Land Laws.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4037, 6 December 1881, Page 2

Land Laws.

The following ex'racts have been made from the report presented to Parliament during last session. Ihe report was furnished by the Auditor-General, J. E. Fitzgerald, C.M.G., who visited the neighboring colonies at the request of the Government. The following appears under the head of Land Beveuue New South Wales :—

The Crown lands in New South Wales are sold and leased under a variety of laws passed at different times. The colony is divided into districts, about one hundred in number, in each of which there is a Land Agent, who is the collector of the Land Fund in his district. Ordinary sales ure by auctions, which are held from time to time, the Land Agent acting as auctioneer, the sections to be offered for sale having been previously advertised in Gazette. Twenty five per cent, of the purchase money is paid to the Land Agent on sale, and the balance within three months ; but the latter may be paid at the Treasury at the option of the purchaser. The Land Agent has to send up his collections and vouchers at once to the Treasury, but he is not required to. send in his attested accounts to the audit, until after the three months have expired, a separate account being sent in for each auction sale.. Where the balance of purchase money is not paid, the land is forfeited, and is open for selection at the upset price. The land agent generally holds some other office under the Govern* ment, such as Clerk of Petty Sessions.

The most important branch of the land sales is that of the conditional purchases, corresponding to the lands sold on deferred payments in New Zealand. The land is sold at a fixed price of one pound per acre, of which five shillings is paid on selection. No further payment is required for three years, after which one shilling per acre is payable annually, a part of which is for interest on the outstanding debt at the rate of five per cent per annum, and the balance goes for payment of the principal. There are further conditions as to occupation. If the periodical payments are not made, the land is by law forfeited, but this condition has never yet been enforced. Each conditional land purchaser is entitled to a preemptive! right over time times the extent of bis purchase, and adjacent to it, but he has.to renew his tenancy and pay the required rental year by year:—

The amount of book-keeping found necessary to record these various payments, and the outstanding debts to the Crown is very considerable. In addition to complete accounts of all transactions which are kept in the office of the land agents. About 100 large ledgers are open in the treasury, containing it is supposed, about 90,000 separate accounts. These ledgers are not balanced with any general account, and serve only to show the actual payments and outstanding debt of each constitutional purchaser ; but in so vast a mass of accounts they can hardly be of much use in keeping the treasury informed of those whose payments are in arrear. A few years ago when the number of accounts was about 60,000, the books were carefully gone through, and a list was made out of all arrears. It is said that not more than five hundred defaulters were found, and on a notice being issued threatening forfeiture of the land, almost the whole money was paid up. It was stated by Sir Henry Parkes, at a public dinner a short time ago, that the debt to the Government on the conditional purchases amounted to nine millions,,.and that the payment of interest last year was as much as £200,000. As soon as the three years have elapsed on all existing selections, the annual interest will be £450,000. The average extent ;of these holdings is said to be about 100 acres. It may not be out of place to" remark that the population of New South Wales ! is under 720,000 souls, the adult males do not probably exceed 180,000. lam informed that tlie electoral rolls show a total of less that 15,0,000. Hence even if, as is the case, a considerable number, of selections are held by one purchaser,, it may be inferred that a large proportion of the whole electoral body are. under liability to the Government-under the existing law. , Whether this debt will ever be - realised under such circumstances is a matter which some may feel inclined to doubt; especially as an agitation is already iv movement in some districts—and a conference from districts has been recently sitting in Sydney—to get rid of the interest ou the debt: a fact to which Sir Henry Parkes alluded the other day in his speech, only so far as to point out, that if that interest were abandoned, £200,600 of annual taxation must be imposed else were. The notices iv the public press, however, point ominously to au impending struggle to get rid of the liabilities of so large a portion of the population to the Government.

injury of bis constituency aud the country at large.

I maintain the only honorable course open for him when he found he could not make his bread and butter without be. lying his political professions, and upon which he was elected without opposition, was to have resigned his seat. —I am, &c, Elector: