THE AUSTRALIAN QUESTION.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 681, 23 October 1852, Page 4

THE AUSTRALIAN QUESTION.

[From the " Morning Chronicle," June 2.] It io absolutely necessary that the Colonial Office should bre.ik llirough its habitual apathy in ord«r to ncceleiate the supply of labour lo Australia. The large sums remitted for tins purpose by the different province*, sufficiently prove tho urgency of their preBentni>ed; and although the interests of the colonies are entitled to the first consideration of the Minister, U must not be forgotten that an extraordinary opportunity presents itself for providing an advantageous settlement for a portion of our poorer classes, without expense to this country. Sir John Pakmgton would be fully justified in suspending or modifying, in favour of the colonists, the regulations ordinarily enforced by the Emigration Board for the purpose of maintaining the proper proportion of the sexes among 1 emigrants. The Australian sheep-owners are at this moment thinking more of the preservation oi their flocks than of the future prosperity of their adopted country ; nnd although wives and maid-servnnts are most desirable ineniueis oi the community, they are not the persons

most in demand at this instant, either in ibo gieut sheep ranges or at the diggings. '1 he chief (longer at the present moment arises fiom official indifference and ndl.eicriCG to routine. Lord Deiby never ventures on any decided measure, and it is in ram to expect oiiginality from Sir John Pakington. Tlie Colonifll Secretary miked to a deputation, the othpr day, about tbo difliculty of obtaining return freights for the ships which lake settlors out to Austialm. ]t would have been difficult to il'ustrato moie completely the incapacity of the Government to meet tlie present cnsis. Assuming that tins deficiency of homeward consignments exists, a state-man might he expected to see diat the question of freights is meiely one of expense. A ship winch makes a it'tuin vojage in ballast must of couise remunerate the owners by (Mining an inrreased fi eight on the outward trip; but we do not find that the colonists have imposed any lestricdon of puce on the immigrants whom they are inviting; at their own expense. Ihe Home Government is asked to send out at least as many hands as the funds entiusted to it will convey to Austiaha ; and it is idle to sl/nt the supply, under llio piefext that circumstances rentier the voj age ( of each settler somewhat dearer than in ordinary times. A mci chant whoordeia an extraordinary quantity of goods in nny market knows befoiehand that his own demand will raise the prise of the commodities which he requires. At the present time, shepherds and mechanics are sufficiently valuable at Port Phillip to bear a much qi eater addition to their cost than any which the rise of freights is likely to occasion. A bold and ingenious theoiist has proposed to meet the emergency by an enoimoui nnpoilntion of Chinese labouiers. It is undesnable that tiny alien population should from a serv le caste in an English colony where the climate will allow oui own counhymen to work ; but the Government may well be assured that, unless energetic aid is uilbided them, the Australians will have recouiie (o every possible device in piefeience to cnduung quietly the destruction of then property. The unexpected discoveries of gold, and the consequent embariassment of the grazing colonies, have, as might have been expected, given rise to strange theories of political economy and of the duties of a Government. The Colonial Office has been told that the whole population are likely to starve in the midst of their treasures; and it has been repeatedly called upon to check the production of gold by raising the royalty on the diggings, and by collection it by means of an increased military force. Sir John Pakinqton will do well to shut his ears to demands so utteily unjust, impolitic, and impiacticable. The local Government may think itself fortunate in having obtained the consent of the miners to pay a moderate sum for their licenses. The old English prerogative, by which the Crown claims mines of the precious metals, would scarcely have maintained itself, even at home, if gold had been found on the hills of Wales or Derbyshire. It would be monstrous to extend such a claim in its full rigour to the new continent on the opposite side of the globe. A new kind of property in an unoccupied region has naturally been regarded as belonging to those who cou'd get possession of it. Tangible and portable wealth accruing directly from manual labour, could never be really possessed by any absent capitalists, and still less by the abstraction called the Provincial Government. Gold proverbially sticks to the fingers of those who handle it; and there would have been little use in disputing Mie legality of a possession which, in practice, could not have been distui bed. The establishment of a military force to prevent adventurers froai digging gold would be a machinery worthy of the end to be obtained. Desertion is a crime not to be palliated or excused ; but it certainly ought not to be provoked. A regiment stationed to keep the gold diggers from tho gold would soon either take their places or join them. Tho monstrous proposition of checking the acquisition of gold by military force displays t singular ignorance of economic principles. It is no part of the duty of any Government to prevent its subjects from becoming too neb. Many lamentations, over the piospective deficiency of wool are utteied in entire forget fulness that the settleis are, after all, the bet judges of (heir own interests. If shepherds ran off to tho diggings, it is only because a lump of gold is woith more than, perhaps, a yeai's wages The flockmusters are entitled to a very reasonable aid. which the Government can give them; hut they have no claim to an artificial protection in the labour mai ket against more attractive kinds of industry. The local Administration need not fear that the population will starve, so long as it has in its hands the greatest purchasing power ever enjoyed by any snnilai community. There is, however, no real danger that any such dilemma will anse, if the Colonial Office understands its duty. Gold digging is a hborous occupation, demanding health, strength, and energy to ensure success. If the emigrants are judiciously selected, a large portion of them will be willing to cain their share of Australian wealth by easier labour, less extravagantly paid. The condition of a shepherd m some of those provinces is far more eligible than that ofalmost any European labourer ; and there are thousands who will be ready to follow a mode of life winch will ensure health, competence, and comfoit. It is only necessary for the Colonial Office to adopt the requisite measure for largely and rapidly augmenting the population. Its military lesources will be best applied to the establishment of a reserve, which may, in case ofnecessity.be used to enforce order among tho gold-digging adventurers.