The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 887, 24 January 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1868.

It is only to reiterate an acknowledged - fact to affirm that Southland wants population, and it is equally true that in the United Kingdom there is a superabundant element. It is,- therefore, clear that no subject is of more importance, not only to the colonists, but to the mass of our countrymen afc home: It appears unfair that the Colonies should be called upon to pay for immigration, while Englaud, with its untold wealth aud multitude- of starving or underpaid., industrious toilers,, refuses to assist them to better their condition. Such, however, is thd case. If the Colonies want people,, they must themselves obtain them ; notwithstanding that in the old country population has become so dense that with all its scientific appliances it cannot produce anything approaching the quantity of food its people requires to keep life in them. We read of meaj;, grain, and every article of consumption being imported ia almost fabulous quantities, aud yet emigration is discouraged by ,. a section of the Press. Even those journals that parade a devotedriess to the working man's interest, who declaim against the low rate of wages, the writer who moans brer the ; pitiable condition of the laboring classes and suggests Utopian schemes for improvement,- seldom or ever advocate Nature's own remedy — E migration. It is evident that to secure population ■we' must promote it by financwlassistanee, and securing wide spread information as to the inducements that the colonies offer to the industrious to come to this new land. The fact must be gr.ifted on the public mind, that it is folly to wait, struggle, and hope — living as it were on foreign, food, while plenty aad to spare

te waiting for those who would come* and partake of it in. New They assisted imtnigratiou scheme adopted iv aomo of the Provinces has been 'tha means oP bringing, to our x shores many" thufc artf now prosperous farmers,-! who, had they ro:naiued at home, j would still be ekiug out a precarious! existence. By a few yeara labor they ] have been able to riae from the position. ! of the emplaned to th i 1 of the employe r» i Let this be generally known' in England j — let it be implanted in the minds of the \ working agriculturalist, or mechanic, that there is land waiting tor the cultivator, and employment for all who will laborfor the attainment of land he can call his own. The instinctive craving of every man is to obtain a habitation that may be his, and his children's after him. The colonies offer this. No man who is thrifty and industrious need long remain without satisfying an ambition scarcely ever to be reached at home. - The greatest work of the last session of the Provincial Council was the revival of Immigration. The resolutions of Mr Johnston to give land as payment for the. passage of. immigrants is good in prinl ciple, but the details will require to be ; carefully matured. It offers an inducei ment to the small capitalist who can bring with him a family, or servants, ' f ,say ten,, the opportunity of obtaining 150' acres of land, and have his remaining ' capital free to be used for fencing, elear- > iug, and the like. Still he is a debtor to the Government, and must at sometime extinguish- his debt. We think that if ifc ; is within- the "four corners "of the Laud Act, a stated time for this repay-, ment ought to be fixed, and that as long a time as possible should be named. To the actual cultivator de- , ferred payments should be allowed, and those be ■as light as possible — say in ■ five • instalments covering a period of seven years, no demand being made for the first two yearsy bat no Crown (xranfc issued until the liability had been' extinguished, , The land grant system, which this resembles,, adopted in Queensland, proved a powerful agent in inducing emigrants to elect that as the chosen land, but. d^i not,, work well. The privilege of selling land warrants was abused,and tended to much dissatisfaction. If land orders are granted without any restrictions, capitalists at home may purchase* them, and ship emigrants of any description, take the land and leave it unfilled for years. This is not what we want. To ensure prosperity every available acre in theprovince should be cultivated, and the Government in framing regulations in the carrying out of the resolution to which we allude, should keep tikis object in view. In the appropriation of the £5000 voted for immigration,, great care and discrimination is required, and the Government^ while directing its attention mainly ta female immigrants, should limit its assistance to those classes most required— the farm and house servant, male and female, and Buch mechanics" as are etq/ecially required. It : is also essential that {lie widest publicity should be given fa the Home country that assisted Immigration has been resumed, and the conditions on which passages can be obtained. Southland wants population, and that want should be clearly made known 1 throughout Great Britian. - ,:..