch defendant make oath that he has no eftate or effefts 
fufficient to maintain himfelf. It is- in evidence that this 
allowance has been fixed' at 6d. per day, which is not 
more in value than 4d. in England. It appears alfo, 
that no convift can, during the time of his fervitude, 
fue or be fned in thefe courts, or fuffer imprifonment for 
any debt incurred dry him. By the fame commiffion, a 
Court of Criminal Jurifdiftion is eltabiifhed, upon the 
authority of the aft 27 Geo. Ill, c. 2. It is a court of 
record. 
