WASTE LANDS (AUSTRALIA). (Hansard, 31 July 1845)

§ Mr. Hawes
observed that the Bill seemed to proceed on the assumption that there was a redundancy of convict population, and that it was necessary to find profitable employment for them. How was it that a Colony with so much redundant labour, and having such abundance of good land, should be in a state of distress? How could they account for this anomaly? And what was the remedy here proposed? The repeal of an Act of Parliament, the policy of which nobody had ever questioned. It was the most unnecessary piece of legislation he had ever seen. It stood self-condemned, and if he could get a seconder, he would divide against the Bill. He moved that the House will on this day month resolve itself into the said Committee.

§ Mr. Warburton
would second the hon. Member.

§ Mr. Robert Scott
supported the measure, which, he said, was brought forward to assist a most deserving class of persons in a distant Colony. The opposition had arisen from the monopolising jealousy of the New Zealand Company.

§ Mr. Hume
said, the present measure had nothing whatever to do with New Zealand. He should vote against the Bill, and condemned the policy of the Government towards our Australian Colonies, as calculated to retard the prosperity of those Colonies, and stop emigration.

§ Mr. Pakington
supported the Bill, and urged upon the Government the necessity of providing more effectual religious instruction for the emigrants. The Government had granted 30,000l. for religious instruction in New South Wales; but that 1298 was not sufficient, while in Port Phillip and other distant settlements no means existed for the relief of religious destitution. He thought some portion of the funds derived from land sales should be devoted to the purposes of public worship and religious instruction in those distant Colonies.

§ Mr. G. W. Hope
defended the Bill, the effect of which would be to provide profitable employment for the redundant labour of the Colony. Six thousand convicts had been employed at the charge of this country, in works of irrigation and other public works, by which the value of the lands in the Colony had been increased; and it was no more than common justice, therefore, that in the benefit derived from the sale of the waste lands, the means of reimbursing ourselves for that outlay should be allowed. Another advantage which would result from the measure was, that it would give to the stockholders of New South Wales a tenure on better terms than that they now enjoyed. With regard to the suggestion of his hon. Friend the Member for Droitwich (Mr. Pakington), he could assure him that the Government was as anxious as he could possibly be to provide for the spiritual destitution of the inhabitants of these Colonies; but they felt that if to effect that object they proceeded in opposition to the feelings of the colonists, they would do more harm than good.

§ Mr. Milner Gibson
would support the Amendment were it pressed to a division. The Government would not allow the settlers to bring their produce to the best market. As to the speech of the hon. Member for Droitwich, he thought it was very much out of place. It was food and clothing that the settlers wanted rather than spiritual instruction.

§ Mr. Hawes
protested against the Bill, which was in the teeth of their Governor's recommendations, and inefficient in itself. They were going to great and unwarrantable expenses for the sake of their convict population, at the time that they would not open to the produce of the Colony the only market accessible to it.

§ Sir James Graham
said, that the convicts had been employed at the expense of this country in cultivating lands in the Colony. These lands had afterwards been sold, one half of the proceeds being devoted to the promotion of emigration. As, however, the supply of labour had began to exceed the demand, it was now proposed to devote the produce of the sales to the expenses of the Colony, with a view of reducing the general taxation in this country.

Mr. Villiers
said, that were the Government to resolve upon a measure admitting Australian corn into this country, he was sure that his hon. Friend the Member for Lambeth would withdraw his opposition to the present Bill. Considering the great change which had come over the opinions of country gentlemen, he did hope that they would make some demonstration of their readiness to acquiesce in so reasonable a measure.

List of the AYES.
Arbuthnott, hon. H.	Denison, E. B.
Ashley, Lord	Dick, Q.
Baring, rt. hn. W. B.	Douglas, Sir H.
Barnard, E. G.	Fitzroy, hon. H.
Bennet, P.	Gladstone, rt. hn. W. E.
Bodkin, W. H.	Goulburn, rt. hon. H.
Borthwick, P.	Graham, rt. hn. Sir J.
Corry, rt. hon. H.	Greene, T.
Cripps, W.	Henley, J. W.
Darby, G.	Hope, G. W.

Lincoln, Earl of	Smith, rt. hon. T. B. C.
McNeill, D.	Spooner, R.
Nicholl, rt. hon. J.	Stuart, H.
Packe, C. W.	Sutton, hon. H. M.
Pakington, J. S.	Thesiger, Sir F.
Peel, rt. hon. Sir R.	Trench, Sir F. W.
Polhill, F.	TELLERS.
Pringle, A.	Gardwell, E.
Scott, hon. F.	Young, J.

List of the NOES.
Cobden, R.	Warburton, H.
Escott, B.	Yorke, H. R.
Gibson, T. M.	TELLERS.
Norreys, Sir D. J.	Hawes, B.
Villiers, hon. C.	Hume, J.