Colonization

CHAPTER I.

The Reasons for forming this Colony.

THERE are four reasons given for the foundation of this Colony in Southern Australia, namely,—

1. That it will give vent to our over population. 2. That it will be a market for our over produce. 3. That it will enlarge the field for employing capital.

4. That it will be a model by which to correct our system of Colonial Government.

With regard to the first of these four reasons, namely, "that it will give vent to our over population," it is one which calls for the previous question; Is it true that we have an over population? There is a gentleman, named William Blacker, who manages large estates in Ireland, who is generally admitted to possess much local knowledge of the state of that unhappy country; who has done great good; and who has, in two pamphlets, told what he has done, and is daily doing, to benefit his country; thereby proving himself to be a more fit man to govern that country, than those who, for their long orations in the House of Commons, and for the evils they have done to Ireland, are selfstyled "Statesmen. These pamphlets of Mr. Blacker's have gained the prize of a gold medal, awarded to him by the Royal Dublin Society of Agriculture; a circumstance that I here state, because it stamps an authority on the opinions of Mr. Blacker, which the Public will not always give

to good sense on its own account.* Now Mr. Blacker says, “I have already extended this treatise to a length much beyond my original intention, but I "cannot conclude without endeavouring to answer one objection which may be made to the opinions "I have supported in the foregoing: I allude to my objecting to the expulsion of small holders for "the purpose of consolidating farms, in regard to "which it may be asked, if this is not done, the "population is increasing so rapidly, that as families

grow up, subdivision must go on until at length "the community will become paupers? I might 'fairly ask in return, how the plan of turning out "these families will prevent pauperism? It seems "to me, that the latter plan is by much the surest way to produce such a result. But the most satisfactory answer to the question will perhaps "be arrived at by endeavouring to ascertain how "far the apprehension of a superabundant population, at present so generally entertained, may or may not be justified by facts; for, if it should

appear there was land enough in the kingdom for "all its inhabitants now existing, and for as many "more as could be anticipated in any reasonable time; and that nothing more was wanted but proper regulations to make it available for their "wants; then the objection may fairly be con"sidered as set aside. In a late publication, en"titled, Ireland, as it was, is, and ought to be,' a " table is given of the acreable contents and popu"lation of each county in Ireland, which may be "supposed, at least so far relatively accurate, as to "afford data for the following calculations.-From * I only refer to Mr. Blacker's opinions regarding the doctrine. of over population.

"this table, it appears that the county of Armagh " contains 212,755 acres, and a population of 220,653 souls, and that the entire kingdom " contains 17,190,726 acres, and 7,839,469 souls. "Now, in the county of Armagh, by a recent survey, more than one-seventh of the surface is taken

up by lakes and unprofitable land, and the re"mainder is, for the greatest part, indifferently cul"tivated; and yet the peasantry are better clothed,

lodged, and fed, than they are in most other coun"ties in Ireland. I cannot, therefore, be accused of "taking away from the comforts of the rest of this kingdom by taking the county of Armagh as a "standard; and its proportion of unprofitable sur"face is not very remote, I believe, from the average "of the others. If then, 212,755, the number of "acres in Armagh, give a population of 220,653 souls, 17,190,726 acres, the entire contents of the kingdom, ought to give a population of 17,828,888 " in place of 7,839,469, the population at present. "It therefore appears, that, supposing the other

parts of Ireland to be as well cultivated as Armagh, it would support two and a-half times "the number of its present inhabitants, and be able "to export provisions largely beside; for Armagh, "notwithstanding its population, exports pork, "butter, and grain, in great quantities.

"But before deciding finally upon the population "which the kingdom could support, it ought to be "examined how far the county of Armagh, the

(standard taken) has arrived at its full comple"ment; and in regard to this, I would say, from a

pretty general knowledge of it, that under an im"proved system of agriculture, and a regular rota"tion of crops, the produce would be treble of what

"it yields at present; and I think this may be practically proved, if I can show farmers, possessing "land of an average quality, who being induced to change their manner of cultivation in the way already described, are now receiving fully treble produce from the identical same farm to what it " formerly yielded. But supposing it only to yield "double as much, it would follow, that the popula"tion of Armagh, if that beneficial change became general, might be doubled also, without in any degree lessening the comforts of the inhabitants, "which increase being taken as the basis of the calculation, and applying it to the whole of Ireland, "would make it adequate to the support of better "than THIRTY-FIVE MILLION OF SOULS.

When, therefore, it is considered what unex"hausted, I might say unexplored, resources remain "for the maintenance of any increase of inhabitants "that can be expected in any definite period, it "must, I think, be evident to every reflecting person, that all fears as to a surplus population are perfectly ideal, and that it is its unequal distribution, and not its aggregate amount, which is to be deplored; it may be said that the quantity of "waste land in the county of Armagh is below the average of the kingdom, and this I have not the necessary returns exactly to ascertain, but the proportion in Armagh would give an amount of "3,000,000 of acres of unprofitable land in the "whole of Ireland, which cannot be so far from the "truth, as in any material degree to effect the result "of the foregoing calculation. If, then, such be the "real state of the question, what, it will be de"manded, can prevent the population now in existence from seizing upon comforts so completely

"within their reach, and applying themselves at "6 once to the cultivation of these immense tracts of

improveable land, at present lying useless? The "answer to this will lead me to a point I wish to "arrive at; and the reply I should give would be, "that the chief reason was, the want of security for person and property, which deters the working "classes from attempting to settle in any place re"mote from their own connexions, and thereby pre"vents the population from extending itself to the "more uncultivated parts of the country; and being "thus pent up in particular districts, it occasions "land to be almost unattainable, where there is the greatest wish to cultivate it, and leaves it lying idle, where it exists in the greatest abundance. "Any one, who knows any thing of the state of "Ireland, knows that it is not safe in a farmer to "emigrate, even to an adjoining parish, without "paying largely for what is called the good-will of "the person to whom he succeeds; which explains

fully the reason why a sum of money, nearly equal "to the value of the fee simple of the land, is often "given to get into possession of a farm under a re"spectable landlord, in a quiet neighbourhood, "although the land may be subject to its full value "in rent; but to the want of security for person and property may also be added, the want of skill and capital in the working population, and the consequent incapacity of those who have neither, to attempt the business of reclaiming, which requires "both, and thus (even where land might be acquired) they cannot proceed, without meeting that support and assistance from the landlords which they are, generally speaking, unwilling or unable "to afford; and thus things have been left to take

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Colonization: Particularly in Southern Australia: with Some Remarks on Small ...