§ EARL GREY, in moving the Second Reading of the Waste Lands Australia Bill, said that the object was much the same as the Bill which had been introduced by his noble Friend (Lord Lyttelton) when Under Secretary for the Colonies, and was intended to provide facilities for the occupation of lands, for the purposes of grazing, a subject of considerable importance in the present state of these Colonics. Some years ago the land was granted to individuals, and it was found impossible, even with the greatest care, to prevent large tracts from falling into the hands of persons who made no proper use of them, and thus drove the bonâ fide settlers to a great distance, obstructed improvement, and affected injuriously the interests of the Colony. Fifteen years ago his noble Friend (the Earl of Ripon) changed the method of disposing of land by abolishing the system of grant, and adopting the system of sale. The price was originally 5s. an acre; but it was now fixed by Act of Parliament at 1l. an acre, and the effect of the new system had been upon the whole satisfactory. The parties were at the time averse to the change, and predicted its failure; but from January 1832 to the end of 1844, the amount of money received from the land sales in New South Wales had been 1,116,000l., and by far the larger proportion of that amount had been expended on emigration to that Colony. There had been expended in carrying out emigrants to that Colony 964,000l., or, including incidental expenses and free passages to clergymen and schoolmasters, 1,032,000l.; and the number of emigrants who had arrived in the Colonies was 95,775. The effect of this upon the population and wealth of the country was in all respects most re- 701 markable. The revenue, which in 1831 amounted to only 122,000l., had risen in 1844 to 394,000l. The value of the exports in 1831 was 237,000l., including 75,000l. for wool; but in 1844 they amounted to 871,000l.; and the value of the wool in 1844 was no less than 471,000l. All those results the House must see were highly beneficial both to the mother country and the Colony, the abundant supply of wool being of great value to one of the staple manufactures of this country; and those results he undertook to say arose from the sale of land, more than from any other cause. But it had been found that that system was attended with some inconvenience. Their Lordships might probably be aware that in a state of nature the land throughout a considerable extent of Australia yielded pasturage for sheep and cattle; but then it required a great extent of land to supply animals with food—it took as many as four acres to feed a sheep; it was still, however, desirable that stock and sheep farming should go on to a considerable extent, because it was the great source of the Colonial wealth, provided it was not allowed to interfere with the sale of land. A great deal of the land at present used for pasturage was occupied by persons who held it under yearly licenses, and the district which they held was not less than 1,600 miles in length by 300 in width. The population occupying that extensive district amounted to about 9,000 or 10,000 persons; but they tended a vast amount of sheep and cattle; that state of things added greatly to the wealth and prosperity of the Colony; but unhappily the people so circumstanced were in a very unsatisfactory condition. There were amongst them no schools, no places of worship—not a clergyman was to be seen. At first the care of those flocks and herds was undertaken by single men; but gradually women were added to the population; and the population now consisted of persons of both sexes and all ages. Amongst them there were no means of instruction, improvement, or civilization—nothing to prevent their continuing in a state of the rudest barbarism. Some change was necessary; but the mode of effecting that change of course constituted the main difficulty. It was thought, both by his predecessors in office and by himself, that it would be expedient to allow the squatters and stock-feeders of Australia some more permanent interest in the land than they at present enjoyed under 702 their annual licenses; leases, in fact, for such a period as would induce them to build houses, form tanks, and dig wells. Noble Lords might not be aware of it; but the fact was, that the land in Australia was greatly affected in its capability of supporting stock by the quantity of water which it was possible within a reasonable distance to procure; and therefore every encouragement for that species of improvement ought to be held out. It was proposed, then, that under certain limits, the tenure of land should be extended. The Bill which he now intended to move should be road a second time would enable the Government to grant leases for less periods than fourteen years. Practically the period would probably be much less; but it was thought best to take a sufficient power at once, and to avoid the necessity of troubling Parliament a second time on the subject. The late Governor of the Colony recommended eight years, and that would probably be the average length of lease. If the holders of lands under those leases wished to purchase the lands which they had in their possession, a right of preemption was to be given them, subject to arbitration respecting value. On the other hand, if they refused to purchase them, the lands were to be sold by auction. He proposed also that these who had already gone to the expense and trouble of discovering what were called "good runs" should also enjoy rights of preemption. The licenses were now granted at the rate of 10l. for every 400 sheep, or an equivalent quantity of cattle that the land was capable of maintaining, and he still proposed to retain that rate of payment. In letting lauds, means, he thought, should be taken to insure the good conduct of the holders; and he therefore proposed that persons convicted of misconduct should lose their lands, and in aggravated cases should be deprived of them without any condensation for improvements; and on the other hand it was proposed, with a view to encouraging improvement, that at the expiration of leases or licenses, if the lands were not otherwise required by the circumstances of the Colony, the occupants, if their conduct had been good, should be entitled to a renewal of their lease, or licenses. With respect to the regulations necessary for carrying these objects into effect, the introduction of a sufficient number of them into an Act of Parliament must have the effect of unduly extending such a statute; and therefore it was thought that the best course would be 703 to give the power to Her Majesty in Council to make the necessary regulations; copies of which were to be laid before Parliament. It would be impossible for Parliament to legislate upon matters of such minute detail as the establishment of those regulations required. But, on the other hand, Orders in Council were not considered to possess that fixity and permanence which might be thought desirable; and therefore he proposed that no repealing order should come into force until six months after it had been laid before Parliament. He concluded by moving that the Bill be read a second time.
LORD BROUGHAMobjected to giving the power to the Crown of legislating all the year round. He thought that the power of making those regulations should be limited to the Session of Parliament.
§ LORD LYTTELTONapproved of the measure generally, and in particular of the plan proposed by the Bill for giving the Crown the power of making regulations from time to time. The noble Lord pointed out some verbal imperfections, to which he called the attention of the noble Earl.
§ The DUKE of GRAFTONinquired whether provision was made for applying any part of the revenue in Australia to religious purposes?
§ EARL GREYsaid, there was at present a provision that a portion of the revenue derived from the Crown lands in that Colony should be applied to augment the religious establishments. But there was a difficulty in making provision for religious purposes arising from the extreme dispersion of the population. Where from 9,000 to 10,000 persons were scattered over a country 1,600 miles long by 300 miles wide, it was obvious that it was physically impossible to make adequate provision for the religious instruction of such a population.
§ Bill read 2a.