LABUAN.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 316, 9 June 1849, Page 3 (Supplement)

LABUAN.

Lord Grey's instructions to the Governor of Labuan have been laid before Parliament. Upon these instructions the Englishman makes the following observations :•— _ The first thing remarkable therein is the comparatively moderate scale on which the establishment is placed. The Governor gets £2,000 a year, and the Lieutenant-Governor £1,375, the Governor's Secretary £1,500, another officer has £330, and two other functionaries liave £500 a year each — .namely, the Master Attendant is also Postmaster and the Survaying Engineer. The Colonial Surgeon gets £416 13s. 4d. I The total establishment is £6,327 1 Oi. It mny, perhaps, be thought that even this estimate contains one superfluous member, namely, the Lieutenant. Gorernor; but it must be remembered that Sir JBrooke is also Governor of the British establishments on the island of Borneo, or, as the official letter rum, *' Labuan and its dependencies." As there is no judicial establishment the law vr ill be administered by the Governor or his deputy, and therefore one ought always to be on the island. The Colonial Office, with an unusual and laudable attention to economy, has also provided that, in case of officers of the army or navy being employed on the island, the talary allowed to them is not to be in addition to their pay. It is singular that this, the only colony in which great care seemi lo hpve beon taken to prevent neediess expense, should have been the fir the establishment of which has been attacked and uctuillv debated upon in the House of Commons. With regard to land, L nl Grey directs that the town and suburban lots should be let for 90 yeais on a fixed rent. This is a plan which, under good management, will enable the Government to meet the increased expenditure of a large town without direct taxation. For such buildings are as likely to be erected at Labuan — the term is long enough ; but in a large city it would prevent the erection of co>tly and ornamental buildings, unless with some modification, either by making the period much longer, or limiting the i ddition to be made to the rent at each renewal. Tue country lands .Lord Grey proposes to grant for 999 years, probably in older to shame John Company for his decennial settlements, as well as to etue the lawyers, who will hays to deal with the comparatively simple assignment of a lease instead of the complicated title which English law affixes to freehold property. Had he added a register office for all fixed property, the discomfiture of the ions of Zeruiah would have been complete. < Lord Giey has wisely abandoned the intended imposition of duties, nnd has made Labuan really free like Singapore, to Ihe su.cessful example of which he referred.