The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1848.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 168, 8 January 1848, Page 2

The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1848.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aims'fc at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

The Local Government has already taken advantage of our new Constitution, to effect a change of no small importance. The upset price of land has been raised about eight hundred per cent. Under the Australian Land Sales Act, the minimum price was fixed at one hundred pounds an acre, now the public are permitted to commence their competition for bits of ground, scarcely large enough for Wombwell's elephant caravan to stand on, at from eight hundred to one thousand pounds an acre! Crown lands in the country are equally advanced in price ; for some suburban allotments, containing two acres and a half each, are to be offered at the modest price of j£l2s per lot. Truly the government must have a very high opinion of the value of this district. Rejoice then ! ye holders of barren ridges uncultivated, and chalybeate swamps undrajned, at the sudden increase of

price which tl.is act under the new constitution will enable you to ask for yonr acres, — if you can only obtain it. Aye, there's the rub ! It has been long known that Captain Grey was wedded to the principle of attempting to sell crown lands at h high price ; yet we had no idea he would carry it to such an ahsurd length as we find it in the proclamation referred to. One would have thought that an experience of six yearsjn New South W»lc§, O r of even the last four in tluTvery settlement, would have shown that the value of land cannot be perceptibly raised by fixing a high minimum price ; people will not giva more than they consider it worth, by the adoption of any such fictitious valuation. When the system of selling lands in New South Wales, at a minimum price of £1 an acre was commenced in 1841, there was a falling off of no less than £29D,526, on the amount received the preceding years. And ever since that high price was fixed on, the quantity sold has been merely nominal. One of the greatest temptations which induces most persons to leave nome and emigrate to distant countries, is the acquisition of land at a low price. When they compare the usual charge of a few shillings an acre in America and some Biiiish colonies, w\th the high value of land at home, the contrast is sinking enough. But they generally find, after a little time spent in clearing, fencing, erecting the necessary buildings, and bringing the estate into a proper degree of cultivation, that they might have purchased a farm in England, for about the same amount they have expended, even supposing they had the I land originally for nothing No one ought to i expend more than one fourth his capital in the I purchase of land in a state of nature ; and that is too much. With respect to town property, it might appear that a better return ; is to be obtained by investing money in houses, than in cultivated lands. When we compare the liability to fire, and rapid decay oi the former, to the indestructibility of the latter, there certainly ought to be a great difference in the annual returns ; much greater than is now obtained. Indeed, omitting these considerations, we know of some cultivated farms, which are now paying better even than town property. It is folly to &ay that such and such land has never returned a farthing, — no, it never will, until brought under cultivation. One might as well expect a high rent for d town allotment without a house on it. But to return, — we were anticipating that a different plan would have been adopted by Captain Grey under the new charter. Surely there can be no one so blind as not to have seen the utter failure of the Wakefield, or as we may term it, the " high pressure " system. The blind pursuance of a system which has retarded the colonization of the Australian colonies, and sent thousands of its intending immigrants to the United States, and other countries, where they are received with welcome, has surely been attended with sufficient mischief without carrying it out to a preposterous degree in this ultima thule. Everyone appears to be better acquainted than the government with the fact, that it is population alone which makes land valuable. In Texas, a country highly favoured by na- ! ture, and one third our distance from Europe, a married settler has from 8 to 9000 acres of land given him ; they are too wise there, to prevent the arrival of settlers by a high minimum price for •' dirty acres.'' We do not think with some, that an attempt i is being made to drive emigrants to the ■ south. It is now too late, even if it were | wished. There is fortunately, land enough in the hands of private individuals, who will sell it at a reasonable price to those who want it. And this circumstance alone, will render the government sales abortive ; we should be sorry to have to find our bread and cheese on the receipts from land sales, as long as the preseut rates are demanded. Do we then consider the district in which we reside, to be of little value ? Far from it. J We believe that from its position, and other i permanent qualifications, there ia not a spot in the southern hemisphere, so really valuable as this peninsula, bounded on the one side by the Waitemata. and on the other by the Manakao, But what we object to, is the unmistakeable attempt of government to prevent that most legitimate of all a colonists profits, the increase in the value of laud, by laying on an enormous tax on its first acquisition. Let as much land as may be required by the public, be put up for auction at certain intervals ; and it will fetch its full value, whatever be its minimum price. And let it be remembered that an increase of settlers is of much greater consequence than an increase of a few pounds derived from land sales, even supposing we were insane enough to think such a thing possible, under existing circumstances, No one need emigrate to a distance of 15,000 miles, for the purpose of buying land at a high rate, — they can do that at home, without going through the ordeal of sea- sickness.

The Court of Requests for the Northern district has, by the dictum of the Governor, been abolished. This is a change we were quite unprepared for — and we are sure our readers

will feel no little regret, that a Court which has so long, and so equitably brought their disputed debts to a speedy settlement whenever its arbitration was necessary, no longer exists. The Resident Magistrate's Court will in future take cognizance of those matters of dispute which were formerly brought before the Court of Requests. In all decisions between man and man, if wili seldom happen that both parties can be satisfied. We cannot howerer quit the subject without bestowing our meed of praise, on the highly satisfactory manner in which the late Commissioner, P. Berrey, Esq., disposed of the business of his Court.

We are glad to find that the want which this active community has so long suffered from, is now about to be supplied. The Union Bank of Australia will be open for business on Tuesday next, the Ilth Instant, at the office, Princes Street.

Programme. — On Thursday, Jan. 13th, at 4 o'clock, on the space of ground opposite the Council Chamber, the Band of' the 58th Regiment will perform the following pieces of music : — Overture— Op. •• Masaniello," .. Auber Ca*: — Up. " Roberto Disvereux" Donizetti Cay:—Op. "Stafaet Mater" Rosbini Waltz— "The Hyacinth" K«nig Cavr—Op. "Beatrice di Linda" Bellini Quidrille— " The British Navy" Jullien